live benchtips - gemstones: your questions answered
We regularly run a a free Live Benchtips Session, a Q&A for you to ask an expert jewellery your questions. This month I was joined by gemmologist Fiona Haines to answer your questions.
Watch the whole session or skip to the question you want answered!
00 Introduction to Fiona
03 Tell us about the different gemstone cuts
06 What advice do you have for working with opals?
09 What are your tips for buying ethical gemstones?
15 What are your thoughts on synthetic stones?
18 What is your favourite cut of diamond to work with and why?
21 What are the best gemstones for engagement rings?
24 Why do some gemstones like topaz come in a large array of colours and others are just one colour, like ruby?
26 What are your top tips for someone new to buying stones to ensure I get good quality?
29 Can you tell me more about heat treated stones?
32 What were the stones you first started working with?
23 Have you made any mistakes in gold?
26 What solder would be best to begin with when making simple 9ct yellow and 9 ct white gold rings?
30 I have worked a bit with yellow gold but would like to try white gold. Are there any important differences? also,can you rhodium plate white gold yourself at home?
31 can you rhodium plate white gold yourself at home?
34 How different is etching gold to etching silver?
35 I was given some gold and some gold solder. How can I work out what carot they are? There are no markings on them!
28 Do you need to pickle straight away?
40 Is there a heat shield product you can use if you need to either resolder a piece or want to protect other parts of the wire?
49 Do you need separate shot in your barrel polisher?
50 When you are going hammer/texture a 9ct yellow gold ring, how much smaller should you initially make the ring?
56 Is there a market for fine silver metal clay pieces with gold added or do people mostly want to purchase sterling?
57 Tip: Make hinges in 9ct gold
ABOUT FIONA HAINES
My jewellery life started when I decided to put the microsurgical skills I have acquired during my career in eye surgery to a new use. Helped by short courses along the way, these skills have given me the patience, precision and attention to detail required to produce high quality, original jewellery. Working around my commitment to the NHS, my workshop time has been put to great use, enabling me to find my style and develop my brand.
Early on in my jewellery career, I became fascinated by gemstones, and desperate to understand them better. Two years later I graduated from Gem-A with my Diploma in Gemmology, which has given me huge insight into the world of gems, and have also learned to cut my own gemstones. I now create collections of my own hand-cut gems, set in my own designs under the Wise Fig Jewellery brand. All my work is handmade by me.
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