Building a museum piece
After a telephone call today i have to assert that i have to reconsider my attitude for this craft. A colleague friend of mine told me what will happen in the near future – we talked about the newest technical facilities on the market. You wonder what is it all about? Well, tonight i am sure, the trade of making jewelry, the manner to build a piece like i do it dies out and i am sure, this process started over thirty years ago.
Can i hear you say you already know that? You are right – everybody who is an insider knows that already. But i am aware of this time limit tonight. I am melancholy by this notion. The affair of the heart, of my heart i started with this website, it is a museum piece long before it will be finished. This circumstance is really strangely…
…but hey – who cares? I decided to build this museum piece. Perhaps there are people out there who wants to know. The manner we build jewelry changed every day. The process goes faster and faster. I slow it down because i want to.
I think that your art will not die. Industrial production is changing but there will be a market for hand-crafted pieces. Just as there are still photographers working with chemicals in the darkroom even though digital photography has become the standard.
Of course there are photographers who do it in the vintage way – because they want and there are still certain cases when digital quality is not enough. So far i am with you
But please – look a bit further. Techniques become better and cheaper in a very fast way. Consumers pay attention to the charges increasingly. The effect you can see e.g. by the design of “modern” jewelry today. This design is not only the conclusion of the spirit of the time, it is an effect of lower costs also.
Let’s have a look in a few years. What i know is, there are by now artisans who never forged a piece of gold – they cast only!
Computers and robotic are already in the jewelry business, I see many great shapes and impossible to make with hands, but this kind of pieces are empty of sense, empty of life… without the human touch… you obtain an amazing piece without soul….
Jewelry is about artistic expression not technical performance.
Low cost jewels are already coming from India or China, but they are all the same, without identities… as they were made by the same machine…
Mario
Anyone who can make a beautiful little violin of the quality and beauty that you have done — should not worry about a market for their work. Such excellence will always be in demand.
darcy
Hello Darcy, thank you for your kind words! I am glad you like the violin and the “making off”. To the end of this month there will be the next part available.
You have a nice Homepage, neat ideas and the chainpieces are really cool!
Hello Mario
Thank you so much for your stone setting video. I am still learning, and stone setting for me is a beautiful mystery. I am afraid and excited by it all at the same time.
I’m finding myself in a similar place as your melancholy post. I fell in love with jewellery making because of hand fabrication. Now I’m finding the industry is moving towards 3d digital, wax milling… it seems also, for me to make a living in my city, I’m making things that I don’t normally make. And I’m not loving it as much. Anyhow, my point is, I applaud your dedication to your hand work. I think it’s important, and if it is what you love, then you should continue. I firmly believe if you do what you love, the money will come. People will see the love and skill in your work. I need to remember that myself, and have faith and continue to make the things that move me, and not simply what will “sell”.
Thank you so much for your videos. It’s wonderful that you are sharing your knowledge.
Kind regards, Shirley
Hello Shirley!
Thank you very much – you wrote, what i always thought: believe in what you’re doing. That is the key to nearly everything. Learning and passion complete the hole thing. Today the web makes a lot possible – lets use it
All the best Shirley!
Mario,
Primero que todo, y en la misma linea de este thread, me atrevo a poner estas líneas en español, mi lenguaje, y no en el tuyo, como debería ser, por respeto. Y el motivo es, de alguna forma sentar mas mi mensaje: “hoy podemos hacer lo que querramos con el lenguaje para comunicarnos. Ya que existen traductores en linea que facilitan esto. Pero siempre, gracias a Dios va a existir un loco (romántico) que se atreva a escribir algo que ningún traductor entienda (solo el hombre, por ejemplo detecta la ironía) y lo transforme en poesía”. También, desde otro aspecto, lo tuyo y lo de otros como tu, siempre existirá. Al menos para aquellos que entendemos y gozamos de las sutilezas del arte. Thanks for translate this lines.
