What is Custom Jewelry Design?

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For years custom designed jewelry has been created using old world techniques dating as far back as the 1800’s. Until recently, almost all-custom designed jewelry was created using these methods. The introduction of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) has changed all that and in it’s wake ushered in a whole new universe of possibilities. Designs that were never thought possible can be made to the highest quality standards.

Before learning about the benefits of 3D-CAD you’ll need to know more about the custom jewelry design process. Most jewelry is made using a method called lost wax casting. A skilled artisan/jeweler hand carves a jewelry prototype out of jewelers wax using small scalpels and knives. This wax prototype also known as a “model” is placed in a flask and plaster called “investment” is poured all around the model. Once the investment hardens an exact impression of the model is formed inside of the flask. The wax model is burned out of the flask leaving a cavity of the jewelry design.

Next molten metal is injected in the flask mold using vacuum or centrifugal casting. When the metal cools and hardens the investment is broken away revealing the un-finished jewelry casting. This casting is filed, polished and prepped for assembly, which may include setting the gemstones or welding other precious metal parts to the casting.

The process of hand carving the wax prototype has always been the accepted process for creating custom jewelry. The problem with this process is that the human hand can’t be as precise as a computer-aided machine when carving the model. Precision equates to more design possibilities and much higher quality jewelry production. In the end you’ll have a product that looks crisper and won’t be prone to stone loss or breakage.

Like any other occupation or trade there are good jewelry craftsmen and there are bad ones. It is important to pre-screen your jeweler to determine if he/she is skilled at making custom designed jewelry. Ask to see their portfolio and examine their designs to determine if the flair they have for jewelry design matches your style requirements. Also, pay close attention to their communication and interpretation skills because much can get lost in the translation of your ideas if you’re not careful. Once the jewelry is made its too late to make changes and the typical jeweler will not re-make it again without added fees.

At this point higher qualified and better skilled custom jewelry designers have moved to using 3D-CAD to create their designs. If you feel 2 jewelers are equally matched in aptitude and skills then you should choose the one that is using 3D-CAD design. You’ll pay a little more to have your jewelry created in 3D-CAD but the final results will be amazing. The jewelry will look 1000% better than if it were hand carved and it will last much longer because of the precision of the jewelry model.

Andy Moquin has spent 20 years in the jewelry industry with much of his experience in polished diamonds, rings , tacori and custom jewelry design. He is an accomplished business consultant and is available for advice on topics such as marketing, advertising, merchandising and business turnarounds.

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Girls Cheap Jewelry Boxes Make Special Gifts

A jewelry box can be a special gift that will last a lifetime. People have been wearing cheap costume jewelry for literally thousands of years and jewelry boxes are needed to store this jewelry. Some of these boxes are kept for generations and handed down to family members as gifts. Many of these are antiques that were handmade and are worth lots of money. But other times, you may need to actually buy a jewelry box for your little girl at Christmas or on a special occasion.

When shopping for a cheap jewelry box you will need to know what interests that the child has. There are many different styles and themes of jewelry boxes available with some of the more popular being ballerina’s, horses, dolphins or Disney characters. Another option is just getting a traditional wooden jewelry box depending again on what your child’s interests are. My daughter is a horse lover so I had an easy decision to make when I got her first jewelry box.

Also, you want to make sure that you get something that is of decent quality. I have heard of people who buy a discount jewelry box that is of cheap quality and then it falls apart in six months. This is definitely not good as children can become attached to their jewelry boxes and will be devastated to have to get rid of it. You can actually get a good quality jewelry box for under $50 if you do your research.

You can also spend hundreds of dollars on a jewelry box that is unique or handmade. Music boxes will also be more expensive and must be carefully chosen. If you are looking for a music jewelry box, I would recommend getting something that is of high quality because they have more moving parts and have a tendency to wear out. Small children also can be a little rough when they play so you want to get something that is going to be durable.

You will have no shortage of choices as new designs and styles are being released all of the time. There are many good stores on the internet where you can find a huge selection of jewelry boxes at very reasonable prices. If you want a handmade box, you may have to look for a specialty store that sells these from makers throughout the world. Whatever you decide, a good cheap fashion jewelry box is something that can be enjoyed and cherished for a lifetime.

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How Locket Pendants Increase a Jeweler’s Profit Margin

The interesting thing about locket pendants is that there are so many of them to choose from. With the struggling economy we’re currently dealing with, it’s possible we could see more thanks to jewelry hobbyists who are making their own as a way to earn a supplemental income.

Truth be told, locket pendants or any type of pendant for that matter can transform an ordinary necklace to a stunning piece of jewelry. Put another way, taking something good and making it even better. Many consumers would willing to buy a simple sterling silver chain for a modest price. But if that chain was made unique by coupling it with a charm of some sort, then suddenly you increase its value because people like things that are unique. This is why budding jeweler’s should consider tapping into this market to meet the demand.

One variable to consider is that this has to do with what people are willing to pay, so you don’t want to start out making too many extravagant pieces unless you are assured of the market’s tolerance. Many people want unique, high-quality jewelry – that is to say a necklace that looks nice as is, but with something unique about it, and is ready to give as a gift.

Depending on the style of necklace and material used, some people are willing to pay a lot of money for their necklaces – indeed, they practically expect to, and would be suspicious if they were not pricey. But the people who buy charms to personalize their own necklaces are looking to buy a necklace that is affordable, perhaps even at a discount, then pay a little more for something that they can use to personalize it with.

In the economic climate that we’re in today, it’s important to get creative about generating income outside our regular day job. This is why some home-based jewelers are focusing their efforts into providing unique and well-made works of art. They start out by making them as presents for friends and family, then word-of-mouth increases and before they know it they turn a tidy profit.

If you are a jewelry artist, you may be pleasantly surprised to find the ways you can boost your sales by adding locket pendants. The best is when you come up with something that you know that no one else would have thought of before. Then you truly have something unique!

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/how-locket-pendants-increase-a-jewelers-profit-margin-1382867.html

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