Month: April 2019

  • Working with wood

    Working with wood

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    Hesti
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    Every now and then a jeweller will have the opportunity to work in wood. Wood is classified as a non-gem, organic material. Wood appeals to people who want to accessorize with more natural materials. Wooden beads and bangles work well with Boho-chick styles, and men especially love the masculine look and feel of wood in…

  • Organic materials

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    Hesti
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    Organics are materials derived from animal and plant sources. In jewellery, organic materials can further be classified as gem organics and non-gem organics. Examples of each are: Gem organics: Derived from animals Pearl. Ivory. Shell (mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell). Coral. Derived from plants Plants themselves are not considered durable enough to be gems. Note: Can fossilized…

  • Alloy

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    Hesti
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    An alloy is a mixture of two or more metals. Jewellers often refer to the mixture of metals added to the fine metal as “the alloy”, though technically the entire mix is an alloy.  Precious metals are alloyed for various reasons: to change the colour of the metal (e.g. white gold or rose gold), to…

  • Twisted wire

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    Hesti
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    Twisted wire is when two wires are wound around each other to form one rope-like wire. The twisted wire can be used on its own, or it can be used as an embellishment in rings or around frames.  After twisting, the wire can be pulled through a draw plate, or rolled flat or square through…