Here is the translation:
First of all, in the same line of this thread, I dare to put these lines in Spanish, my language, not yours, as it should be, out of respect. And the reason is, but somehow lay my message: “Today we do what we want with language to communicate. Since there are online translators that facilitate this. But always, thanks to God will be mad (romantic) who dares to write something no translator understanding (only men, for example detect the irony) and transform it into poetry. ” Also, from another aspect, yours and others like you, always will. At least for those who understand and enjoy the subtleties of art.
So what can i say?
I’m still here…
Hi Mario,
I think there will always be a demand for the kind of work you do. The more mass produced jewelry out there will only demonstrate the uniqueness of your work.
DEAR MARIO,
I AM A CIVIL ENGINEER AND IT’S BEEN NEARLY 30 YEARS (I KNOW “j” IN GERMAN IS READ “yote” BUT YEAR IS WRITTEN WITH “y”) SINCE I STARTED MAKING JEWELRY AS A HOBY. MOSTLY FOR MY WIFE AND SOME FOR MYSELF. I LEARNED MOSTLY FROM BOOKS AND ONE BOOK MOSTLY, METAL TECHNIQUES FOR CRATSMAN BY OPPI UNTRACHT. THE NAME MAY BE GERMAN. I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I SILVER SOLDERED AND SAW IT FLASH AND RUN I KNEW I WAS HOOKED. YOUR VIDIOS ARE MADE JUST GREAT. FROM THE STARTING SCREEN WITH OLD TOOLS TO THE MUSIC AND FILMING ALL DONE VERY NICELY. ENJOYED WATCHING THEM VERY MUCH.
ALL THE BEST TO YOU AND BEST WISHES. I KNOW THE QUALITY OF WORK YOU DO WILL ALWAYS BE IN DEMAND. HOW FAR IS YOUR TOWN FROM FRANKFORT AM MAIN, I MAY DROP BY AND SEE YOU NEXT TIME I’M IN GERMANY.
BEST
DARYOUSH
P.S. WHAT IS A LOCKSMITH HAMMER AS IT WAS NOTED IN YOUR TOOL LIST
Hello Daryoush!
Thank you for the kind words! I am very pleased about them.
It is so cool to hear about people, which enjoy the process of making jewelry.
The Locksmith Hammer: you can watch it here for example
ottofrei.com/store/product.php?productid=6027&cat=0&page=1
The terms may differ in different countries
The distance to Frankfurt is about 217 kilometers (air-line distance). Must be three and a half hours with a car.
All the best to you and yours!
Mario
HI MARIO;
I HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH YOU.
SINCE I RECEIVED YOUR EMAIL, I WATCHED YOUR FOUR PART SERIES ON MAKING A SS VIOLIN. IT WAS A PLEASURE TO SEE A MASTER AT WORK. NO WASTED MOTIONS WHILE YOU WORKED. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO POST THE REMAINING EPISODES?
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE PICTURES OF YOUR WORKSHOP, AND IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU COULD POST PICTURES OF YOUR TOOLS. I BELEIVE MOST OF YOUR TOOLS ARE GERMAN MADE. OR DO YOU ALSO SHOP OVER THE INTERNET?
I’LL BE ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN ALL THAT YOU CAN TEACH THE REST OF US. FOR CERTAIN A GERMAN EDUCATION IS CENTERED AROUND BEING EXACT IN ALL THAT YOU DO.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE I CAN EDIT YOUR ENGLISH TEXTS AS A FORM OF PARTIAL REPAYMENT.
BEST
DARYOUSH
Hello Daryoush!
)
I’m sorry for the late answer – had to do a bunch of work and set up a new forum on web (new entry – http://forum.goldschmiede-links.de/ – German language, sorry
The violin-project is putted on ice so far – at a studiobreaking the ratfinks took the original first violin i made with them. This will take some time to pursue.
Please feel free to correct my English where ever you’ll find mistakes – you are welcome with this!
And yes, most tools are made in Germany – but not all. I also own some tools from Glendo Corp. Emporia, KS They are very good and i like them a lot.
I hope i can post some pictures soon.
Best to you