Last Day In Tucson! Bad Cold!

I wanted to add a post with photos of my Tucson Finds - but I am sick as a dog!

So I will post that later!



1:30 pm - A Hundred Laps and Counting - John Franke
John is one of my favorite speakers – he is knowledgeable in many areas and always willing to share. His expertise is such that he can give specific info to YOUR situation.

An award winning faceter, John Franke is well known in the cutting fraternity. Together John and his wife Barbara - also an award winning faceter - run the Facet Shoppe in Burley, WA. John says that by now he has somewhat more than a hundred polishing laps. Polishing, as we know, is among the most fiddly and frustrating of the lapidary processes; sometimes things work and don't work for reasons that seem arbitrary and inexplicable. Plus there are so many different types of polishing laps. Which is the right one? Which should you choose if you wanted the indispensable minimum? John will address some of those questions, navigate through the jungle of available laps and steer you to a brilliant final polish.





3:30 pm - Web Resources for the Jeweler Blogging, Social Networking or Website? The Internet offers so may options to hobbyist, lapidary and jeweler alike. But which will work best for your business? This session is all about resourcing - putting the Internet to work for you. Former jewelry business owner Robyn Hawk is now a freelance PR and marketing consultant.

Outline - Selling Options Online

Selling Sites:
Ebay.........Etsy.........Rubylane
...the Gallery Pages of some Guilds

Blogs – Web Logs
Business – usually links to a selling site
Can be used as a Newsletter or to Introduce New Products
Service - informative, educational
Social - personal info and opinions

Social Networks:
MySpace.............Facebook.............Multiply
Metalchasers......Deviant Art.........Yuwie

This genre started with the MySpace phenomena and just continues to grow there are at least a dozen of these Social Networking sites! Think they are just for kids? Go to MySpace.com and search jewelers or jewelry!



Just Getting Started? Most new Artisans let themselves get overwhelmed in learning HTML/Website Design when they are just starting out.


A good example of taking baby steps:

Turquoise Magpie started with an Ebay Store: turquoisemagpie.com

...then added a Customer Blog (turquoisemagpie.blogspot.com) to show their product in use and to toot the horns of their talented customers!

Then, with a loyal customer base behind her - the big leap to a website: magpiegemstones.com
...and a site for Szarka’s own jewelry – szarkas.com

Start small – build a customer base – see if the Art is just as much fun when you have to hold up the business end as well!

Want Some Other Views of Tucson?

Jewelry Television:
http://jewelrytelevision.typepad.com/jewelry_television/tucson/index.html

Local News:
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/76616.php
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=7853095&nav=14RT

Geology.com
http://geology.com/news/2008/more-photos-from-the-tucson-gem-and-mineral-show.shtml

Jewelry Artist
http://www.jewelryartistmagazine.com/feature/tucson08.cfm

Art Jewelry Collective
http://artjewelrycollective.blogspot.com/2008/02/trip-to-tucson-gem-and-mineral-show.html

These are really fun...
Fiber Addict:
http://fiberaddict.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html
My Neck Candy:
http://myneckcandy.blogspot.com/2008/02/feb-tucson-gem-show.html
Dawn and Jeff's Blog:
http://dawnandjeffsblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/tucson-gem-show.html
Benafia's Weblog:
http://benafia.wordpress.com/tag/tucson-gem-show/

...and for the best photos....
http://www.flickr.com/groups/azwonders/discuss/72157603660043668/#comment72157603888985746
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobalt/2262117848/

http://community.livejournal.com/az_photo/119081.html

Tucson - Feb. 10th

I started the morning in a seminar at the Hilton East - Innovative Uses of the Hydraulic Press for Jewelry Manufacturing with Phil Poirier - This seminar covers all sorts of metal forming techniques available using a hydraulic press. The presentation progresses from simple tasks (silhouette die forming, bracelet forming and blanking) to complex techniques (deep drawing and the use of conforming dies.) At the end Phil concludes with a live demonstration using the Bonny Doon Mark III press to demonstrate live - the techniques covered in the presentation.

Phil Poirier has spent 35 years as a goldsmith and 24 years designing and engineering tools for the jewelry industry specifically for hydraulic presses. He is the current owner/operator of Bonny Doon in Taos, New Mexico. The company develops and markets hydraulic forming and tooling systems for the jewelry industry. http://www.bonnydoonengineering.com/

I am telling you I am hooked on this machine – the possibilities are endless...


That’s as much inside as I can stand – back out to the Electric Park...





Maybe it’s my hippy upbringing (I am after all a child of the 60’s) – but I really love the atmosphere at the TEP.
I offered to help Hans out this year so you will see several posts from TEP.

There are three sessions a day at 11am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm the class topics vary with something for every one.

11:00 am: Tips and Techniques for Cutting Molds with John Henkil of Castaldo. Every mold cutter has his favorite techniques, and John Henkil has been acquiring and studying these for some three decades. For fifteen years he's been demonstrating for Castaldo products.

