Posts Tagged ‘Jewelry’
Jewelry Making Techniques
4 Basic Jewelry Making Techniques
How to Use a Crimp Tube
When attaching wire to a clasp for your newly made necklace, the most common method is crimping, which is a small metal tube and a crimping tool. Below are 5 steps to walk you through the process.
1) Thread your wire through a crimp tube, then through the clasp you’ve chosen, and then back through the crimp tube again.
2) Using your crimp tool, place the crimp tube in the large hole at the front of your tool, then press slightly to form an oval shape in the crimp tube. This will help keep the wire separated.
3) Place the oval crimp tube in the back portion of the crimp tool, use your finger to keep the wire separated so you don’t compromise the strength of your connection, then compress firmly, flattening the tube, creating separate chambers for each wire.
4) Now place the crimp tube back into the front portion of the tool and compress folding the crimp tube in half.
5) Use your flush cutters to trim away the excess wire.
Open and Close Jump Rings
Jump rings are used in most jewelry making projects. So using good quality jump rings and knowing the correct way to open and close them is an important part in keeping your jewelry from falling apart.
1) Use two bent nose pliers or chain nose pliers. Grasp the jump ring on either side of the opening with the tip of the pliers.
2) Open the jump ring by moving the jaws sideways in opposite directions. Do not pull ends outward, that will stress the ring and you will lose the nice round shape of your jump ring.
3) To close jump rings, grasp the ring with the tip of the pliers and move sideways like before, but this time move the ends past each other while compressing them together and continue moving past each other while compressing until you feel them click into place. This will keep them secure.
Turning a Loop
When making jewelry with beaded chains or dangles, you need to know how to make a loop at the end of your head pin/eye pin.
1) First thread your bead onto your head pin, and then bend the wire at a 90 degree angle.
2) Trim off all but 1/8″ tail of wire from your bead.
3) Grasp the tail with the tip of your round nose pliers and turn to make a loop. Don’t get discouraged if your loop isn’t perfect, with practice your loops will improve.
Wrapped Loop
For a more secure loop, create a wire wrapped loop.
1) Thread your bead onto the head pin; grasp the top of your head pin above the bead with the round nose pliers.
2) Bend the wire around to form a loop.
3) Coil the wire firmly around the base of the loop with your fingers or chain nose pliers until you reach the top of the bead.
4) Trim off excess wire.
5) Tuck the remaining wire into the bottom of the coil firmly with the chain nose pliers.
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Ways to Maintain the Beauty of White Gold Jewelry
White gold is no different from other gold except that it is alloyed with white metals such as zinc, palladium or nickel which produces a white metal appearance. But white gold’s natural finish is not really as sparkling as silver and platinum but is somewhat dull white. Its brilliance is due to a thin layer of rhodium plating.
Therefore, in order to maintain the beauty of white gold jewelry, our aim is to keep rhodium plating from wearing off too soon. Here are some simple tips to maintain the rhodium plating in your precious jewelries.
Remove white gold jewelries before working with chemicals.
Remove the precious rings when using bleach or detergent soaps that may contain harsh chemicals. Dishwashing liquids may also contain strong cleansing agents that can damage the rhodium plating on your ring.
Cosmetic products such as hair spray may also contain chemicals that may affect your jewelries like earrings and necklace. It is best to put them on after you have set your hair with styling products.
Perfume and skin cleansers may not affect your skin but they contain chemicals that may produce chemical reaction to your jewelries, thus, may lead to discoloration.
Remove your rings and bracelets when using hand sanitizers. Like cosmetic products, hand sanitizers may also contain chemicals that can produce chemical reaction to rhodium plating which may lead to discoloration.
Avoid wearing your white gold jewelries when going for a swim.
Unless you’re dipping in a pool of fresh water, this kind of gold jewelries may discolor sooner if soaked in a pool of chlorinated water. Salt water may also affect
the rhodium plating, so it is best to take your jewelries off before going down the beach.
Clean your white gold jewelries regularly
Regular cleaning is as important as avoiding chemicals that may cause discoloration. Dust, pollution, and the natural acid that our body produces when we perspire are
also factors that contribute in the discoloration of white gold jewelries. By regularly cleaning your jewelries every after use and before storing them in your jewelry
box, you can prolong the lifespan of our jewelries’ rhodium plating. Here are some simple steps in cleaning your white gold jewelries.
Gather all the jewelries to be cleaned. Check thoroughly if there are loose gems that may accidentally drop and lose. In case you find one, don’t attempt to fix it
yourself with glue, it is best to take the item to a jeweler.
Prepare a bowl of water and put a few drops of mild hand soap then stir until some bubbles are formed above the water. You may also add a drop of ammonia.
Soak all the jewelries for about 10 minutes.
Using a soft toothbrush, gently scrub your jewelry.
Rinse thoroughly under a gentle stream of water. To avoid dropping small jewelry down the drain, use a colander or block the drain with stopper.
Dry thoroughly and buff using a microfiber or chamois.
The sparkle and elegant appearance of white gold jewelries are due to the thin plating of rhodium. Unlike yellow gold and sterling silver which need only some buffing to regain its natural sparkle, this kind of gold lose its charm once the rhodium plating starts to wear off, hence, you would need to have it re-plated by a jeweler in order to bring back its original beauty. So, in order to enjoy the luxury of white gold jewelry, one should keep a regular maintenance of its rhodium plating.
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Are Indian Gold Coins Better Than Jewelry?
Indians always purchase gold coins and jewelry with excitement and interest. This is because most Indian families believe that purchasing gold is a safe investment. Therefore, they purchase gold ornaments and gold coins as a savings for their future.
This concept has been carried for many generations and Indians still have an utmost belief in this concept. A few points that have been discussed below prove that Indians prefer investing in Gold coins rather than in gold jewelry:
- Coins are cheaper than jewelry as coins are minted instead of designed. So, the amount of wastage that occurs is less, as coins do not have to be given a specific
shape. The design cost is usually borne by the buyer and so they prefer buying coins that do not include such costs.
- While purchasing a piece of jewelry you have to pay for making it. However, this does not apply when you purchase a coin. This is simply because a coin is minted and not designed in the same way as jewelry.
- Coins can be kept safely as all you need to do is keep them in a locked safe, whereas gold jewelry is worn out if used on a regular basis. That means that, you need to get it polished occasionally to regain its shine.
- Coins can be sold at whatever the market value of metal is at that time. However, while selling gold jewelry, the buyer would not pay for the design charges incurred
earlier by the seller. So, this entire amount gets wasted and this could even reach up to 30% of your purchase price.
- Most jewelry comes with a purity certificate; however, in coins you can know the value immediately, whereas in jewelry a considerable amount would be deducted.
You should always invest in gold carefully since you are putting in your hard-earned money to purchase it. Gold coins are always a better investment than gold jewelry.
While purchasing gold coins you should research them well and purchase only those coins that have 100% purity guaranteed certificates with them.
Coins carry a Bureau of Indian Standards hallmark, which ensures that the gold is pure. So, always look out for that hallmark before purchasing one. The best investment option is to buy 24K gold. However, if you intend to convert the gold coin into jewelry after some time then 22K gold would be a better choice, as jewelry is always made in 22K gold.
Rich Indian families even present their loved ones with gold coins during festive seasons or during special occasions like a wedding in the family. Hence, gold coins are in demand for the whole year!
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