Apparently I do a terrible job of keeping track of all our advancements. Even though I haven't finalized my writing about what we are doing to be Toxin Free and Conscious, I'm going to start posting up the little things to remind myself of what I've done.
Yesterday, I ordered our new Platinum polishing compound. It is a three stage compound of varying grit we put on the buffing wheel to give platinum the finest shine and polish. We used to use a highly toxic polishing compound made with aluminum oxide and animal tallow (the, um, other parts of animals that don't get eaten, gross). The new compound uses Alpha Alumina, a more stable form of Aluminum (which is still toxic), and bees wax as a binder.
This new compound has a much lower chance of entering the blood stream when inhaled as it is more stable than the aluminum oxide, which is a type of salt and easily enters the blood stream, even through the pores in our skin. Plus, it's nice knowing we're not using animal leftovers. Regardless, our polishing system is enclosed to prevent the inhalation of any dust which is harmful in and of itself.
Always trying,
Justinder
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Pushing Daisies - A tribute to Pandora
I had a customer who was with the studio before I decided to create the studio, was with me while I was in the beginning stages of its creation, and was sad when we were leaving.
Recently she had gone to many jewelry stores looking for a pendant of a cat. After many 'salesman' pitches, the same generic pieces, and lack of creativity from 'custom' jewelers, she sent me this following e-mail, she didn't know I had decided to keep the studio open:
"Justin,
I am really feeling the need for a new piece of jewelry. A yellow gold pendant to go on a rope chain. I like hearts and flowers, but I don’t want it to look too commercial. Looking for that unique piece I know you can create. Any ideas? I never thought I would miss your creativity so much, but I have been to several other jewelry stores and their selection is generic, their prices are too high and they don’t seem to care.
Please help,
Paige S."
We set up an appointment and today she came in. I have decided, with her permission, to share the creation process. First, the inspiration:
Paige's cat Pandora recently passed away. Pandora was a big part of Paige's life, her presence was comforting to Paige as she went through a difficult time. Paige had Pandora cremated and will be putting her in the flower bed. Paige always said the cat smelled like flowers, and now Pandora will litteraly be 'pushing daisies' and playing around the garden. Pandora had green eyes and liked to sleep a lot.
Now, the concept:
Daisy with cat pendant. Naturally shaped daisy, the size of a quarter, with naturally shaped and irregular petals, with checkerboard cut citrine center with vivid yellow bezel. Naturally shaped cat poking its head out of the side with green sapphire eyes and long whiskers which come outside the circumference of the design. 14k yellow and 14k palladium white gold. 22k plated center bezel. Hand fabricated.
The rough sketch:
I will continue to post photos and notes as we work through the fabrication process.
This is my first time sharing the intimacy of our process, thank you Paige for willing to share a beautiful facet of your heart!
With Everything,
Justinder
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Keep In Touch
A lot of people have been curious about how the jewelry industry can be so damaging to our earth and what we're doing to be environmentally and socially conscious. It has been a long and hard road of research, experimentation, trial and error, questions, seminars, and good old blood and sweat in establishing our methods and materials, but we are almost there! I will be writing about it shortly so stay tuned.
If you would like to keep in touch, please e-mail me at: abbeyjewelrystudio@gmail.com
and I will add you to my contacts (especially good for craft beer nights at the studio!)
With Everything,
Justinder
If you would like to keep in touch, please e-mail me at: abbeyjewelrystudio@gmail.com
and I will add you to my contacts (especially good for craft beer nights at the studio!)
With Everything,
Justinder
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Integrity in Metals
The world of metals has me pulling my hair from its roots. There are so many different alloys, mixtures, strengths, purities, properties, and toxicity variables that choosing the 'right' one is a painstaking and convoluted endeavor.
Recently looking into platinum, after foraging through hundreds of pages of journals, reports, tests, articles, and personal experiences, I thought I had stumbled upon a good safe alloy in 95% Platinum 5% Ruthenium mix, only to find an obscure article by Jurgen Maerz (the godfather of platinum-smithing), which I am sure 99.999999% of jewelers don't even know exists, where he states that when exposed to the oxygen during heating will form Ruthenium Oxide which is not only toxic to humans, it creates a mutagen that will attack and change the DNA structure of our cells! Ruthenium in the blood stream mimics Iron, and our bodies will naturally bond it to our cells, and most prominently in our bones and bone marrow where it will remain for the remainder of our lifetimes.
