Anyone know a good starting bench jeweler?

[Nicrez]

I am actually hoping to find a good starting bench jeweler who is willing to make some designs that have and since I am starting as well, I am hoping they will be lenient on labor cost, so they can get experience as well. I have a friend in class who is a jeweler, but he lives in PA, and it''s a bit tough getting him for projects.

 

[valeria101]

What are you up to M''am ?

Well, no need to disclose a secret... Best of luck !

 

[Nicrez]

nothing expensive sadly...Not yet anyway... I am actually trying to work with my friend in Philadelphia to make a pair of cufflinks for my boy for Valentine''s day. It''s actually a design I wanted, with a pair of blue spinel octagon cuts.

I have some fun inexpensive stones that I want to set just to wear around, and to get my feet wet designing... I am hoping to take the design course at GIA later on, but one step at a time...

 

[valeria101]

Sorry Bucharest is so far away

Definitely more than Philadelphia.

"get[ting] my feet wet designing" sounds awfully good

 

[Nicrez]

For a good bench jeweler I would consider moving! Plus, I could bone up on my Romanian...

Honestly, no one knows of an inexpensive bench jeweler...?

 

[faustx]

I just finished my GJ but I''m in San Diego, moving to Detroit. Maybe we could work something out?

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

I hope he/she has additional income to facilitate this. Most good bench workers started off making the coffee, then moved on to, say casting and then some polishing, then some years of just soldering, then assembling, then wrought work and so on. It takes a long time to learn how to accurately make jewellery to design, especially if the designer is a novice. It takes a beginner months to do what can be done in a few days, if they ever can.

Look around on boards where there are jewellers looking for work. It is more a matter of taking advantage of their poor business skills as we have all been through that and learnt the hard way.

Perhaps you could post your designs here?

You can easily work together from different areas. I almost always do. I still do trade hand wrought jewellery for the UK. There is nothing to it.

Phillip