Gems TV

JEWELLERY MAKING

The GemsTV jewellery workshop accommodates all aspects of both silver (925 Sterling) and gold (9K, 14K and 18K) handcrafted jewellery creation, including gem faceting, gem matching, design conceptualization, master model construction, wax injection, casting, jewellers (pre-finishing), gem setting, polishing and plating, and quality assurance.

Gem cutting and gem matching

Completely reliant on the eyes and hands of skilled professionals, expert faceting and matching for size and colour is critical in ensuring that the key ingredients in a gorgeous handcrafted piece of jewellery, the gems themselves, really shine! Before being set in jewellery, qualified professionals carefully examine each gem, separating them according to their clarity, colour, cut and carat weight. With satisfaction as our highest priority, GemsTV invests tremendous effort towards ensuring that only the highest quality gems are perfectly matched before being set into a stunning array of handcrafted jewellery designs.

Jewellery design

Jewellery design is both an art and surprisingly, a science. Inspiration and ideas come from the most unexpected sources. With a rich and varied colour palette, using both hand-drawn and computer-aided design, our design team imagines stunning jewellery creations to complement our gemstones.

Our jewellery design team regularly travels the world’s major jewellery markets in Asia, Europe and the US to stay abreast of the latest design and fashion trends. GemsTV has the expertise and flexibility to design high quality contemporary jewellery that is current with the latest European, global and Hollywood fashions, as well as timeless pieces that embody classic design. Keeping you at the forefront of fashion, style and beauty, in November 2006 GemsTV was delighted to have one of our rings featured in British Vogue.

Working hand in hand with our master model makers and jewellers, our design team ensures that their creations are realised exactly how they were imagined. GemsTV has over 13,000 existing designs and creates over 70 new designs every day.

Handmade jewellery

For smaller quantities, the jeweller literally starts with an amount of gold and then cuts, shapes, heats and stretches it into the final jewellery. For larger quantities, we make an original masterpiece and then cast the required quantity of pieces from the master, finishing them all by hand.

Many of the handcrafted pieces start from gold bars or grains. The jewellers are given the correct amount for the design and then alloy is added to create 9K, 14K or 18K gold. The first step is to soften the gold to make it easier to craft. To do this, the jeweller uses an atmosphere control melter to heat the gold to a temperature of 1,025°C.

For some designs, rather than starting with nuggets of gold, the jeweller starts with a length of gold that is already shaped into a round rod. The equipment we use to stretch the gold to the correct thickness is traditional and the skills have been passed on through many generations. Once the gold has been heated and cut into a rough state, the jeweller then starts to shape the body of the ring. This art is fascinating to watch, as within minutes you see a flat piece of gold transformed into jewellery by artisans whose only tools are their hammers and a wealth of experience.

Master model construction

When handcrafting larger quantities, we use a wax moulding technique to construct the first step of the ring. The master model making workshop comprises two sections - silver model makers and wax carvers. Their expertise is diverse and includes everything from simple prong set and lightweight gemstone jewellery designs to artistically crafted masterpieces. These craftspeople are of critical importance, as their ability to turn a one-dimensional drawing into a three-dimensional master model is vital in ensuring that the finished jewellery exceeds all expectations. As with the old carpenter’s adage, measure twice cut once, all our master models must be exactingly precise, as any mistakes at this stage are going to appear in the finished jewellery.

Our designers, model makers and jewellery teams work closely together to ensure the very best results are achieved.

Wax injection

The wax injection department comprises four sections: rubber mould making, wax injection, quality control and repair, and wax tree preparation. While the wax injection team carefully works with pre-set wax injection machines, the rubber mould makers understand the importance of correctly prepared rubber moulds for improved wax injection. The quality control team ensures wax pieces are cleaned and in a proper condition for casting.

