Jewel Envy – Page 20

Why does my chain keep breaking?

November 4, 2023November 4, 2023Jewel EnvyGeneral

Chains take a lot of abuse from daily wear. They rub against your skin, clothes, other accessories and are frequently pulled. Even gentle pressure affects their strength. Depending on current styles, chains may be sold that are actually too fine for everyday wear.

They may even be made from gold or platinum, but if they break frequently, they are experiencing a heavier use than what was intended in their manufacture.

If the chain is really thin, it is not meant for everyday wear. It cannot hold a lot of weight, i.e. a large or heavy pendant, and will most likely break over time.

To determine the quality of costume chains, examine the links. If they are not soldered shut, meaning there is a break in the links, they can easily be pulled apart. This is more of a concern for small to fine chains than larger thicker diameter link chains.

Small chains that have links less than 1mm in thickness are most secure when there is no break in them. Chains made from stainless steel or titanium are quite strong, but it is still important to make sure they cannot slip out from each other at the point where links have a break in them.

Some chains have what is called a break away jump ring on at least one side of the claps. Do not confuse this with poor craftsmanship as this is considered a safety precaution. In the event a chain becomes caught on something, the unsoldered jump ring will allow the chain to break away first before the wearer can be choked.

’20 Tips on maintaining our Jewellery’, Gillian E. Batcher, 2013

Transforming Old into New

October 28, 2023October 28, 2023Jewel EnvyGeneral

We all have pieces that we like some aspect of, but often wish for something new, right? We love working with clients to re-invigorate their jewellery, whether to restore it to its original (or close to original!) glory, or to re-imagine it into a new piece altogether. One recent project is this brooch:

gold brooch, with sapphire and diamond halo.

It has pretty big sentimental value, but the client wasn’t happy with the yellow gold, and decided she wanted to split it into two pieces. She loves white gold, and was enamored with the echo of the “Princess Diana” ring, so wanted to try for a modern take that fit with her personal style. So, we removed the sapphire (which is a spectacular colour!) and the diamonds, and made a new, truly unique ring.

14kt palladium white gold, central sapphire, with a “broken” halo on different levels.

We’re not stopping there! The original brooch will get a bit of a makeover too, but that’s something for the future.

Have something lurking around your jewellery box that you wish you would wear more often? Bring it in, and we’ll help you figure out how to make it your own again!

Enjoy the weather, and we hope to see you soon in the studio!

Do your settings need repair?

October 22, 2023October 22, 2023Jewel EnvyGeneral

Over time settings can wear away. Rubbing occurs with normal wear and if you are not careful you can lose a stone when a claw setting has worn thin or completely worn off.

If you have expensive stones or lots of little stones you need to pay attention to your settings.

The first thing you can do is learn to hear a loose stone by tapping the stone with your nail and listening for clicking or jingling sounds. If the stone is loose you will be able to hear it move when you tap it.

This is a good first line of defense for checking your stones and their settings.

Next, look at the metal holding the stones in place in your jewellery. If it is a claw setting look at the balls on top of the claws holding the stone. There should be at lease .5mm thickness of metal on each claw. If the claws look completely flat or if the ball is missing, it needs to be re-tipped.

If your stone is set in a bezel, (a rim of metal around the top of the stone) look for racks in the metal around the stone. A bezel setting is the strongest setting and will show less wear than other types of settings.

Finally, make sure all your settings are fully touching your stones and have no sharp edges. A good rule is the nylon test. Run a nylon stocking across the setting and if it snags anywhere, it needs some work by your local goldsmith.

’20 Tips on maintaining our Jewellery’, Gillian E. Batcher, 2013

Contemporania High Craftsmanship Barcelona

October 21, 2023October 21, 2023Jewel EnvyGeneral

Recently I was able to attend and exhibit at Contemporania in Barcelona. Here are some highlights from my time there! The event took place at the extravagant Palau Reial de Pedralbes.

Pickle me this

October 15, 2023October 15, 2023Jewel EnvyGeneral

It is time to pull the golden pickle out from my drawer and finish it into a necklace that I can wear to attend Picklefest 2023

I made the pickle for myself quite a while ago when I was creating my first set of food charms and wanted to wear my favourite – I think it’s about time I finished it!

Even my sharks love pickles, I gotta get on it! – Alexis

Tinker, Teacher, Goldsmith, Hi!

October 1, 2023Jewel EnvyGeneral

What word sums up the daily life of a Goldsmith at Jewel Envy? Inventive.

When jewellery is handmade, creativity in the design in expected, BUT that is not all. The “how” and the “with what” is at least as creative. It can mean learning a new skill, or buying a new tool, which we love, and then what? What if there is no book, no commercial tool available for the brilliantly beautiful creation keeping us up at night? We hypothesize, we experiment, we create a process to form our creation. Many times, we modify or create new tools, which means we need to know how to work steel, or rework electronics, or read and enter new code.

