For Our Glass Fusers

I followed one of the links here to "etsy" which was boring and took
too long to navigate. LOL. However, while in the glass category, this
came to mind:

I love fused glass pendants. Love them. But not with "silver plated"
or "gold plated" bails. Why bother? That stuff is crap to me, mostly
because my own body wears off the plating on a bead or finding in no
time flat and leaves me with a plain, ugly looking piece of metal.

Don't use them. Real jewelry makers will shun them. Can't sell
jewelry for a good price with plated anything (unless you are Nordstrom
or one of the big boys who routinely sells crap for big money).

Rant over. Thanks for listening.

Becki

A friend of mine has started up with silver smithing so that she can make
bezels and stuff for her dichro. WOW! I love it. Wish I had the time (and
the money) to take up just one more thing!

You're right. I love dichro and can't see any point in not putting it in
something nice that will last!

--
Jerri
www.beadbimbo.com
"Beckibead" wrote in message
oups.com...
I followed one of the links here to "etsy" which was boring and took
too long to navigate. LOL. However, while in the glass category, this
came to mind:

I love fused glass pendants. Love them. But not with "silver plated"
or "gold plated" bails. Why bother? That stuff is crap to me, mostly
because my own body wears off the plating on a bead or finding in no
time flat and leaves me with a plain, ugly looking piece of metal.

Don't use them. Real jewelry makers will shun them. Can't sell
jewelry for a good price with plated anything (unless you are Nordstrom
or one of the big boys who routinely sells crap for big money).

Rant over. Thanks for listening.

Becki

I can fully understand your concerns. Unfortunately, the reality is a
little different. Most of the sterling findings I have tried to use
simply do not stand up against daily wear. For example, the sterling
placque type bracelets used to glue on dichro cabochons have clasps
that do not hold the weight of the cabs. Of course, you can replace
the clasps with toggles, but given today's market, it is almost
impossible to use sterling findings and sell your pieces at a profit.
The bails for pendants, at least the ones I've found, have very small
openings which will not fit larger chains which are popular today. I
will keep looking for affordable and sturdy sterling findings. I've
tried the usual sources and have not been satisfied. The interesting
thing is that none of my customers really care, they must not be
sensitive to plated metals. I also know a jewelry designer who sells
placque bracelets made with disks from old cufflinks on plated
bracelets (or they may be base metal) for over $100.00, and has no
problem selling them.

I applaud anyone who can make their own sterling findings. I do not
enjoy using a torch, so that is not an option for me.

Patti

I agree with Patti for another reason - I don't like silver b/c it
tarnishes. I'm not too lazy to polish it, I'm allergic to the tarnex stuff
too. I have a bunch of lovely rings that are tarnished and I can't wear them
now. Those sonic jewelry cleaners don't do an adequate job. Anybody want to
buy some [tarnished] silver rings?

IMHO If you are going to make jewelry, find out if your market cares either
way, if it doesn't, then used plated and be up front about it. Or better
yet - I find that in my designs a button[or bead]/loop closure is sturdier
and works better with the design - so I ignore metal all the way around LOL

Or if you can afford it, make everything with real gold...

--
Karleen Page
Member International Jewelry Designers Guild (IJDG)
Vibrant Jewels: http://www.vibrantjewels.com/jewelry/welcome.htm
JustBeads: http://www.justbeads.com/search/ql.cfm?s=21770
Join our Yahoo Group:
"Patti" wrote in message
oups.com...

I can fully understand your concerns. Unfortunately, the reality is a
little different. Most of the sterling findings I have tried to use
simply do not stand up against daily wear. For example, the sterling
placque type bracelets used to glue on dichro cabochons have clasps
that do not hold the weight of the cabs. Of course, you can replace
the clasps with toggles, but given today's market, it is almost
impossible to use sterling findings and sell your pieces at a profit.
The bails for pendants, at least the ones I've found, have very small
openings which will not fit larger chains which are popular today. I
will keep looking for affordable and sturdy sterling findings. I've
tried the usual sources and have not been satisfied. The interesting
thing is that none of my customers really care, they must not be
sensitive to plated metals. I also know a jewelry designer who sells
placque bracelets made with disks from old cufflinks on plated
bracelets (or they may be base metal) for over $100.00, and has no
problem selling them.

I applaud anyone who can make their own sterling findings. I do not
enjoy using a torch, so that is not an option for me.

