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
Rhodium Plating Thickness in Microns: What to Spec
0.1 vs 0.5 vs 1.0 micron rhodium on silver and white gold: wear life, cost and how to write the spec on your purchase order.
Stones & grading · Sep 2026
Spessartite Garnet: The Bright Orange Mandarin Gem
Spessartite garnet explained: the orange mandarin color, where it is mined, why clean stones are rare, and how to set and care for it.
Buying guides · Sep 2026
Tennis Bracelet Buying Guide: Diamonds, Fit, and Security
What a tennis bracelet is, how to size it, why the clasp matters, total carat weight vs quality, and what to spend. A buyer's guide from a jeweler.
Buying guides · Sep 2026
Tennis Necklace Buying Guide: Stones, Clasps, and Length
A tennis necklace wears diamonds or colored gems in one continuous line. Compare total carat weight, setting styles, clasps, and fit before you buy.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Flask and Tree Placement: Where a Ring Sits in the Flask
Top-tier rings cold-shut and bottom-tier rings get investment inclusions. Our flask rotation and tree placement rules for consistent casting every tier.
Buying guides · Sep 2026
Jewelry CAD Export Settings for Casting Foundries
Wall thickness, STL tolerance, shrink compensation, and units: the CAD export settings foundries check before printing a wax.
Buying guides · Sep 2026
Ring Sizing at the Bench: Which Bands Can Be Resized and Which Cannot
Comfort-fit, milgrain, engraved, and channel bands: which ring styles resize cleanly at the bench and which need a remake.
Care & after-sales · Sep 2026
Deep Cleaning: What Actually Happens When We Clean Your Ring at the Bench
Ever wondered what a professional jewelry clean actually involves? An atelier walks through ultrasound, steam, prong checks, and the before and after.
Buying guides · Sep 2026
CAD to Production: A Realistic Custom Ring Timeline From First Sketch to Shipment
Day-by-day custom ring timeline from approved CAD to doorstep: casting, setting, polishing, QC, and the delays buyers can actually avoid.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Tension Settings vs Bezel Work: Durability, Resizing, and Stone Risk
True tension settings need a 3 mm platinum or 18k shank. Bezel work protects the stone, resizes easily, and repairs in ten minutes. Which to sell.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Filigree at the Bench: How Fine Wire Jewelry Is Made
Filigree looks delicate but demands serious patience. We walk through forming, twisting, and soldering fine wire into openwork patterns.
Stones & grading · Sep 2026
Bloodstone (Heliotrope): The Green Jasper with Red Spots
Bloodstone is a dark green chalcedony dotted with red jasper. We cover origins, hardness, how it is cut, and how to wear it daily.