This was a very informational demonstration. John didn’t just talk about the different ways of cutting a mold. He went into the pros and cons of the various types of molds and then did a hands demo of cutting techniques that could be utilized in different situations.

I sometimes think that cutting the mold is as much an art form as designing the piece in the mold.




Brad Simon Presents...

Ok – this is an exciting announcement... ALL NEW!!!! TV Channel all about Jewelry Making!!!!

If you're looking for jewelry training or in depth exposure to the techniques and the world of jewelry making, there's a new television channel which will focus on just that.

Initiated by Brad Simon and slated to debut in January 2008, Bench Jewelers Television Network will be a full TV network with different channels of interest to bench jewelers and will be aired over the Internet.

Channels will include, Shop Management, Stone Setting, Jewelry Repair, Custom Manufacturing, Platinum, Laser Welding, Bench Techniques, New Products, and more.

We all know Brad Simon from his publications that have always been free to users...E Bench Newsletter (Ebenchnewsletter.com) and the Bench Magazine.



Now there is Bench Television http://benchtelevision.com/ go – check it out there are free previews on several of the channels to whet your interest... when you see the videos and the quality of the work, and the level of the expertise gathered to teach, you will understand why there is a fee for the service. For an annual subscription to the service it is $125...there will be a monthly offer at a later date - this is for unlimited access to ALL channels.

BTW – check out all the great features at the next Bench Conference ( http://benchconference.com/ ) in Los Angeles, California! I hope to see you all there!

Thanks Brad for always sharing!












The Use of the Graver in Diamond Setting with Gerry Lewy's name will be known to many in the jewelry trade under his nickname "Gerry the Cybersetter." Today Gerry comes back with a repeat of Thursday's session, covering all aspects of the use of gravers in the discipline of diamond setting.

Gerry uses sample rings in various stages of completion, so that by seeing the incomplete setting, he says, "each person will then understand how the setting practice is furthered." He also utilizes photographs of different types of diamond setting, his instructional CD's and gravers for sale at the Learning Center, as well as free instructional handouts.

Tucson Electric Park (TEP) – Learning Center – Feb. 9th

To get to TEP you first take a shuttle to the Tucson Expo Center – the home of J.O.G.S.! Part Retail and Part Wholesale this show has huge range – don’t be fooled by the HUGE amount of Amber at the door.

My favorite area at this show is the Brazilian Pavilion – the druzy is amazing! The really neat thing at this show is the Home Décor area...there is everything from Dinnerware, Vases, Lamp Bases to Conference Tables made of Fossil materials.

Time to catch the shuttle to TEP...

People always warn you that the TEP is the most “casual” setting at the show – I thought I would give you a visual! There are three major components of the TEP:

1. the Main Pavilion, the Lapidary equipment suppliers, Village Originals and Blake Brothers

2. small tents with everything from clothing to finished jewelry to wood products to 50 gallon barrels of rough!!!

3. the back edge of tents are huge mineral and rough dealers

Area one is on the blacktop however the rest of the show is in gravel!

Opening today was one of the most popular demos at the Learning Center...”Setting A Stone In A Stone” with Hans Durstling.

Hans has away of making things that seem complicated – look easy! Most people walk away from this presentation with the basic knowledge necessary to go home and give it a try!

The afternoon presentation was Wayne Emery on “Photographing Colored Gemstones”. Those of you who read the Orchid Digest are probably familiar with Wayne he is always willing to help with gem cutting or photography questions.

The good news is that he has a new website for his USB Cameras (you have to see these little guys they are amazing!). On that site he will be posting tutorials for photographing jewelry and gems that will be accessible to all!

You can find Wayne at: http://www.thelittlecameras.com/

Tucson Electric Park Learning Center – Feb. 7th

OK - so I am a day off!!!

Well today’s the big day --- well it was supposed to be the big day! I was going to learn to facet a gem in 30 minutes...but Johnny Tew got sick so we showed a series of Gem videos.

Let me go just a little off topic to talk about these videos...Hans Durstling, (the Father of the Learning Center) worked with the Canadian Discovery Channel to produce a series of videos that follow a specific type of from mine to market. Represented are Columbian Emerald, Brazilian Topaz, Sri Lankan Sapphire, Baltic Amber, Australian Opal and one on Synthetics. They are all really well done and will hopefully be available in US soon.

If you are in the area and have always wanted to learn a little about lapidary stop in and get some one on one with Diamond Pacific’s Genie and the Wizard trim saw. We have done demos with Rose Quartz and a woman came in with Dichroic Glass (she wanted to learn to take the scratches out) and Hans has been cutting a large amount of Ethiopian Real Estate...he is the new authority when it comes to cutting Ethiopian Opal!!!!

The 1:30pm presentation was Nora Nelson – Intro To Beading. She worked with 8-10 ladies on crimping – very nicely done and really helpful lady.

