Q. Should I be wearing
beautiful rings on my “old” or “ugly”
hands?
A. I was at first unnerved by
this question, but after 30 years (I too
have gnarly hands) I realize that we are
lucky to have hands at all…and that the
enjoyment of a beautiful piece of
jewelry does not depend on our own
beauty or youth…to the contrary,
jewelry is a symbolic reminder of the
endurance of spirit, beauty, and love in
our life. And, like they say, “youth is
wasted on the young”.
Q.
Do you provide appraisals for
your pieces and custom orders?
A.
Yes… I provide a close-up picture of the
piece and a detailed description, which
can be used for insurance or estate
purposes.
Q.
Why do I set stones in bezels rather
than prongs?
A.
Prongs are a rather recent invention
which allows jewelry to be mass-produced
and allows even an inexperienced jeweler
to set stones. It
is not the best way…prongs are insecure, allowing for the
potential loss of the stone, and prongs
also expose the edge of the stone to
possible damage in ordinary wear. Bezels
are safer, more comfortable, and smooth.
They are also more elegant in form,
echoing the shape of the stone
as they
protect it from loss and damage.
Q.
Do you make pieces based on the
customer’s design ideas?
A.
Yes, I do. Usually, I take the
customer’s concept or drawing and make
detailed sketches showing how I would
interpret the design. Of course, I want
to make pieces that will satisfy both
the client’s and my own sense of the
best solution.
Q.
Do you use the customer’s diamonds or
other stones in making new pieces?
A.
Yes. Sometimes, older stones must be
re-polished before the new piece is made.
Then, a firm estimate and design
sketches are agreed upon before the work
begins.
Q.
What if the customer doesn’t like the
piece?
A.
Occasionally, the customer is not fully
satisfied with the outcome of custom
order. Of course, I do not want the
customer to be under any obligation to
take a piece with which he or she is not
totally pleased. Satisfaction is always
guaranteed.
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Q.
What is the safest way to ship jewelry??
A.
Ordinarily, I use U.S. Registered Mail
service, which is very safe and has an
insurance limit of $25,000 per package.
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Q. How did I become a jeweler?
A. In
1969, I had left my job as an art
teacher
at Lycoming College, and was
trying to eke
out a living making
sculpture and drawing (see “history”
section for more details). I forged some
jewelry out of bronze welding rod for my
wife and friends as Christmas presents
and it was well received. My dentist and
friend, Perry Adelson, suggested I could
make a living making jewelry… and since
it was 1969, I figured “why not?" I did
research in a technical book about the
craft…and entered a new and very
fulfilling career as a jewelry
designer-craftsman.
Q.
What is the “art of jewelry”?
A.
Jewelry, like other art, expresses the
feeling and ideas of the
craftsman-artist. These are the things
that cause the viewer to be attracted
(or not) to particular pieces, styles,
and artists. In my own case, I want to
express ideas about balance, symmetry,
and the order of nature…and a sense
that there is a dialogue between
my expression and the perception of the
jewelry wearer.
Q.
What is unique about the art of jewelry?
A.
In other arts, the materials used are of
little value or significance. Jewelers
use materials of unique properties…the
“noble” metals, gold, platinum, and
silver, which do not rust, corrode
or
change: and a fantastic variety of
natural stones from the earth’s crust.
These stones have particular properties
that have fascinated people for
centuries: hardness, transparency, and
brilliant colors, which hardly seem
possible in nature. The materials
themselves suggest and embody the
quality of enduring beauty, especially
in contrast to our own rather tenuous
and impermanent life on earth.
Q.
What are “Old Mine” and “European Cut”
diamonds?
A.
These are diamonds cut in the late
1800’s
and early 1900’s, which
characteristically have small top
facets, high crowns and sometimes an
apparent “hole” in the bottom of the
stone caused by a large culet (bottom
facet). They are often quite distinctive
in character when compared to modern cut
diamonds. They exhibit more “fire”, or
spectral array, and I enjoy using them
because they are genuine antiques that
are a living record of the style
preference of the day. The diamonds come
from older pieces in which the setting
has worn out, and often can be bought at
a significant discount compared to
modern cut stones.
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