'All ruthenium compounds should be regarded as highly toxic and as carcinogenic. Compounds of ruthenium stain the skin very strongly. It seems that ingested ruthenium is retained strongly in bones. Ruthenium oxide, RuO4, is highly toxic and volatile, and to be avoided.' http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/ru.htm)
Recently looking into platinum, after foraging through hundreds of pages of journals, reports, tests, articles, and personal experiences, I thought I had stumbled upon a good safe alloy in 95% Platinum 5% Ruthenium mix, only to find an obscure article by Jurgen Maerz (the godfather of platinum-smithing), which I am sure 99.999999% of jewelers don't even know exists, where he states that when exposed to the oxygen during heating will form Ruthenium Oxide which is not only toxic to humans, it creates a mutagen that will attack and change the DNA structure of our cells! Ruthenium in the blood stream mimics Iron, and our bodies will naturally bond it to our cells, and most prominently in our bones and bone marrow where it will remain for the remainder of our lifetimes.
'All ruthenium compounds should be regarded as highly toxic and as carcinogenic. Compounds of ruthenium stain the skin very strongly. It seems that ingested ruthenium is retained strongly in bones. Ruthenium oxide, RuO4, is highly toxic and volatile, and to be avoided.' http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/ru.htm)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
We are not a Luxury jeweler, we are a Quality jeweler
The Abbey is not a luxury jeweler, in fact the Abbey doesn't even exist to sell jewelry.
For some reason, the greatest aspiration of many jewelry stores is to become a 'Luxury' jeweler; a jeweler of the stars, the rich and famous, people who know people. I see it everywhere. In store ads, brands, magazines, even the type of jewelry products being pushed to be consumed. There are all sorts of ranges of luxury jewelry out there: in watches you have a range from Gigantto to Rolex to Patek Philippe, and everything in between from every 'Luxury' purveyor in the world out there: Louis Vuitton, Prada, Mont Blanc, even Juicy Couture. I see the term popping up in the mall jewelers, big jewelers, even the small mom and pop jewelers. Luxury has become all consuming in our culture, and quite frankly it makes me feel queasy.
Our society has placed such a high level of importance on luxury that life for many have transferred the focus of their lives from living to acquiring, the more the luxurious the better. No longer is luxury the icing on the cake of life, the people who market and profit from it want a bowl of icing to be eaten three times a day, and they have the audacity to call it a balanced meal.
The Abbey is not a luxury jeweler. I did not create the Abbey to sell jewelry. That's right, I will repeat that again so it will echo forever and be ingrained within the very foundation of the soul of the Abbey: We are not a luxury jeweler and we are not here to sell jewelry.
The Abbey exists to give life. To create, to love, to capture within metal and stones the essence life. Love taught me the greatest virtue achievable in this life is compassion: in which the suffering of others drives and gives an active desire to alleviate it.
For some reason, the greatest aspiration of many jewelry stores is to become a 'Luxury' jeweler; a jeweler of the stars, the rich and famous, people who know people. I see it everywhere. In store ads, brands, magazines, even the type of jewelry products being pushed to be consumed. There are all sorts of ranges of luxury jewelry out there: in watches you have a range from Gigantto to Rolex to Patek Philippe, and everything in between from every 'Luxury' purveyor in the world out there: Louis Vuitton, Prada, Mont Blanc, even Juicy Couture. I see the term popping up in the mall jewelers, big jewelers, even the small mom and pop jewelers. Luxury has become all consuming in our culture, and quite frankly it makes me feel queasy.
Our society has placed such a high level of importance on luxury that life for many have transferred the focus of their lives from living to acquiring, the more the luxurious the better. No longer is luxury the icing on the cake of life, the people who market and profit from it want a bowl of icing to be eaten three times a day, and they have the audacity to call it a balanced meal.
