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Every time we make an engagement or wedding ring; the same question comes up. “Casting or handmade?” Are there any differences? Does it change anything? Let's discuss the differences of handmade vs cast jewellery Let’s start with handmade jewellery. When making an item by hand, we are working with the raw metal that will become the finished product. As such, we have to bend, hammer & file the item to the desired final shape, this will mean that we solder one part to another, we measure things and file until we have the desired outcome. The item itself is made piece by piece, sometimes 2 pieces, sometimes many more, put together by a craftsman and then set with diamonds or coloured stones to make a piece of jewellery. A handmade piece of jewellery will always: Be harder than a cast item (around 50% increase in hardness in all metals) Never have porosity Always be unique and bespoke   Now let’s look at cast jewellery, nowadays it is mostly CAD (Computer Aided Design). When using CAD or wax to model an item, we are making a template for repeatability, this enables mass manufacturing of items that are near identical to be made, how many do you need to make? One item or fifty? Both are achievable with casting, and take the same amount of time to process. The item is either hand carved into wax or designed with CAD then printed with wax, which is then put into the production process which is a multi-step exercise, using wax injectors, vacuum pumps to remove oxygen bubbles, vulcanizers and rubber sheets to make injectable moulds along with plaster for formation and finally heated kilns and flasks using melted gold to give us the final item before it is cleaned, polished & set. A cast piece of jewellery will always: Have less density Have a possibility of porosity coming to the surface   A sample image of a ring being repaired showing a casting bubble (porosity) is in the image below: This is obviously something that can’t be seen by someone wearing the ring or inspecting it, but it is a point of weakness. Added to the metal being less dense and softer due to not being “work hardened” it is an issue with any and all castings, these can be minimised if you use the correct techniques, but can never be truly removed from the equation. Both handmade items and cast items take around 2-3 weeks to make, the difference is usually in the final price, however, there are many occasions when a handmade item will actually be significantly faster or cheaper than a cast item. A notable example of this would be wedding rings, which worn daily require more hardness, strength & durability, and if simple, can be made in a period of a day for customers in a rush (which has happened, people do forget to order rings for their wedding, don’t worry, they aren’t the first, or last to do so) which is obviously much faster than a two week process for a cast item. If you are interested in having us make something for your engagement, wedding or anniversary ring, come in and have a no obligation friendly chat in our store in located on level 4 of the Dymocks building, Sydney. You can find some examples of previous work here https://www.erebounijewellery.com.au/rings #diamond #diamonds #australianjeweller #gemstones #ring #rings #engaged #engagementring #diamondring #diamondrings #whitegold #gold #jeweller #jewelry #jewels #design #jewellerydesigner #jewellerydesign #whitediamond #naturaldiamond #casting #handmadejewellery #handmadejewelry #handmade

After you’ve worked out a basic design for an engagement ring, an important question will come up. What colour gold do I use? The three most common colours of gold are as follows: Yellow gold: The traditional look of gold, in a tone that is instantly recognisable to all across the globe, a lustrous yellow colour that is warm and luxurious, alloyed with silver and copper. White gold: Originally developed in the 19th century with patents in Europe & the USA in the early 20th century, each using different alloying materials (palladium, platinum, nickel, silver etc) to achieve a soft white colour that is reminiscent of Platinum but not as expensive (at the time), most white gold alloys require rhodium plating for achieving that bright platinum look. Rose gold: In a variety of intensities depending on the amount of copper used, can be a bright rec to a soft almost pink hue, more modern alloys have some noble metal added to give the rose gold a greater resistance to copper leeching over time. A sample image of the 3 most common colours of gold is in the image below: This is a bangle made from 18ct yellow, white & rose gold. As you can see, there’s a great variety of colour that can be achieved by just changing the 25% of the alloy that is not gold.   If you are interested in having us make something for your engagement ring, come in and have a no obligation friendly chat in our store in located on level 4 of the Dymocks building, Sydney. You can find some examples of previous work here https://www.erebounijewellery.com.au/rings #diamond #diamonds #australianjeweller #gemstones #ring #rings #engaged #engagementring #diamondring #diamondrings #whitegold #yellowgold #rosegold #gold #jeweller #jewelry #jewels #design #jewellerydesigner #jewellerydesign #whitediamond #naturaldiamond #syntheticdiamond #labgrowndiamond #platinum #silver

