Monday, November 22, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Expect the Unexpected
Janet said she'd brought back malachite from Fez, and I said thanks. But as soon as I took one look I knew it was fossil.
I was equally sure about Willow's beautiful wood, formerly three-strand necklace.
.jpg)
Which is actually copal, sometimes called "copal amber." (This is why my team includes gemologists, appraisers, stone-cutters, and people who buy and sell stone. I was right about the "malachite," though. Fossil, sho'nuff.)
"Hang on. Did you just say amber?"
Copal. Sometimes called "copal amber," but that's actually a misnomer. Copal is not amber.
"But wait. Didn't Willow send you a bracelet and some loose beads? And didn't you have half a strand of some beads in that color family on hand, and some copal, too, from somewhere eons ago?"
Yup.
"Great. Looks like you've got enough of everything."
But no. That would be too easy. (And neither of us wanted to take apart that beautiful bracelet, if it could be avoided.)
So this project was more complicated than it seemed at first glance. Here are the main challenges:
1. It's multi-strand, which means, in this case, three different lengths, and the measurement of each one must be exact or the strands won't sit right on the neck.
2. The beads are graduated, which means you have to keep to the same proportions or the necklace won't be balanced. You can't just add a few beads here and there.
3. Light and dark hues of that beautiful yellow-brown alternate in the necklace, and that variation has to be respected or the color will look wrong. (You can go lighter or darker within the same color family, but you can't interrupt the color alternation.)
4. Copal is not easy to find in this shape and size. If you can find it, it can be veddy expensive.
Other than that, a piece of cake. (Or shortbread, which is what Willow's company, Heritage Shortbread, makes a particularly yummy version of back in South Carolina [we'd met at a trade show]. I mention this for you folks outside the Bay Area. Just gently pack the patient and send it along. Do call me first, though, so I know it's coming.)
So I was stumped once again. But I am too stubborn to quit. So I kept trying different options: wood beads, amber, copper, even buttons. Nothing worked.
But life always intervenes. And so it was that, after trying said bazillion different options, each of which had problems, and emailing Willow to say the patient was not responding but the doctor had not given up, on a very hot day (which we rarely get in San Francisco) when I was supposed to be somewhere else, I walked into one of my favorite shops and found lovely brass barrels that, with the dipped glass beads I had on hand from I still don't remember where (I think I've had them for years) solved the problem.
.jpg)
To be specific: I changed the 4-5-6 pattern at the top of the original necklace to 3-4-5 and built a new top for the necklace using a 1-2-3 pattern of dipped glass beads following the brass barrels, and everyone was happy ever after.
Big thanks to Susan and Haley.
©2010, 2014, 2015 Laynie Tzena.
I was equally sure about Willow's beautiful wood, formerly three-strand necklace.
.jpg)
Which is actually copal, sometimes called "copal amber." (This is why my team includes gemologists, appraisers, stone-cutters, and people who buy and sell stone. I was right about the "malachite," though. Fossil, sho'nuff.)
"Hang on. Did you just say amber?"
Copal. Sometimes called "copal amber," but that's actually a misnomer. Copal is not amber.
"But wait. Didn't Willow send you a bracelet and some loose beads? And didn't you have half a strand of some beads in that color family on hand, and some copal, too, from somewhere eons ago?"
Yup.
"Great. Looks like you've got enough of everything."
But no. That would be too easy. (And neither of us wanted to take apart that beautiful bracelet, if it could be avoided.)
So this project was more complicated than it seemed at first glance. Here are the main challenges:
1. It's multi-strand, which means, in this case, three different lengths, and the measurement of each one must be exact or the strands won't sit right on the neck.
2. The beads are graduated, which means you have to keep to the same proportions or the necklace won't be balanced. You can't just add a few beads here and there.
3. Light and dark hues of that beautiful yellow-brown alternate in the necklace, and that variation has to be respected or the color will look wrong. (You can go lighter or darker within the same color family, but you can't interrupt the color alternation.)
4. Copal is not easy to find in this shape and size. If you can find it, it can be veddy expensive.
Other than that, a piece of cake. (Or shortbread, which is what Willow's company, Heritage Shortbread, makes a particularly yummy version of back in South Carolina [we'd met at a trade show]. I mention this for you folks outside the Bay Area. Just gently pack the patient and send it along. Do call me first, though, so I know it's coming.)
So I was stumped once again. But I am too stubborn to quit. So I kept trying different options: wood beads, amber, copper, even buttons. Nothing worked.
But life always intervenes. And so it was that, after trying said bazillion different options, each of which had problems, and emailing Willow to say the patient was not responding but the doctor had not given up, on a very hot day (which we rarely get in San Francisco) when I was supposed to be somewhere else, I walked into one of my favorite shops and found lovely brass barrels that, with the dipped glass beads I had on hand from I still don't remember where (I think I've had them for years) solved the problem.
.jpg)
To be specific: I changed the 4-5-6 pattern at the top of the original necklace to 3-4-5 and built a new top for the necklace using a 1-2-3 pattern of dipped glass beads following the brass barrels, and everyone was happy ever after.
Big thanks to Susan and Haley.
©2010, 2014, 2015 Laynie Tzena.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Doctor in the News
Yes, it's true: Someone the Jewelry Doctor recently met, in writing about our sister blog, "Love at First Bite," included us, too.
http://www.examiner.com/x-12392-SF-Easy-Meals-Examiner~y2010m4d30-Laynie-Tzena*
Fine, you say. Where are those other restoration projects you told us were coming?
On their way.
http://www.examiner.com/x-12392-SF-Easy-Meals-Examiner~y2010m4d30-Laynie-Tzena*
Fine, you say. Where are those other restoration projects you told us were coming?
On their way.
*Update, 5/3/21: We were recently alerted that the link doesn't work. (Thanks, G.!), and contacted the person who interviewed the Jewelry Doctor and wrote the post--who said that Examiner.com has deleted its blogs, including "SF Easy Meals." Boo! Hiss!
Sorry! We are hoping to locate a copy of the original post. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Magic Number
Long time no see! Well, look for some exciting recent jewelry restoration projects soon.
In the meantime, I wanted to make sure you all have the new number for the studio.
And what might that be?
Why, it's 415-796-3969.
No, I didn't move. I switched service providers.
What was that number again?
415-796-3969.
Right.
In the meantime, I wanted to make sure you all have the new number for the studio.
And what might that be?
Why, it's 415-796-3969.
No, I didn't move. I switched service providers.
What was that number again?
415-796-3969.
Right.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