While all this sounds very complicated, the handcrafting process is actually very simple. From a drawing we produce either a silver or wax master model. Once we have a master model, we make a mould of this using rubber. We then use these rubber moulds to make multiple wax copies and these are then checked to ensure they are perfect. Remember, each of these will be a piece of handcrafted jewellery after casting - any mistakes here will show up in the finished design. Next, individual wax moulds are affixed to a wax tree ready for casting.

Casting

At the GemsTV jewellery workshop, the casting room includes the complete array of equipment for handcrafting jewellery, including investment preparation facilities, curing ovens, vacuum casting, a high water pressure investment cleaning area and wastewater disposal facilities. With the right experts controlling this process, the very best results are achieved ensuring minimal complications for other processes later on. Again, like wax injection, the process itself is actually very simple. We simply put the tree of wax moulds in a cylinder, pour in ceramic cement (investment powder), heat up the cylinders until the wax melts out, pour in the gold or silver in a vacuum to ensure every crevice is filled, wait till the metal sets, crack and clean away the ceramic cement and our handcrafted jewellery is then well on its way to taking shape.

Jewellers (pre-finishing)

Once removed from the casting tree, the pieces of jewellery, while starting to take shape, have a while to go before they look like the gorgeous handcrafted creations you see on GemsTV. Our jewellers carefully prepare and assemble the jewellery components ready for gem setting, all the while understanding the finishing needs for each individual design. In the case of bracelet assembly, the components are all assembled by hand with the only high technology employed being laser welding for superior strength. As with all stages involved in handcrafting jewellery, an embedded quality control team approves every handcrafted piece before they are transferred to the next stage.

Gem setting

The gem setting team employs carefully selected gem-setters with abilities in both quality and quantity setting; true craftsmen and women, they handset an average of 150 gemstones per day per person. GemsTV has successfully produced a multitude of handcrafted jewellery designs featuring a wide variety of gemstones. Having a proven record with gemstone setting, GemsTV continuously ensures that the highest quality standards are met, while breaking new ground in both the types of setting and the gems within them.

Polishing and plating

At the polishing stage, we ensure that the best shine and finish are achieved but not at the expense of essential design details. This is done by carefully separating individual polishing needs. When plating is required, plating specialists apply a carefully calculated formula of rhodium or gold plating with an emphasis on both colour and brightness.

Quality assurance

Quality assurance at the GemsTV jewellery workshop encompasses two areas. The first being quality control teams that check each step of the handcrafting process and secondly, the final quality assurance after polishing. The successful implementation of quality control teams has helped minimise and eliminate problems and plays a key role in maximizing the quality of our handcrafted jewellery. The final product approval is done by quality assurance professionals with years of experience in the creation of high quality handcrafted jewellery. By working closely with quality control teams embedded in each department, they ensure quality standards always exceed expectations. This method ensures that suggestions and improvements are easily implemented throughout the creation of our handcrafted jewellery, where and whenever required.

Corporate citizenship

Employing over 1,500 people in Thailand, our working conditions are equal to or better than those of Western manufacturers. For those who have visited Thailand, you will know that it is the land of smiles. The smiles in our workshop are there for three good reasons: the working environment is of a high standard, the pay is good, and most importantly, the whole team is free to express themselves through the jewellery they create.

Fully realizing that education is critical to sustainable growth, GemsTV in co-operation with the Vocational Education Commission, Thai Ministry of Education, launched the Institute of Jewellery Technology Chanthaburi in July, 2007. Open to anyone between the ages of 18-25, GemsTV subsidise all tuition fees, materials and equipment. All lessons follow a practical curriculum designed to adequately prepare students for the workplace and is taught by experienced Thai and international teachers using state-of-the-art jewellery production technology. The Institute teaches all processes related to the modern handcrafting of jewellery including jewellery design, master model construction, casting, gem setting, polishing and plating. Committed to maintaining the highest international standards of jewellery education, the Institute of Jewellery Technology Chanthaburi plans to graduate in excess of 240 new jewellers annually, all of whom will possess the necessary skills and expertise not only to compete domestically, but also abroad.