This is actually a fairly open-ended question; I find it’s best to customise it to the needs of each customer who comes to see me and go from there. If you are wearing predominantly yellow, rose or white metal jewellery then the decision is easier, as you already have a colour and aesthetic style that you will be matching. For example, if we have white as the colour of choice we have 2 major options: 1: Platinum or another platinum group metal (palladium), 2: White gold. Why Platinum? Why White gold? Platinum is usually found in a purity of 95% (950/1000) in most modern jewellery, it is common to find it alloyed to 90% (900/1000) and even 85% (850/1000). The advantages of platinum are that it is a very dense material that behaves differently to gold and its alloys when worn. Platinum alloys generally weigh about 30-50% more than gold alloys, so for any ring that weighs 5 grams, expect the same platinum ring to weigh 6.5-7.5 grams depending on the gold alloy used. Platinum rings tend to last a very long time because of this, and can be made slightly finer as a result, if you look at vintage platinum jewellery and compare it with similarly aged gold jewellery you will see that the platinum is usually in better condition as it still has its original parts without repair etc. White gold is an alloy using fine gold (375/585/750 parts out of 1000 for 9/14/18ct respectively) usually with a mix of gold with additional parts of palladium, silver and copper in differing percentages to give us a soft white colour, this is then plated with rhodium which gives a lustrous white finish. The rhodium plating does wear off with daily usage and you will need to re plate it after polishing every 1-3 years depending on usage. A sample image of raw platinum granules is in the image below: This is the metal that is melted down and used to make a piece of jewellery, either by hand fabrication or by casting methods. If you are interested in having us make something for your engagement ring, come in and have a no obligation friendly chat in our store in located on level 4 of the Dymocks building, Sydney. You can find some examples of previous work here https://www.erebounijewellery.com.au/rings #diamond #diamonds #australianjeweller #gemstones #ring #rings #engaged #engagementring #diamondring #diamondrings #whitegold #yellowgold #rosegold #gold #jeweller #jewelry #jewels #design #jewellerydesigner #jewellerydesign #whitediamond #naturaldiamond #syntheticdiamond #labgrowndiamond #platinum #silver

In the past few years there has been a large increase in the popularity of synthetic diamonds (marketed under the terms, “gemesis”, “created”, “laboratory grown”, “lab made”) across the entire jewellery and diamond trade. Generally speaking, synthetic diamonds are used in jewellery for price-based reasons, currently being at least 90% cheaper than their natural counterpart. Prices have trended down since the start of synthetic diamond production being a commercially available material in the early 2000s. There are 2 types of synthetic diamond commonly available on the market, they are CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) and HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature). A CVD is made by using a seed crystal, which is usually a piece of small diamond rough, placed in a chamber, that is then filled with specific gases that are heated. Once the gases reach the right temperature, layers of carbon begin to form on the seed crystal, giving us the diamond rough to cut into a gemstone for use in jewellery. A High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) diamond is made by using a very large machine that replicates the earth’s process of forming Natural Diamonds. To do this, natural graphite is placed in the centre of the machine that crushes it from 6 sides with extreme pressure and temperatures. Under these conditions, the graphite turns into a diamond. This method was first used in the 1960s to form the first diamonds that were synthetic. A sample image of a synthetic diamond factory using HPHT method is in the image below: This is a rather small set up, as most factories today tend to have at least 3-4 times the machines in usage manufacturing diamonds. Natural diamonds on the other hand, are a well known and have been throughout the centuries, found near volcanic magma tubes which have brought up the diamonds to the earths surface during the formation of the earths crust that we have today. There is no discernible difference between a man-made diamond and a mined diamond to the naked eye or even when using a loupe of microscope, as both materials are Carbon arranged in a lattice formation, the only way to tell is with a combination of tools (if the stone is large enough and loose or easily viewable from multiple angles) or specialised equipment that gives us a spectrum response. If you are interested in having us make something for your engagement ring, come in and have a no obligation friendly chat in our store in located on level 4 of the Dymocks building, Sydney. You can find some examples of previous work here https://www.erebounijewellery.com.au/rings #diamond #diamonds #australianjeweller #gemstones #ring #rings #engaged #engagementring #diamondring #diamondrings #whitegold #gold #jeweller #jewelry #jewels #design #jewellerydesigner #jewellerydesign #whitediamond #naturaldiamond #syntheticdiamond #labgrowndiamond