The next time you visit us at Jewel Envy, and you see an interesting piece, ask us how it was made. The answer might surprise you.

Linked Together

September 24, 2023September 24, 2023Jewel EnvyGeneral

At Jewel Envy, we see lots of chains. We sell chains, we make chains, and we repair chains. Here are some observations and tips from the goldsmith’s bench:

Most people concentrate on style, length and price when choosing a chain. However, one of the most important considerations is strength! The required strength depends on how often the chain will be worn, what conditions it will endure, and the size/weight of any pendant it is expected to hold. It is vital to the lasting enjoyment of a new or newly repaired necklace or bracelet to discuss a chain’s tolerance with a goldsmith. You will be glad you did!

When the required size or preferred look of a gold chain is out of the budget, there are options that meet a multitude of needs without compromising aesthetic.

Gold plated means that a microscope layer of genuine gold has been added, though an electric process, to a more affordable metal. It will need re-plating as it wears with time and use, but it is a great way to showcase a special piece or a special outfit.

Gold filled means that a layer of gold has been fused to another metal, completely covering it so that it looks like a solid gold piece. It contains more gold and costs more than a plated piece, but the gold endures longer and looks great!

Hollow chains are made through a process that allows for larger looking genuine gold links without the weight and cost of solid gold. The links are completely empty behind their very thin gold walls. They will not hold up to pulling, stretching, or squishing, but with gentle care, they provide beauty and style for moderate budgets.

The most versatile is solid gold. It keeps it’s colour, it can be repaired, and it holds value. As long as the correct chain is chosen for the correct job, it can endure a long time.

If you have any questions, drop by and have a chat with one of our Goldsmiths. This is what we do!

Custom Gift Ideas

September 23, 2023September 23, 2023Jewel EnvyGeneral

The goldsmiths at Jewel Envy have worked on such a wide range of ideas for custom gifts and after combing through some of our creations I wanted to put together a small group of great starting points for gift ideas for when you want to get someone something special and don’t know where to start!

-Alexis

Think about colour

A great starting point is favourite colour. A typical go-to for a jewellery gift would be to select a person’s birthstone and create a piece of jewellery design with that. BUT, what if your person doesn’t like their birthstone? We suggest going with a favourite colour! Colour can be added into jewellery in so many ways: gemstones, enamel, inlay, metal surface treatments, adding fibre such as felt. We have done it all!

Custom pendant inspired by the recipients favourite colour, using bright red enamel alongside a gem. Designed and made by Alexis Kostuk of glaciale goldsmtih.

Think about turning a keepsake into something precious

We have been trained by years of advertising and marketing that the penultimate way to show love and sentiment is with a diamond. One of the most unique (and we would say precious) ways to create a custom piece of jewellery is to bring us a momento from a time spent with someone that holds sentiment and meaning beyond the material value. We have worked alongside customers to transform small rocks and pebbles from memorable life moments into something wearable.

Whether it is transforming a small pebble into a simple pendant with a skillfully drilled hole and bail, or hand carving one of a kind settings to hold them in a necklace/earring set.

Top: Jewellery set made by Gillian Batcher of Pash Jewellery Design
Bottom: Pebble pendants by Alexis Kostuk of glaciale goldsmith

Think about their fandom

Do they have a favourite book/movie/tv show character?

We can go the extra mile to replicate or design something that reflects their fandom and give them a one of a kind collectible.

Lightsaber Pendant by Gillian Batcher of Pash Jewellery Design.

It’s the Polish Festival!

September 16, 2023September 16, 2023Jewel EnvyGeneral

Yes, it’s that time of year again. it’s the Polish Festival in Roncevalles. The weather is amazing, the street is buzzing, lots of good food, things to see and hear. Not to mention the usual Big Blue House excitement with all the pretties!

Here at the Blue House, there’s a garage sale in support our fundraising for our colleague, Shafiq Sarwari.

Here’s Gillian with the masses of preloved clothes for sale (I might get in trouble for this one :).

The Basics of Jewellery Cleaning

September 9, 2023September 9, 2023Jewel EnvyGeneral

When should I have my jewellery cleaned by a professional?

Have you tried some of the methods mentioned in our earlier blog posts without positive results.? Does your favorite piece of jewellery have an alternative materials in it? Would you feel better if someone else cleaned it for you? These are all valid reasons to leave the cleaning to the professionals.

Clean your Jewellery regularly

Clean your Jewellery regularly, Part 2

Cleaning is a service often offered on site by most goldsmiths but not at all jewellery stores.

You may want to ask if it is done in the shop or elsewhere. Yu will probably get better service if it is done onsite by the person with whom you consult or by someone who can contact you directly if they have questions.

’20 Tips on maintaining our Jewellery’, Gillian E. Batcher, 2013