Journal · 980 notes
Notes from the bench
Written for buyers rather than for search engines: what a specification actually means, where an order usually goes wrong, and what to ask before you pay a deposit.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Jewelry Soldering: How We Join Metal at the Bench
Jewelry soldering vs welding, alloys, flux, pickling, and why a clean seam matters in fine jewelry. Behind-the-bench from a manufacturing workshop.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Filigree Jewelry: How We Craft Lace-Like Metalwork
Filigree twists fine wires into delicate, lace-like patterns. Here's how bench jewelers plan, solder, and finish the technique without breaking it.
Buying guides · Sep 2026
Wholesale Jewelry Manufacturing MOQ: What Boutiques Actually Pay
Wholesale jewelry manufacturing MOQ per category, the hidden cost of going below it, and how to negotiate a lower first order.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Lost-Wax Casting Step by Step: What Actually Happens After You Approve the CAD
A buyer-friendly walkthrough of lost-wax jewelry casting: treeing, investing, burnout, casting, knockout, and what each stage means for your order.
Making & process · Sep 2026
After the Cast Comes Out: How Much Hand-Finishing a Good Cast Really Needs
A fresh investment casting is a rough blank, not jewelry. The real cost and quality lives in filing, sanding and truing at the bench.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Hand Setting Diamonds: Behind the Bench With Our Setter
A look at how diamonds are set by hand, why we set under magnification, and how the setting determines whether a stone stays on your hand.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Replacing a Gemstone: How Jewelers Remove and Reset Stones
A chipped center stone or an outdated heirloom? Here is the bench process for removing an old gem, matching a replacement and resetting it cleanly.
Stones & grading · Sep 2026
Blue Chalcedony: Soft, Matte and Quietly Luxurious
Blue chalcedony is a microcrystalline quartz with soft sky-to-slate blue. Learn where it comes from, how it is cut, and how to care for matte blue gems.
Stones & grading · Sep 2026
Topaz Gemstone Colors and Treatments: What Is Real?
Natural topaz is usually colorless or pale. Learn how blue, pink, and imperial topaz get their color, which stones are treated, and what to pay.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Wholesale Ring Manufacturing: The Factory Process Explained
How ring factories turn CAD files into finished wholesale rings, and the tolerances and QC checks buyers should audit before reordering.
Stones & grading · Sep 2026
Morganite Engagement Rings: Color, Durability & Settings
Peach morganite is a soft, romantic alternative to white stones. Here is how it holds up at the bench, which settings suit it, and what it costs.
Buying guides · Sep 2026
Wholesale Jewelry Manufacturing: A Factory's Guide for Buyers
How wholesale jewelry manufacturing actually works: MOQs, casting, QC, lead times, and the questions buyers should ask any factory before a bulk order.
