metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Sept 29, 2016 12:33:27 GMT -5
The good lady would like a new wedding ring. Her existing one won't resize without compromising its shape, which she loves. The price of gold is currently £32,750 / kg yet the price of a cast gold wedding ring (from my supplier!) calculated out as £111,000 kg. Judging by the weight they're hollow-cast. I'm aghast, it seems you pay more for the privilege of not using so much metal! E.g - they charge you more and give you less. Further to my refusal to pay such extortionate charges, I'm charged with making one. However the good lady won't be happy unless it meet her exacting criteria. This ring has to be perfect and profiled just how she likes. Not that she's fussy, but a WR will be worn day in day out. Before I'm allowed to fetch the yellow stuff, a mock up in silver was required. 3.5mm D-profile wire formed to a perfect join and then hand-filed to the required profile. Fine polished. Seemed to meet with approval. I have the go-ahead. (Oh and I found / cut the staging too)!
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,438
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Post by NDK on Sept 29, 2016 13:24:57 GMT -5
Interesting pricing info.
Nice job on the ring. Hard to hide imperfections in a simple band.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Sept 29, 2016 18:10:41 GMT -5
looks good. what gauge is that D-shaped wire?
Chuck
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icatz
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2015
Posts: 453
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Post by icatz on Sept 30, 2016 5:35:08 GMT -5
That's one hell of a markup. Of course, your supplier didn't get the gold at £32,750 / kg, either. He paid a markup, as did all the ppl involved with the gold before him. Can you melt your own? Is mercury still involved? (Living in the dark ages, I am.) Anyway, i think plain bands are lovely but yes they're a lot of work to make perfect with no blemishes.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Sept 30, 2016 12:52:48 GMT -5
That's one hell of a markup. Of course, your supplier didn't get the gold at £32,750 / kg, either. He paid a markup, as did all the ppl involved with the gold before him. Can you melt your own? Is mercury still involved? (Living in the dark ages, I am.) Anyway, i think plain bands are lovely but yes they're a lot of work to make perfect with no blemishes. The parent company is Heimerle & Meule (German); they sell 1oz fine gold at 1,270 Euro where the spot price is 1,170 ($1315) so as they must be making something on that, they must be buying very close to base-price. No, mercury isn't involved in smelting gold and I could just about do it. I could probably make my own, the thing is to draw down the ingot to size would need more gold than you'd use. Yes, it would keep / re-use but sometimes there's economy in getting what you need for the job. There's £85 of 9ct or £221 of 18ct in a ring like that 4x2mm D-profile - approx half of AWG 6. These bars look to be very good value, if I had that kind of money lying around (and wasn't in the market for a facetter) ...
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Sept 30, 2016 12:54:01 GMT -5
looks good. what gauge is that D-shaped wire? Chuck Approx AWG 6, but that would be round - this is D-profile. Thanks for looking & commenting.
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