Jewelry design and Copyright

I read an article in JCK which got me thinking...as I felt inspired to comment there I wanted to share my response with you all here as well.The article discussed how new technology is making it easier and easier to copy a design and reproduce it....here are a few of my thoughts on the challenge this presents us designers...;-)
Of course, I agree that there is no replacing a good finish and technique but too often I am afraid the value of the earliest moments of conception can be dramatically overlooked. The price tag wins out with the majority of people and they don't even think of a knock off as "copyright" infringement ... This was proven to me recently at our custom jewelry shop ...I was speaking with a writer who had visited and I noticed the ring she was wearing as the design was recognizable. I asked if she got it from the jeweler I knew it from. She said she took their ad to a jeweler in Ny and had the design copied...
Later in her visit, I was giving her demonstrations on technique.Upon demonstrating the setting of a bezel... She commented my quality was better and that she should have brought the image to me to copy . I politely replied..." I would have refused". She was confused by this so I further explained that it would be copyright infringement and that our biggest concern is that happening to us. Therefore I refuse to copy any image brought in... I will be inspired by it but not copy it.  You would think a writer working in the world of plagiarism would get this more than most... Unfortunately it is a small handful of people who even understand that creative minds and hands craft jewelry, not machines. It isn't thought of for the art form rather as an object for adornment . So it becomes each of our charge to respect each others property and educate the consumer. As for these giant companies knocking off all the truly great designers... Well at least we can fall back on unique and well crafted designs to keep us small custom shops going . That combined with a true passion for designing and creating will hopefully generate an appreciation from the consumer for the magic that happens on the Jewelers bench ,beginning with the design and ending with their treasure.
So in conclusion I present challenges... To the wearer look at the life of the jewelry you buy... great design and quality come from someones hands whether it is a factory in china knocking off designs or the custom jeweler down the street. To the makers...it's up to you to refuse to copy another design . In this economy lost sales are challenging but unique design is to be treasured . Afterall technology is a great blessing to each of us when used properly . Have an inspired day!

You can read JCK's article here.

Thoughts on Creative Life and "Worry" ....

A good friend and talented artist brought up a challenge tonight she and I obviously share... The challenge of worry. I can absolutely relate. Good or bad... I worry. I'm not sure why but it seems the older I have become , the more this has begun to be a constant part of my life. Bizarrely, It seems that the more successful we have become, the more I worry. This strange place I am in now (having my business shut down by the storm) has been an odd form of momentary relief. I think maybe because for once in a long time, I had no choice. I have been sent to a place of merely reacting . I didn't have the typical ability to think and choose this moment. It was out of my hands and in the beginning that totally FREAKED me out. When we were younger in our Oregon studio days, we just went with the flow. I never lost sleep over life and decisions. I seem to be more like that with this storm and our recovery from it at least during my strongest moments. I am appreciating little moments of time and the gift of change. However, I notice as we regain our footing the worry is already creeping back in. Human's are resilient and we see this most through truly challenging moments. The "comfort zone" is a whole other challenge to be met. Is it that we have further to fall, more to lose, and bigger decisions to make that cause us to worry more as we better establish our lives and world? This I am not sure of. I do know however strange it sounds that I have enjoyed the relief of this tragic moment. The forced stop and the opportunity to reevaluate. I am learning to again react from my gut rather than my head. I have discovered that it is the pure belief that universally we ARE being taken care of that carries me. It is the same blind faith that carried me in the earliest days of creating in my studio. I am striving to trust that it will all work out and reconnecting with my "younger" self. Now, may I just stay in that carefree place as I rebuild my world. After all, the greatest success will be when we can enjoy the gift of our creative lives without the shadow of concern.

This is a little glimpse of our shop before and after the Hurricane Irene ...

Phoenix Rising....

