So...does anyone know

[chrono]

Michael,
I understand that the cost to check for diffusion is expensive but is it too much to ask for for a jewellery maker to understand the difference between heat only and something that is heated with an added mineral? Just as you are confident that the sapphires you procure for faceting is heat only, I expect the Etsy vendor to have some measure of understanding the various treatments of corundum and be confident of their sources.

 

[Michael_E]

is it too much to ask for for a jewellery maker to understand the difference between heat only and something that is heated with an added mineral?

In most cases it is too much to ask. I have a friend who is an extraordinary artist with several art related degrees and awards for her art in jewelry. She knows a smattering about gems and I think that she wants to keep it that way since she prefers to focus on the art in her metalwork. To her it really doesn't matter too much how the color got into the stone...as long as it is the perfect color. She sells based on the art of the piece and not on the gemological qualities of the stones she uses. I believe that she would prefer to use only untreated stones, but she would also not go to great lengths to make sure of it , (unless a client insists, of course).

I think that there are a lot of people who have this mind set and it's brought on by their focus on their craft as opposed to a focus on the details of the materials they're using. As always, money talks, and if you find someone who does good metal work and let them know what you want and what you will pay for it, then you may get them to move more towards your position with the gems. I wouldn't get too concerned if most of the craftspeople that you talk to don't have a clue about this sort of thing initially though, it takes time to learn all this stuff.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I just received my first purchase from that group of Chinese semi-mount sellers.(Jewelryhoo) I for one did go there for the diamonds. I needed to set emerald earrings and wanted a halo around the dangle. I did a buy it now, but first I decided to see if I could bargain with the price. He had the pair listed for $379-- and I offered $325.00 also to include a change in the color of the prongs.( I wanted yellow gold-not white on the prongs.) I thought he might come back with a counter offer but he accepted and I received them Yesterday. There was supposed to be 55 pts of diamonds, albeit, single cut and to my surprise you can barely see the diamonds.
Ithe semi-mounts are extremely light weight. Again, that Da-- picture. I should know better, The photos magnify everything.

I will keep them , because I want to finish this project. They will look OK. The emeralds aren't great. But I was disappointed in the size of the diamonds. i said to myself TL photos of her ring look great. Mine--not so much.

It seems even custom made pieces are not always done well--The Leon Mege thread over in Rocky Talky tells that sad tale.
Michael, I think we just seem to want more of things. Really, I am so shocked to find ladies clothing is made with such cheap fabric, it unbelieable. This is not at Wal-Mart. In order for us to have more, more something has to give. It might be in quality. It is all over the society. Whoever would have thought we would need storage units besides outr homes. At least I will only need a make-up bag for my jewels.

Annette
PS I wish now I had only 5-or 6 good jewels.

 

[T L]

The Leon Mege thread over in Rocky Talky tells that sad tale.

Good example of a vendor that doesn't always provide the quality you pay for, and likes to fantasize that he's JAR.

 

[Michael_E]

What's JAR ?

 

[T L]

Joel Arthur Rosenthal, a Paris jeweler (originally from the Bronx, NYC), who is snotty, supposedly obnoxious to his clients, and only deals with celebrities or VIP's. He does lots of fancy micropave work. He only wants to go by the name, "JAR" (insert "oooohs and aaaahs" here). I sometimes think Leon wants to copy his business model, since he does emulate JAR's designs (although Leon's are not as complex or as unique). Leon has ways of rejecting customers with his PITA fees, kind of like JAR only works with a certain clientele. I suppose Leon can't turn away customers like JAR does, but I bet he wishes he could.

 

[Harriet]

Michael,
Google JAR and "Ellen Barkin." He made a gorgeous pair of imperial topaz earrings for her. His signature is the stunning "thread" ring.

 

[Michael_E]

I saw those imperial topaz earrings Harriet, though I'm not sure that TL would like them...I think I saw a hint of brown in them.

Here's a clip from a Forbes article about JAR:

Only twice has Rosenthal displayed his jewels to the public, most recently in London in 2002. Four hundred pieces lent by 145 JAR faithful were crowded into small vitrines. He insisted that the lights be dimmed and that flashlights be given to his guests, who groped and gaped their way from case to case. After such an experience a customer might be forgiven for thinking that the jeweler would be doing him a favor taking money off his hands.

From the sounds of it JAR has never been a bench guy, but more a designer/marketing genius. Really interesting designs and some incredible jewels though.

 

[T L]

Yes, supposedly he never did bench work (I could be wrong), and he's a Harvard graduate with a great mind for making $$$.Many of Leon's designs are eerily similar to JAR's, so I feel he's probably an admirer of his work. I do believe JAR is a marketing genius.

Yes, I don't like brown, but I could resell those topaz earrings for double of what I paid for them at Christies!!

 

[Harriet]

Does he still have a perfume line?

 

[Lovinggems]

Looks like Leon Mege is a Pricescope sponsor!

 

[chrono]

Hasn’t Leon been one for at least the past year?

 

[Lovinggems]

Hasn’t Leon been one for at least the past year?

I didn't know that, maybe because he never posted on Pricescope, I like the new feature (auto links for sponsors in threads), I think it makes things a bit more transparent.

 

[GemPendants]

One of the first LOGR rings I got is two tone and after looking at it lately I swear it is rose gold plated...which is a shame.

OUCH! Can you load a picture if it so obvious? I am surprised nobody told me the material could be fake,... almost.

 

[minousbijoux]

Okay, guess its time for me to come clean with my story:

About 6 weeks ago, after a week of correspondence, I ordered two mounts from LOGR. Stephen (Steven?) was easy to deal with and I upgraded both the gold to 18k yellow and the diamonds. They arrived, looked fine (if a bit thin) and I took them to my local jewelers to have them mounted. It was only then that I noticed they were stamped as 14k. Both of them. I emailed Stephen and he was apologetic, said that they had stamped them wrong, that they really were 18k. That I should send them back, he would pay for postage, and they would remake them. I did and he did (send them back and pay for postage). But I'm still waiting for the rings to arrive (hear the crickets chirping?) and now I wonder, apart from me paying to have my jeweler check gold content how I'll know if they really are 18k...I'm not thinking intentionally, just sort of in a too-much-going-on-sort of way. Sigh

 

[T L]

One time I ordered a 14K WG ring from Stepehen with upgraded diamonds. I got an 18K WG ring (stamped 18K) with non-upgraded diamonds. They sparkled enough, so I didn't bother returning it. I think he does get orders and customizations confused sometimes.