Custom Creation vs. Mass Manufacturing (Part 2)
Jake FoxShare
In part one, we talked about the economy of scale: How companies making hundreds or thousands of the same piece stand to benefit greatly by making lighter-weight and lower-quality pieces since every dollar saved gets multiplied by the number of copies being made.
Here, we'll look at another manufacturing technique commonly used to save money.
Stone-in-place, or "cast-in-place" jewelry is a process which involves setting diamonds directly into a wax model, and then casting the metal around them.
This process actually requires much lighter-weight settings in order to work properly without damaging the stones, which means you are automatically reducing the sturdiness of the metal.
Often, this means supportive walls are replaced by networks of thin and fragile wire-work.
Often, this means supportive walls are replaced by networks of thin and fragile wire-work.
In addition to offering less stability, this process can make such pieces difficult or even impossible to properly repair in the future.
Cast-in-place jewelry greatly reduces the time that a jeweler will spend with each piece, and greatly lowers the need for skilled artists. When done properly, cast-in-place pieces can result in a ring that is decently made and can be worn and enjoyed, but even then they will never be comparable to true finely crafted pieces.
J. Fox Custom is proud to say that each and every diamond and gemstone in our jewelry is set by hand. We take the time to measure and inspect every stone we use, and design each piece of jewelry with their unique requirements in mind.
Each piece is set and finished in the USA by highly trained and experienced jewelers.