The 3:30pm presentation, Gerry Lewy – Diamond Setting Using Gravers was a popular seminar. He talked about grinding and polishing gravers and the same ways in which he has adapted his gravers for diamond setting – you can find out more about Gerry and his DVDs & gravers at http://www.gemz.com/

Tucson Convention Center – Day Two

Sorry for the brevity of today’s post, but I am not in areas where I can not take photos...

Most of my morning was spent in my Pearl Grading course for GIA...but I met a very interesting man on my way to lunch.

Gordon Austin is a Mining & Gemstone Consultant who has worked with the Paraiba Tourmaline mining operations in Paraiba, Brazil. I could have listened to his stories of trekking up into the mines all day. But I managed to break away and get lunch.

On the way back to class I stopped to listen to a little of the African Gems seminar by Richard Hughes of the AGTA-GTC. As always his stories are vivid and take you to far away lands.

Back to the grind...the afternoon section was the lab portion of my class and I have to say the pearls provided by GIA for the class to practice grading were phenomenal. Really beautiful South Seas and Tahitians, Akoyas and Freshwater Pearls! I really enjoyed it and I don’t envy the pearl graders out there...getting the hue, body color and overtone right is no easy job!

Thank you to Rick and Bonnie – I learned a lot and you made it an easy process.

Important Gems from the Smithsonian

I went back down to the Main Gem Hall because I wanted to get some photos of the rare gems in the Smithsonian Display. It is really interesting – on the first day of the show there were about a dozen stones total in the three cases....when I went back today the case was jammed!!!! Apparently the vendors make donations during the show and the folks that travel with the exhibit add the pieces to the display...you will know these gems because the labels are hand-written.

The Kyanite on the left was amazing – it looked like a fine Kashmir Sapphire! I have never seen a faceted Oregon Opal. Look at the photo on the right – have you ever seen a Sodalite crystal? It was a first for me!

These two stones were the reason I made a second trip to this exhibit. On the left is Herderite from Brazil it is extremely clear like green water! On the right is Poudretteite from Burma a beautiful powder pink!

After waiting about an hour for the shuttle back to the Rio Grande show...I promise not to get into a discussion about the shuttles, but some of them take forever. Anyway went to Rio to meet up with Jennifer and to buy some of the Bonny Doon products that I used in my classes.

This is a fun evening – we are off to the Orchid Dinner! For anyone not already familiar with Orchid – it is a forum for jewelers on the Ganoksin site (ganoksin.com). The Orchid Dinner is the only annual fund raiser for the forum. It was a lovely image and dinner was good! The Silent Auction had some really great tools, a Bonny Doon Lite, Pepe Jumpringer, donations from Miland and Jack Berry...along with certificates from the likes of Stuller & Rio.

But the auction is just the icing on the cake...the real value of the Orchid Dinner is the camaraderie, the networking....just being in a room filled with artists sharing their art.

AGTA at the Tucson Convention Center

Welcome to the AGTA Show at the Tucson Convention Center!!!! The crowd above is the reason you want to Pre-Register for this show – that is the Pre-Registered line! The line for folks registering on-site was out the doors! ...and YES all the warnings about the downtown traffic detours are correct. Don’t get on the I-10 just use Frontage & Congress to get around relax and take it easy it is slow going. There are plenty of parking lots with “Gem Ride” Shuttle service. The easiest one to use is the Congress Street HUB – the hostess is friendly and knowledgeable and will help you map out your shuttle route. The drivers are delightful – they are dealing with a lot of traffic and blocked routes and still manage to keep their sense of humor!

The levels are varied – you walk in to the hall and are greeted by tables manned by reps for magazines (Jewelry Artist, Metalsmith/SNAG, Indian Colored Gem Assoc., etc.) the schools (GIA, ISG, etc.), the guilds (Appraisers, Metalsmiths, etc.), the associations (MJSA, AJA, etc.)...any info you could want is in the walkway.

On the same floor as registration is the “Spectrum of Gems” featuring the work of the AGTA Spectrum Award Winners. The walls are lined with Photographs by award winning jewelry and gem photographers. I can’t show you this area because they don’t allow photos, but you can see the Spectrum Award Winners at:

All this is interesting but let’s get on to the reason we came! GEMS! Downstairs one flight you are greeted by another one of the friendly members of the TCC Security staff pointing a scanner at you (your badge is scanned at the door of every room)!

This is the main pavilion of the AGTA Show, wall-to- wall Gems & Jewelry!!!

Loose gemstones from around the world – everything from melee stones to faceted gems the size of your fist!

Pearls, faceted beads, ruby, emerald, sapphire even diamond beads that ranged from "gravel" and "spit" to stones that were clean enough to set! There were a lot of rough diamonds this year!

This is just a small example of the amazing gems in the Main Pavilion - this very fine suite of gems that Fei (Fine Emeralds International) had set up around their booth - this is the gemmiest Rubellite Tourmaline I have EVER seen!!!

...more from the AGTA Show tomorrow