The Abbey is not a luxury jeweler. I did not create the Abbey to sell jewelry. That's right, I will repeat that again so it will echo forever and be ingrained within the very foundation of the soul of the Abbey: We are not a luxury jeweler and we are not here to sell jewelry.
The Abbey exists to give life. To create, to love, to capture within metal and stones the essence life. Love taught me the greatest virtue achievable in this life is compassion: in which the suffering of others drives and gives an active desire to alleviate it.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Staying True
Every day of the Abbey lately has been intricately unique and delicate, a snowflake falling in the muted silence of a snow covered forest. The thoughts of building the studio, the Abbey, would be gone, melted away if not built one atop the other. So it has been for the past several months, the days have kept coming, and almost unobserved the Abbeys creation has continued to build upon itself until I look around me and find myself looking upon a fresh landscape.
For a while it seemed the Abbey might disappear, be lost as I searched for a life outside the stifling generally consumerist and self centered confines of Orange County. I had a buyer lined up, my assets sold and all Love and I's remaining belongings in boxes. The Abbey seemed to be coming to a close as I knew it.
Yet, it didn't. There was a sense that it was not right, no matter how bitter the taste in my mouth of staying; leaving will be wrong. There is goodness and ability within these walls, leaving would see everything Love and I had worked hard for vaporize in my own selfish desire to find a community that I feel comfortable in. It would be wrong to take what is already so rare in these parts, a place to take jewelry where anyone can leave it in trusted hands knowing it will be well tended and loved, with skillful fingers and hearts of integrity, away. No, to leave is wrong, for it is the sick who need a doctor.
I will stand true to the Abbey. For there are good people here, people who want more than wanton consumption of the resources, earthly and spiritual, around them. I will bring a truly environmentally, socially, and personally conscious jewelry studio into this world, and I will do it in the very place that lives and breathes the poison that drove me to this cure.
With a fresh meaning to Everything,
Justinder
Photo by Justinder Singh - Scotland 11/2010
For a while it seemed the Abbey might disappear, be lost as I searched for a life outside the stifling generally consumerist and self centered confines of Orange County. I had a buyer lined up, my assets sold and all Love and I's remaining belongings in boxes. The Abbey seemed to be coming to a close as I knew it.
Yet, it didn't. There was a sense that it was not right, no matter how bitter the taste in my mouth of staying; leaving will be wrong. There is goodness and ability within these walls, leaving would see everything Love and I had worked hard for vaporize in my own selfish desire to find a community that I feel comfortable in. It would be wrong to take what is already so rare in these parts, a place to take jewelry where anyone can leave it in trusted hands knowing it will be well tended and loved, with skillful fingers and hearts of integrity, away. No, to leave is wrong, for it is the sick who need a doctor.
I will stand true to the Abbey. For there are good people here, people who want more than wanton consumption of the resources, earthly and spiritual, around them. I will bring a truly environmentally, socially, and personally conscious jewelry studio into this world, and I will do it in the very place that lives and breathes the poison that drove me to this cure.
With a fresh meaning to Everything,
Justinder
Photo by Justinder Singh - Scotland 11/2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Quality and Integrity in Jewelry
What is quality? Where is it? Why does it matter? So many people in the jewelry industry talk about quality; high quality, low quality, quality jeweler, quality diamonds, quality gemstones, quality repairs, fine jewelry and on an on. Half the advertisements I see for jewelry stores talk about quality, in fact most stores say they are the highest quality or carry the highest quality. What does all this mean?
After seeing and hearing 'quality' traipsed around the jewelry industry since I can remember (which must be a long time ago because the first time I was behind a jewelry store counter I was 2 weeks old) the word 'quality' completely lost its meaning. How can every other jewelry store be the highest quality when the term stands not for the common but the standouts?
This idea of quality played constantly in my mind as I was developing the concept for the Abbey. I wanted the studio to be good, and the word quality kept coming into my mind as I wanted to define what goodness was (I hate empty and meaningless descriptions). When I went to look up what quality meant, I was engulfed. There are just as many descriptions of the word as there are advertisements that use it. I knew there had to be more.