In today’s modern world, buying an engagement ring can be a daunting task. Do I want a natural or a synthetic diamond? Do I want to buy one that is already made or custom/bespoke? Do I want a solitaire or something with side stones? Do I want rose, white or yellow gold? Do I want platinum? Am I after a handmade piece or a casting? All these questions affect your ring and many people have never even thought about it until it’s time to get engaged! Perhaps the easiest first step in this process is to pick the style. The first and best question usually is, what type of look will suit the person who will wear this ring hopefully for the rest of their life? What reflects the personal taste and aesthetic of the wearer? Do they like smaller simple jewellery items? Do they prefer larger more eye-catching designs? Will the ring be worn as part of a suite with other items or will it be a bit more of a solitary item that stands out? A sample image of a diamond set engagement ring is in the image below: This ring is an example of a round brilliant cut diamond in a claw setting, it is surrounded by a single row of round brilliant cut diamonds in pavé settings in a white gold setting. A design that has enough room to put a wedding ring beside it without a gap appearing between the two rings. If you are interested in having us make something for your engagement ring, come in and have a no obligation friendly chat in our store in located on level 4 of the Dymocks building, Sydney. You can find some previous examples here https://www.erebounijewellery.com.au/rings #diamond #diamonds #australianjeweller #gemstones #ring #rings #engaged #engagementring #diamondring #diamondrings #whitegold #gold #jeweller #jewelry #jewels #design #jewellerydesigner #jewellerydesign #whitediamond

A diamond is a naturally formed crystal made purely from carbon arranged in a tetrahedral structure, known in gemmology as a crystal lattice. Diamonds are formed beneath the earths crust by intense heat and pressure, they are brought closer to the surface via magma tubers in the volcanic regions of the earths crust. This means almost all diamonds are found either in or around active volcanic sites. A sample image of the diamond cubic crystal system showing carbon atoms in a tetrahedral arrangement is shown below: A diamond is therefore theoretically pure carbon, “C”, and is extremely hard (Moh’s scale of 10, the hardest known mineral to man) because of its structure of carbon. To find a diamond that is pure carbon is rather rare, with less than 2% of all diamonds mined being pure carbon with no boron or nitrogen impurities. We have been gemmologists registered since 1996 and diamond graders & technologists since 1997, HRD certified diamond grader since 2010, currently we hold the record in our store for the youngest ever gemmologist, diamond grader, diamond technologist and jewellery valuer ever in Australia with a speciality in watches located at the Dymocks building, 428 George St, Sydney, NSW 2000. For a sample of what we have made with diamonds before, click the link below: https://www.erebounijewellery.com.au/rings #diamond #diamonds #GAA #GIA #natural #gemstones #gemstone #gemstones #roundbrilliant #naturaldiamond #certification #diamondgrader #diamondgrading #jeweller #jewelry #jewels