Patti

I also dislike cleaning my silver.
I've recently learned that getting silver really clean only makes it tarnish
faster. If they aren't too tarnished then washing with soap and water and
dry with a terry cloth works.
The rouge cloths (like Sunshine) are suppose to be good because they leave a
thin layer of rouge on the metal forming a barrier to oxygen. I wonder if a
thin coat of wax or oil would work. I can't seem to find any Renaissance
Wax.

--
Connie Ryman
Cryman Studio

"Vibrant Jewels" wrote in message
ink.net...
I agree with Patti for another reason - I don't like silver b/c it
tarnishes. I'm not too lazy to polish it, I'm allergic to the tarnex stuff
too. I have a bunch of lovely rings that are tarnished and I can't wear
them now. Those sonic jewelry cleaners don't do an adequate job. Anybody
want to buy some [tarnished] silver rings?

IMHO If you are going to make jewelry, find out if your market cares
either way, if it doesn't, then used plated and be up front about it. Or
better yet - I find that in my designs a button[or bead]/loop closure is
sturdier and works better with the design - so I ignore metal all the way
around LOL

Or if you can afford it, make everything with real gold...

--
Karleen Page
Member International Jewelry Designers Guild (IJDG)
Vibrant Jewels: http://www.vibrantjewels.com/jewelry/welcome.htm
JustBeads: http://www.justbeads.com/search/ql.cfm?s=21770
Join our Yahoo Group:
"Patti" wrote in message
oups.com...

I can fully understand your concerns. Unfortunately, the reality is a
little different. Most of the sterling findings I have tried to use
simply do not stand up against daily wear. For example, the sterling
placque type bracelets used to glue on dichro cabochons have clasps
that do not hold the weight of the cabs. Of course, you can replace
the clasps with toggles, but given today's market, it is almost
impossible to use sterling findings and sell your pieces at a profit.
The bails for pendants, at least the ones I've found, have very small
openings which will not fit larger chains which are popular today. I
will keep looking for affordable and sturdy sterling findings. I've
tried the usual sources and have not been satisfied. The interesting
thing is that none of my customers really care, they must not be
sensitive to plated metals. I also know a jewelry designer who sells
placque bracelets made with disks from old cufflinks on plated
bracelets (or they may be base metal) for over $100.00, and has no
problem selling them.

I applaud anyone who can make their own sterling findings. I do not
enjoy using a torch, so that is not an option for me.

Patti

I am having trouble deciding what to use of not of metals also. Having
been in jewelry a couple of decades I also have lost my patience with
polishing silver. Gold is great if you can afford it, copper is real
and cheap but it also tarnishes.

Copper can be fused into the glass which requires no torch, just get a
heavy wire and bend a u shape or leave a straight pin sticking out of
the glass for beading. I am not sure if silver or niobium works but I'm
sure I've seen copper used that way.

I mostly am trying to avoid using metal in my beadwork for these kinds
of reasons. Those anti tarnish strips and storing metals with a packet
of silica to keep moisture down helps a lot.

Ingrid

Becki, I have to agree with you on this issue. I wont touch anything that
is plated when buying components for jewelry making; either gold or silver
plated. Why waste money on a product that is sub-standard? Once the plate
wears off (which only takes a short time to happen), your left with
something that could have been purchased for far less than what you
originally paid and its not all that nice looking. When I am buying jewelry
for myself, I wont touch the plated stuff either.... but then again, I don't
usually buy jewelry at Wal-Mart or Nordstrom's and that's usually the
caliber of jewelry you are going to get at those places. I've run across
some jewelry that was absolutely gorgeous, but I didn't buy it cause it was
plated.

My thoughts are - if you use good quality components, your designs are in
fashion, and the quality of your work is excellent, then you can sell your
product at a price that will still fetch you a nice profit.

However, I do understand exactly what the others are saying about the price
differences. A co-worker and myself started making jewelry at the same
time. We'd go to the stores together and shop for our components and tell
each other what web sites had the best prices. Of course when you first
start, you cant imagine paying $12.00 for a sterling silver clasp so you buy
that cheaper stuff: base and plated metals, glass, stretchy cord, etc. We
both sold our jewelry to the other co-workers almost equally. Some time
later, I decided to go all precious metals and precious gems; high quality
stuff with the higher price tag to match. No more stretchy cord for me. My
co-worker stayed with what she could afford and she did sell much more to
the other co-workers than I did but I refused to compromise my standard so I
didn't sell as much. Only those who understood the value of sterling and/or
precious gems bought from me. But you know, that's ok.... there is a place
in this industry for everyone. For those people who can only afford a
$10.00 bracelet, they'd buy from her and those who could afford to pay a bit
more for better quality would buy from me. Not everyone is willing to
spend $45.00 on a bracelet, and I understand that.

