The Yin and Yang of jewellery care

2nd November 2021 - Customer location: Adelaide

I have been meaning to write this article for some time now. In July 2021 I had some issues with a wedding ring I made back in 2016 and it is a topic worth writing about.

This customer has been with me for over 15 years now. He is what I would refer to as an absolutely perfect customer when it comes to taking care of his jewellery. He is fanatical.

When I met him he lived in Cairns and the first piece I made for this crazy mountain bike rider (they do crazy stuff) was the coin ring to the right.

And then they were a couple

Over time he has moved a fair bit around Australia with work but during that period retained me as his jeweller using my remote design process. I have never met his now wife but made her engagement ring back in 2016.

When it came time to make the wedding rings I was certain that he would take very good care of his ring but was unsure of what her “normal wear” would be. The number of diamonds set into her wedding ring design meant that it will not survive a certain level of force.

To an extent every area where a hole is drilled to set a diamond it is weaker than areas without holes. Seems logical? So how far do you push it?

Article: Don`t forget gem depth

Normally I check up on rings that I have made after one month of wear and that gives me an understanding of what sort of life the rings are up for and to spot any issues with the design matching the lifestyle.

5 years of her normal wear

Fast forward to 2021 and there was an issue with the wedding ring. Not a good or bad thing……but her normal wear meant that the wedding ring never came off.

Article: Oh.... so fine!

She is a very active person and over time the ring started to bend at the side points where two of her multiple diamonds were set. This distortion is usually gradual and something that you can spot at regular checkups.

Stress marks in the metal where it bent.

In the case of this ring and her normal wear the remaining gold around the areas where the diamonds were set was not enough, I learnt a lesson.

For other people it would have been strong enough but for her it was not. Not a god or bad thing just a reality we have to deal with. And yes the ring never coming of and never being cleaned……like most jewellery …is very dirty behind the diamonds.

Article: Why is my diamond dull?

Article: Rashes and repairs

The solution - quick and simple

The solution was to remake the ring slightly thicker and the bars either side of the diamond slightly wider. Changes that took nothing away from the overall appearance of the ring but increased the strength greatly.

Having made the ring myself the customer paid for extra material costs only and I remade the ring at no charge. From now on we will periodically check the ring using photos via email. BTW her engagement ring we have already checked via email with photos and has no issues.

New design - Hatsukoi - First Love

I love the look of Japanese characters and how they form meanings. I have decided to do some more pendants after recent demand for Bushido and name pendants. This one I did in a dog tag style with a matte finish. The Kanji reads:

Hatsu - first
Koi - love

You can read more details of this pendant here in the shop section. You will see Koi used a lot in Japanese words. It varies a bit in context but “koibito” can mean boyfriend or girlfriend. The “H” in “hito” is changed to a “B” to connect the two words.

Koi - love
Hito - person

My World

Last week I was in Townsville for work delivering a very special Zenadth Kes ring to a customer. On the way back I continued my exploration of Girramay Country at Cardwell.

The turn off to the National Park you see on the highway just north of Cardwell is well worth the short detour. Absolutely stunning beach with a very long walk through the mangroves. Must be one of the largest populations fo Goannas in Australia there. They are everywhere.

Info, DesignDavid Taylor2 November 2021