In this short video I show the basic steps of how to draw & render by hand a simple design for a customer in under 20 minutes. The idea is to show the customer what it would look and feel like, more than a perfect representation of what the item will be (hence the large scale and the 20 minute time frame). With a little practice anyone can do this, what you need to do is start with a very light pencil, sketch out your oval (it's a circle but viewed from an angle of course), then pop on the bits and pieces that make up the design into a 3 dimensional environment. Once that basic part is done, go over it with a ball point pen to give the final outline, remove the pencil marks using an eraser and leaving only the pen on the paper. This gives you the basis of the image, now to add the "feeling" by using the colour, here I use just 3 colours, yellow, orange and light blue. I use watercolour pencils as they are soft and blend nicely, additionally, when doing more exacting work, I can paint or blend with them, using them with gouache etc. The yellow forms the base colour for yellow gold, pressing harder or going over a second time gives you a richer colour, then using orange we give it warmth and depth, used primarily in the shadow regions. Lastly, some pale blue to make the white gold sections "pop" against the yellow metal background. Don't worry about accuracy when doing a quick sketch, it's the colour and design elements that we are communicating to a customer using this technique. I hope this video helps you and gives you confidence to try some sketching/design/art too. For a sample of previous work, click the link below: https://www.erebounijewellery.com.au/rings #sydneyjeweller #sydneyjewellery #jewelry #jewelrydesign #jewelrydesigner #sketch #art #design #custom #bespoke #unique #sydney #sydneycbd

When we value jewellery and watches for clients, we have to stipulate what market we are valuing the item for. For example, if a customer has purchased a brand-new watch, a Rolex, Omega, Breitling, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin or Audemars Piguet from an authorised dealer recently and would like to have it insured for replacement if the item is ever lost or stolen, then a retail replacement value will be used. If a customer has purchased a new item of jewellery from Cartier, Tiffany & Co, Chaumet or Bvlgari, then they may also want to have the item replaced at an authorised retailer or the store of purchase, again in this instance, a retail replacement value is used. A sample valuation of what we provide is in the image below: This valuation is an example of what our valuations look like currently, please note that the prices and names have been removed for security purposes. We have been an independent NCJV registered since 1997, currently we hold the record in our store for the youngest ever gemmologist, diamond grader, diamond technologist and jewellery valuer ever in Australia with a speciality in watches located at the Dymocks building, 428 George St, Sydney, NSW 2000. Retail replacement is commonly called “Insurance” valuation, this term is no longer used as it doesn’t correctly reflect the valuing market. Because of this name, it means that the valued item is replaced by the same or similar item from the same outlet or it’s closest location to us here in Sydney. For our valuation services, click the link below: https://www.erebounijewellery.com.au/valuations You can find NCJV registered valuers in your area here: www.ncjv.com.au #diamond #diamonds #valuation #valuer #gemstones #ring #rings #necklace #bangle #bangles #earring #earrings #watch #watches #jeweller #jewelry #jewels #Cartier #Tiffany #Chaumet #Bulgari #Bvlgari #Rolex #Omega #Breitling #Patek #PatekPhilippe #VacheronConstantin #AP

A Jewellery valuation in Sydney, NSW, Australia is a legal document written by a professional after carefully inspecting your jewellery. The valuation will contain a complete description of the item, an image and a price that is based on the market value that has been requested (for example, "retail replacement value", commonly referred to by many as an "Insurance valuation"). Any worthwhile valuation should be done by a member of the NCJV (National Council of Jewellery valuers) with their crimped seal affixed to the document, stating that they are a current member, with their number and registration year visible. All valuers who are members of the NCJV are qualified gemmologists and diamond graders in addition to having a minimum of 5 years of experience in the jewellery trade. Many have qualified as jewellery valuers in the past decades after completing of a course run by the NCJV that teaches the principles of valuing a finished piece of jewellery, like the weight estimation and accurate grading of gemstones and diamonds in their settings along with identification of a hand made item or a cast item. A sample valuation of what we provide is in the image below: This valuation is an example of what our valuations look like currently, please note that the prices and names have been removed for security purposes. We have been NCJV registered since 1997, currently we hold the record in our store for the youngest ever gemmologist, diamond grader, diamond technologist and jewellery valuer ever in Australia. For our valuation services, click the link below: https://www.erebounijewellery.com.au/valuations You can find NCJV registered valuers in your area here: www.ncjv.com.au #diamond #diamonds #valuation #valuer #gemstones #ring #rings #necklace #bangle #bangles #earring #earrings #watch #watches #jeweller #jewelry #jewels