I guess what I am trying to say is stick to your guns and don't compromise
your standard. As long as there are women on this world, there will
always be a jewelry industry. (;-] )


Sterling



"Beckibead" wrote in message
oups.com...
I followed one of the links here to "etsy" which was boring and took
too long to navigate. LOL. However, while in the glass category, this
came to mind:

I love fused glass pendants. Love them. But not with "silver plated"
or "gold plated" bails. Why bother? That stuff is crap to me, mostly
because my own body wears off the plating on a bead or finding in no
time flat and leaves me with a plain, ugly looking piece of metal.

Don't use them. Real jewelry makers will shun them. Can't sell
jewelry for a good price with plated anything (unless you are Nordstrom
or one of the big boys who routinely sells crap for big money).

Rant over. Thanks for listening.

Becki

I agree, Becki. No silver plate!!! NO NO NO.

On the other hand, I understand some of the other comments about price,
tarnish, etc.

Still, there is no conflict between the two points of view. If you don't
want to polish silver (and by the way, fine silver does not tarnish) and
choose not to put money into Sterling, you can use good quality pewter
instead. Or stainless steel? I've used Stainless earring findings, though
I haven't seen much by way of clasps, etc. Has anyone else here?

But silver plate? Ick, no, fake, wears off, etc. No.

I can't afford silver plate. Yes, can't afford it. It doesn't hold up and
needs to be replaced. And especially I can't afford the time.

This goes to what Sterling was saying about herself and her co-worker both
making jewelry too. Her co-worker sold much more of the lower priced
jewelry. Ah, but did she make more profit?

And in my particular, my illness prevents me from putting in as much
effective time as I'd like to. So I have to work on fewer pieces and with
better materials and designs. I just can't afford to use silver plate
because of the unproductive time it takes.

To save time from resizing necklaces, I make the necklace on the small side
ending in small soldered jump rings. Then, for a small neck I can attach
the clasp with just a jump ring. Length can be added by inserting more
rings or beads with wrapped loops, or even covering the small ring with a
big holed bead and adding on several inches.

Tina


"Beckibead" wrote in message
oups.com...
I followed one of the links here to "etsy" which was boring and took
too long to navigate. LOL. However, while in the glass category, this
came to mind:

I love fused glass pendants. Love them. But not with "silver plated"
or "gold plated" bails. Why bother? That stuff is crap to me, mostly
because my own body wears off the plating on a bead or finding in no
time flat and leaves me with a plain, ugly looking piece of metal.

Don't use them. Real jewelry makers will shun them. Can't sell
jewelry for a good price with plated anything (unless you are Nordstrom
or one of the big boys who routinely sells crap for big money).

Rant over. Thanks for listening.

Becki

One of the problems is that, unless you have the setup to make your own
bails, you are limited to SP or Sterling. Pewter bails aren't available.
I've looked. if I put a sterling bail (at the current price of silver)
on a polyclay cab, I can't sell it. The market just isn't there. I don't
have a 'name' like some artists that can charge what their work is
really worth. it's hard enough explaining to people that "No, it isn't
painted".

Barbara

Bead & Polymer Clay Votary

There is a very fine line between a hobby and mental illness. (Dave Barry)

http://www.penguintrax.com and http://www.backseatgrammarian.com
NEW! http://www.polymerclayworkshops.com




Christina Peterson wrote:

I agree, Becki. No silver plate!!! NO NO NO.

On the other hand, I understand some of the other comments about price,
tarnish, etc.

Still, there is no conflict between the two points of view. If you don't
want to polish silver (and by the way, fine silver does not tarnish) and
choose not to put money into Sterling, you can use good quality pewter
instead. Or stainless steel? I've used Stainless earring findings, though
I haven't seen much by way of clasps, etc. Has anyone else here?

But silver plate? Ick, no, fake, wears off, etc. No.

I can't afford silver plate. Yes, can't afford it. It doesn't hold up and
needs to be replaced. And especially I can't afford the time.

