From basket to basket: small details make the difference

Most of  you, consumers, don't really know when it comes to differentiate between stones baskets. Most of end users will just look at the item and if it is sparkling and looks nice, they will go for it.

However; there is a huge difference when it comes to quality. Quality is not only about the design, or the materials used to produce an item but most importantly the execution of each component and the techniques involved to make the item of a high end quality.

To make things easier for you to understand, I posted photos and designs of various types of baskets. They will give you an idea of the ways a simple basket can be done and the differences in the look.

The first 2 photos (flat belts on the baskets) is a traditional old style used in common jewelry. The quality of the make is very fine but the quality of the style or design is not.

Baskets with flat belt

Baskets with flat belt

Now, take a look at the next 2 photos (the rounded belts on the baskets). They look not only more elegant but also will be lighter without compromising on the sturdiness of the piece. They are more visually appealing and when assembled in a necklace for example, the piece will certainly stand and will display the full potential of the stones body. So maybe now some of you will say: Yeh, it is nicer and really there is a big difference. You won't like the first style anymore.

Look at the last 2 photos (the computer designed ones), now these are what i call nice high end baskets. You will see all the jewelry brand names such as Chopard, Cartier etc use this kind of baskets. The curves of the belt gives the basket a distinctive look that will certainly catch your eyes.

There are other ways of doing baskets so when you buy a piece of jewelry and you want to know details of the make, have a look how the baskets are done. You will sure make up your mind on what to buy and what to avoid. Hope you enjoyed this tip and if yes, +1 :-)

Hand made, machine made, prototypers be gone? Not yet.

Not that I don't like hand made jewelry, on the contrary, it ads value to any piece but with the technology available these days, production of jewelry became precise, fast, and flawless.

In the old days, a piece of jewelry started with a prototype made by hand (either silver or sometimes directly on gold). It took time to design it, then to execute it on the raw material. By old days I don't mean it is not done till nowadays, on the contrary, many companies; if not the majority, still produce jewelry the old fashion way. With the introduction of fast prototyping machines and software, jewelry design became fast and precise. It could take a few hours to a day to have a ring done in 3D and ready to be fed to a rapid prototyping machine to have it done in either wax, resin, or stright on raw material.

Could all jewelry item be produced using such technology? The answer is yes but it comes at a cost. Although small items such as rings, pendants, earrings (not to complicated designs)  could be done quickly by CAD programs, more intricate and larger items could take many days to create and they might not come out in the same finesse as done by hand. Besides the time to make them, the cost involved would be quite high. The reason being the complexity of such designs that in many cases can only be perfected by a real master craftsmen with years of experience and above all good taste. Simple items can be quickly execute using computers due to the large library of shapes that are ready to be used for such items. More intricate complicated and one of items could not be produced using such object libraries.

Bottom line, use CAD technology when appropriate to save on costs and also to have precise executed items and use your craftsmen experience when it comes to more intricate designs. Besides, one could always make such items using come computer generated parts and hand made ones for a better product. The days of prototypers is yet to be gone but one never knows what technological advancements will be brought to this thousands of years old industry that could change the way jewelry is made.

These rings were created using CAD software and as you can see, they are pretty much standard in design so it is economical to produce them using such technology.

Poda Bangle

This bangle design on the right is intricate making it using CAD software is possible but would take a long time to have it executed and still it will need to be worked out by hand for final touches. Making such design by hand preferable as it will be done faster and have lower production cost. Besides, "hand made"always add value and a distinctive touch to any item whether they are cars, shoes, bags, or jewelry.

Fine jewelry in simplicity, size does matter!

The other day I was in a shopping mall and as I usually do, I window shop for major jewelry brands and one pearl set caught my attention (not the one pictured herein :-). The pearls were fixed on the gold parts in a way that was quite tricky. It reminded me of one set we produced that was a bit challenging as well.

The set pictured here is very simple. It is made of gold, diamonds, and pearls. When we created this set, I wanted the pearls to be free inside a cocoon or cage. The somehow challenge of making it was to have the parts holding the pearls be assembled so that 1) no soldering should be visible and 2) solder it without damaging the pearls.

I am not sure how could this be possible few years back but today with the availability of laser welding, it solved our problem. However, even if you solder with laser, you can see tiny soldering marks so in order not to have such marks, the prototype of the parts were done in an interlocking way that the laser solder spot would be hidden as a part of the interlock system.

It is a simple piece but of high end because of the technique, the quality of the finish, and the design. I did not mention materials because for me, jewelry should always have the finest of materials so this is a de facto in high end jewelry. Now how size matters? What I mean by this is that when you have a big brand under your wings, that will make your item sell for big bucks. This set looks much richer than the set I saw of a very renowned International jeweler, and by far cheaper but since it is not branded, it cannot be sold for a high price. Yes, size does matter when it comes to brands.