I decided to read 'Zen and Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' by Robert Pirsig again as the book is devoted to the philosophical exploration of quality as undefinable. It truly is, quality is a part of everything yet it cannot be separated from what is being analyzed for quality. Everything has its own quality. Yet how can quality not exist on its own? I can look at a piece of jewelry and say it is quality or not, I can definitely feel the quality. Another person could look at the same piece and notice if it had quality or not as well. I was stumped.
The breakthrough came when I sat down with a good philosopher friend to discuss it, and he told me I was on the wrong path. Quality can be anything, so you can't get to it. He said I have to discover where it comes from. Quality doesn't exist in what we are observing, quality is merely the reflection of what it was that created it. This was brilliant! This is why it was so difficult to describe and it could have an infinite number of definitions at the same time.
Quality is the reflection of what created it. How is this important to jewelry? Because everything we put into what we do is what we get out of it. When I see true jewelry of quality, it is because a lot of thought and care went into creating it that way. This is the difference between a one of a kind Harry Winston piece made with exquisite attention to detail and a piece from the local jewelry mart that was made in a sweatshop in China. Somebody cared about making the Harry Winston piece, whereas a sweatshop piece was created with the desire for money. A big difference that can actually be perceived even in a writing.
Quality is the reflection of the people who create the jewelry. It is a reflection of their skill, their craft, their knowledge and thoughts while working on it, it is a reflection of their souls and very essence. I realized that to create good quality jewelry, we must first be the goodness we want to put into it. To improve the jewelry, I had to improve myself and my team.
Thus, integrity became all encompassing for me. Integrity is the sum of who we are. It is our hearts, what we care about. It is our minds, what we think about. It is our hands, what we do with what we know and what we care about.
With Everything.
Justinder
Photo by Justinder Singh
After seeing and hearing 'quality' traipsed around the jewelry industry since I can remember (which must be a long time ago because the first time I was behind a jewelry store counter I was 2 weeks old) the word 'quality' completely lost its meaning. How can every other jewelry store be the highest quality when the term stands not for the common but the standouts?
This idea of quality played constantly in my mind as I was developing the concept for the Abbey. I wanted the studio to be good, and the word quality kept coming into my mind as I wanted to define what goodness was (I hate empty and meaningless descriptions). When I went to look up what quality meant, I was engulfed. There are just as many descriptions of the word as there are advertisements that use it. I knew there had to be more.
I decided to read 'Zen and Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' by Robert Pirsig again as the book is devoted to the philosophical exploration of quality as undefinable. It truly is, quality is a part of everything yet it cannot be separated from what is being analyzed for quality. Everything has its own quality. Yet how can quality not exist on its own? I can look at a piece of jewelry and say it is quality or not, I can definitely feel the quality. Another person could look at the same piece and notice if it had quality or not as well. I was stumped.
The breakthrough came when I sat down with a good philosopher friend to discuss it, and he told me I was on the wrong path. Quality can be anything, so you can't get to it. He said I have to discover where it comes from. Quality doesn't exist in what we are observing, quality is merely the reflection of what it was that created it. This was brilliant! This is why it was so difficult to describe and it could have an infinite number of definitions at the same time.
Quality is the reflection of what created it. How is this important to jewelry? Because everything we put into what we do is what we get out of it. When I see true jewelry of quality, it is because a lot of thought and care went into creating it that way. This is the difference between a one of a kind Harry Winston piece made with exquisite attention to detail and a piece from the local jewelry mart that was made in a sweatshop in China. Somebody cared about making the Harry Winston piece, whereas a sweatshop piece was created with the desire for money. A big difference that can actually be perceived even in a writing.
Quality is the reflection of the people who create the jewelry. It is a reflection of their skill, their craft, their knowledge and thoughts while working on it, it is a reflection of their souls and very essence. I realized that to create good quality jewelry, we must first be the goodness we want to put into it. To improve the jewelry, I had to improve myself and my team.
Thus, integrity became all encompassing for me. Integrity is the sum of who we are. It is our hearts, what we care about. It is our minds, what we think about. It is our hands, what we do with what we know and what we care about.
With Everything.
Justinder
Photo by Justinder Singh
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