Exactly one month has past since the day I pulled out of town on an evacuation route to avoid the path of Hurricane Irene. Completely for the amusement of a "hurrication" as I had dubbed the trip to Asheboro , NC. I have grown up in the path of many a storm and have never untill now been touched by one truly.
     The phoenix is a mythical bird with a colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet. Near the end of it's life it builds itself a nest of twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again.... Which is precisely what we plan to do.
This month has been a surreal path. From an adventure to escape a storm I never thought would hurt, to the reality of our studio and gallery's momentary destruction a day later.
I was reminded of the days we bagan in this little old farmhouse as I walked into our flooded gallery. Fourteen years of renovating and building our world and one day of water had washed so much away in the physical since.
As we disassembled our soggy world, I was faced with an inner struggle. In the blink of an eye everything had changed. Tragedy finds each of us eventually in life. I think I knew this all to well as I faced the most tragic of events as a child upon losing my sister to drowning. In recent years, I have felt this fear growing within me... when will it be my turn. When will the universe take control and rip that carpet from underneath my comfortable feet.
     So here I am ... in the wake of this storm literally.
Comforted in the safety of my loved ones and the embrace of my home. My great loss ... the momentary interruption of the business we have poured our hearts into for the past 14 years or at least the building which housed it.
The first thought as I wiped the tears, how will we ever get through this... how will we survive?
The second thought... like a phoenix we will rise and be reborn.This moment is life's oppurtunity to evolve into a greater and stronger form of ourselves.I began with my first jewelry creation since the storm which brings me strength now as I wear it ...Phoenix rising from the water engraved in silver and set with 18k and a diamond accent. Only the beginning of more great things to come including my latest series of jewelry inspired by this piece.
I look forward to showing each of you the rebuilding of our creative world....Kathryn Holton Stewart :-)

Engraving Inspired

Latest Inspired Design

Do you know what is so truly fascinating about our internet driven world? The fact that a person like myself can start my Sunday chatting with masterful artists around the world via video and watch them work.
Our meeting ground....Steve Lindsey's Engraving Forum. It is an excellent forum of the world's engraving talent and an excellent place for a budding engraver like myself to pick up tips and tricks from the world's best.
I signed up for an observation opportunity observe the engraving of a side plate by Roland Baptiste Engraveur.

This is the Side plate I am observing Roland Baptiste engraving

Literally,I get to look at Roland's graver block as he engraves. Observation and practise are after all two of the most important things when mastering engraving. 
    As I observed his work , I chatted with another engraver/jeweler in Belgium and an engraver in London. To  be able to connect with artists in my field all over the world is a rare oppurtunity and definately a blessing to this new age. So, as I made my cinnamon rolls and drank my coffee, I watched his engraving unfold. 
How inspiring!  
After breakfast with the engraver's of the world.... full on inspiration I headed to my graver ball. From observation to inspiration and to complete the circle....Practice.
I decided to spend the rest of the day engraving. Practicing what I had seen. I started working on a flat Silver Disk. The first of a new series of creations in which I start with an Engraving Practise plate and end with a finished piece of jewelry.Please enjoy as the Scroll and design of this piece unfolds.

Layout and cut outlines

Shade cut , recess background,
dap circle and add Gold edge

Final stage is creating the jewelry from my engraving
I decide to add a Gold Detailed Bail with a
 Tori Gate inspired Design

Finally, I Polish the Design to add the Final Touch.

 Final Design which is crafted in
Sterling Silver and 14 K Yellow Gold
by Kathryn Stewart

Our Studio....

 For the past couple of days, we have paused the creating for a moment to enter into an amazing phase of reorganizing our studio. As I mentioned a few posts back , it is crazy how many bits and pieces that collect in a goldsmithing shop after thirteen years of making things there. Time for a deep clean. I didn't want this pause in creating to pause my blog writing so I will give you a tour of our newly organized studio and introduce you to some of our favorite tools. Enjoy the tour!

This is our Studio assistant
,Jimmie Lee and he is siked
on his newly
organized desk ...Now he is
ready for the challenges we will
be throwing his way.....
"One more thing"as I like to say. 

Although I prefer Hand Engraving
 occasionally the job and budget
call for a Machine. That
is when we turn to our
Signature Engraver...

My Favorite Bench because my
 grandfather sat at it for 50 years,
he was a watchmaker and
I love the feeling of this bench.

This is our CAD Design
Center where we use Matrix and my
awesomely talented husband,
Ben Stewart

Our Revo B CAM Machine
We are able to create a
3D Representation of the pieces
We design. Very handy for
our Custom Design Work. 

