Jewelry Technology Talk

May 8, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

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The fun starts next weekend in Albuquerque with the speakers and topics this year all very timely for the changes and challenges in the jewelry industry today. The cast of “characters” from all over the world are donating their time to provide a top drawer education that could help us find our way.

I am looking forward to seeing Alexandre Auberson ( Cartier ) again, the ever entertaining Joerg Fisher-Buhner ( Legor ) on palladium, and Dr Joe Tunick Strauss ( HJE Comp ) on advances in powder metal technology. Also a re-vist from Dr. Boonrat Lohwongtatana from Chulalongkom University in Bankok who blew us all away last yea...Read More

May 5, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

I had to chance to visit a few “Techno-Jewelers” in Seattle last week who have found CAD/CAM solutions to grow their business.

 Teresa and I left Portland on Thursday hoping to spend some quality time over the weekend at Gig Harbor with friends so on Friday morning we started out in one of the downtown jeweler’s buildings at Shodlt Design.
 
Sholdt is a 70 year old legacy jeweler who caters to retail jewelers with a beautiful bridal line with a distinctive designer look.  Sholdt has long been known by the upper crust jeweler offering platinum, gold and now joining a growing number of designers offering 950...Read More

April 27, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

There is a rumble going on about how our precious metals are formulated and the resulting “fitness for use” in fine jewelry designs. The US government and EU have long since established guidelines to control the import and export of goods, but they do little to assure the consumer about the real “quality” of the metal we use.

In recent years, the EU mandated changes in nickel content in white gold alloys, and for good cause. The result was a scramble in development by metallurgists to fill the gap with alloys that would provide similar working properties. Today we have myriad recipes with some that are “fit for use” and others that leave some doubt. In recent months, the new kid on the block, palladium, is the subject of even more debate, study, and development where working...Read More

April 8, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

The favorite toy for the modern day “techno-jeweler” continues to be the 3D printer. Jewelers are utilizing a variety of CAD programs to design fine jewelry and the obvious outlet for creative expression continues to be 3D wax patterns for investment casting.
 

This week in Basel, the next generation of 3D wax printers is being unveiled by the jewelry experts at Solidscape®. With several thousand systems at jewelry factories around the world, Solidscape® has been listening to its user base and continues to upgrade the capabilities of thei...Read More

March 29, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (4)

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So often business and the media use the term “Innovation” to describe a dramatic change in practice. In this instance, the invention is truly innovative. It will change how we produce and market patterned metal jewelry in the 21st century.

Steve Midgett and James Binnion, both recognized independently as masters of mokume ga...Read More