This goes to what Sterling was saying about herself and her co-worker both
making jewelry too. Her co-worker sold much more of the lower priced
jewelry. Ah, but did she make more profit?

And in my particular, my illness prevents me from putting in as much
effective time as I'd like to. So I have to work on fewer pieces and with
better materials and designs. I just can't afford to use silver plate
because of the unproductive time it takes.

To save time from resizing necklaces, I make the necklace on the small side
ending in small soldered jump rings. Then, for a small neck I can attach
the clasp with just a jump ring. Length can be added by inserting more
rings or beads with wrapped loops, or even covering the small ring with a
big holed bead and adding on several inches.

Tina


"Beckibead" wrote in message
roups.com...


I followed one of the links here to "etsy" which was boring and took
too long to navigate. LOL. However, while in the glass category, this
came to mind:

I love fused glass pendants. Love them. But not with "silver plated"
or "gold plated" bails. Why bother? That stuff is crap to me, mostly
because my own body wears off the plating on a bead or finding in no
time flat and leaves me with a plain, ugly looking piece of metal.

Don't use them. Real jewelry makers will shun them. Can't sell
jewelry for a good price with plated anything (unless you are Nordstrom
or one of the big boys who routinely sells crap for big money).

Rant over. Thanks for listening.

Becki

I hadn't researched stainless or pewter findings, but I thought I'd seen
quite a bit of pewter stuff in some catalogues. FMG comes to mind.

But I think the real objection was not so much to the use of other metals,
especially including plated metal, in a piece, but in buying a piece of art
glass with plated material bonded to it, so that the buyer has no choice but
to use the inferior material.

I hadn't thought of PC, which has the problem of having a perceived lower
value. Actually, in PC I'd rather have a bail or "bead cap" in PC
incorporated into it.

Tina

"Barbara Forbes-Lyons" wrote in message
...
One of the problems is that, unless you have the setup to make your own
bails, you are limited to SP or Sterling. Pewter bails aren't available.
I've looked. if I put a sterling bail (at the current price of silver)
on a polyclay cab, I can't sell it. The market just isn't there. I don't
have a 'name' like some artists that can charge what their work is
really worth. it's hard enough explaining to people that "No, it isn't
painted".

Barbara

Bead & Polymer Clay Votary

There is a very fine line between a hobby and mental illness. (Dave Barry)

http://www.penguintrax.com and http://www.backseatgrammarian.com
NEW! http://www.polymerclayworkshops.com




Christina Peterson wrote:

I agree, Becki. No silver plate!!! NO NO NO.

On the other hand, I understand some of the other comments about price,
tarnish, etc.

Still, there is no conflict between the two points of view. If you don't
want to polish silver (and by the way, fine silver does not tarnish) and
choose not to put money into Sterling, you can use good quality pewter
instead. Or stainless steel? I've used Stainless earring findings,
though
I haven't seen much by way of clasps, etc. Has anyone else here?

But silver plate? Ick, no, fake, wears off, etc. No.

I can't afford silver plate. Yes, can't afford it. It doesn't hold up
and
needs to be replaced. And especially I can't afford the time.

This goes to what Sterling was saying about herself and her co-worker
both
making jewelry too. Her co-worker sold much more of the lower priced
jewelry. Ah, but did she make more profit?

And in my particular, my illness prevents me from putting in as much
effective time as I'd like to. So I have to work on fewer pieces and
with
better materials and designs. I just can't afford to use silver plate
because of the unproductive time it takes.

To save time from resizing necklaces, I make the necklace on the small
side
ending in small soldered jump rings. Then, for a small neck I can attach
the clasp with just a jump ring. Length can be added by inserting more
rings or beads with wrapped loops, or even covering the small ring with a
big holed bead and adding on several inches.

Tina


"Beckibead" wrote in message
roups.com...


I followed one of the links here to "etsy" which was boring and took
too long to navigate. LOL. However, while in the glass category, this
came to mind:

I love fused glass pendants. Love them. But not with "silver plated"
or "gold plated" bails. Why bother? That stuff is crap to me, mostly
because my own body wears off the plating on a bead or finding in no
time flat and leaves me with a plain, ugly looking piece of metal.

Don't use them. Real jewelry makers will shun them. Can't sell
jewelry for a good price with plated anything (unless you are Nordstrom
or one of the big boys who routinely sells crap for big money).

Rant over. Thanks for listening.

Becki