This is our forging area..
I am planning to redress
our big anvil finally...
I have had it since 1992,
Got it at a yard sale for $25....Score:)

This is our
Bonny Doon Press which
we need to use more often,
I think I will do a blog project
withit soon to get myself to
better explore the possibilities.:)

Forging, Soldering , and "Sfen"our
Dursten Rolling Mill circa
 1995.Sfen was our
first big tool after we left school.
Lots of tapers have been made
since then thanks to Sfen...:)

And this is me,
 Kathryn Holton Stewart
 and my oh so stylish
eyeware, my Obrira Binoculars.
They give me the superpower
of microscopic vision...very handy.

and this is my bench,
designed and crafted by
 Rob Durham.
There is style and strength in the
 wood work and lots of drawers.

You can see some of my favorite

 tools, my GRS Graverball,

 Acrobat microscope stand,

 Lindsey Engraver, and
my RinGenie

"There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other."
---Douglas Everett

And this is what Our studio is ,  a dream reality that  inspires me to create everday....

Have an inspired day!

Stream of Conscious

  





Sketching helps inspire the mind



Today as I approached the table of many parts,I was beckoned by these lovely little sterling leaf shapes and some silver wire which had been partially forged. They were asking for completion and I was in the mood for a stream of conscious creative session. One of those days where I throw the rigidity of predestined design rules out the window and rely on technique and instinct.

Once I have selected my pieces, I begin with sketching to get the creative juices flowing. My intention is not to make these sketches (at least not today) but

forging the silver to evolve it's shape

to get my mind working in a general direction to take my pendants in today. Keep in mind my goal...no particular design.




Polishing and cleaning

        Feeling inspired, I begin to work.This is the Stream of Conscious part...much like the writing assignment we all know from grade school. My goal is just keep moving and don't over think it . Let the pieces become something as I loosely guide them through the techniques...

Soldering for assembly



Setting the Gemstones of my choice

 Forging, filing , polishing, soldering,and setting... my pieces begin to evolve into beautifully sculptural little pendants. At first I thought more leaf inspired but as I am working on them they start to make me think of different things. One becomes an undersea shell and the creature that would hide inside is creeping out while no one is looking. Another is a seed pod. That is the fun of this exercise. During this inspired challenge my mind gets to rest. It's like daydreaming while being productive.My mind wanders as my hands travel the paths they have a million times before. At the end of the day, I set my stones and am pleased to introduce 6 totally unexpected designs to you .

I hope you enjoy this post and in turn find what inspires you today!





Pulling it out from under the Mattress...so to speak.

I headed to the table yesterday and was greeted by 2 ring blanks screaming to be completed. After all, we originally casted them in 2002. Unbelievable right? Especially considering they were in 14K yellow Gold. You would have thought we'd have used them by now. The good news is...when we originally cast them the gold market was $310 . So we tucked them under our mattress so to speak and they have since quadrupled their value before I even begin. The even better news......I have improved my skills in engraving so much I can really make something of them now.The perfect Blank canvas ready to be primed and painted 



For more of the steps involed hit the play button below....



 Step one is to clean the blanks.When I found them, they were so old they hardly look like gold and they actually are from the days when we hand carved every wax. So I sand and polish my blanks to a nice clean surface.I find no matter the finish you want in the end...a perfect polish is the best ground to stand on .

I decide as I am polishing that one is calling for a classic wheatleaf design and three bead set diamonds on top.

Step two is to focus in on the wheatleaf. I love this patterns.The fascinating part of engraving is that the right pattern of the right cuts can create these natural leaf shapes. press play to enjoy the steps here... 

 Step three is to bead set the diamonds. Challenge... I always lean on my talented husband here. He is our masterful stonesetter but as busy as it gets around here It's time I learn so this will be my first bead set.

1: Mark and drill pilot hole

2: Open hole with a bud bur to fit diamond

3: Create seat with setting bur

4: Cut Beads with Round graver and anglet

5:Push Beads over with Round Graver, clean up seat to fit

6: Bead with beading tool

7: Bright cut and your done

<>

For more of the steps involed please hit the play button



Today is a good day...I learned something completely new! Now to finish, I engrave the sides with a cool little beaded and leaf pattern to change it up a bit. I hope you enjoyed this project as much as I enjoyed creating i.I definately look forward to showing you where I take ring blank #2.OneHint....It's definately gonna have  some bead sets in the design....

Thanks for enjoying this post!

Kathryn Holton Stewart



I Did it!!!! That was so very satisfying, I always want to set diamonds
 into my patterns.....now I can!