Mokume Gane raw material for sale

Folks, I thought it was about time I started selling sheets of Mokume gane to any one wanting to work in this wonderfull material but hasn’t got the time or equipment to do so.

I will be making standard patters all in silver and copper and can make special paterns to customer request. Cooksons metal re selling mokume at a staggering price, mine wont be as expensive but will be every bit equal in quality.

If your interested in what I’ll be making please drop me a line at rystnupsn78@hotmail.com

Royston

Royston Upson the Mokume Gane goldsmith on youtube.com

The Mokume Gane goldsmith comes to Guildford, again!

Last years show didn’t happen, but a year later and wiser it’s a 100% go ahead this year.

I will be showing my wears alongside 5 other artists here in Guildford Surrey, in the United Kingdom.

Running from Sunday 20th March to April 2nd, totaling 2  weeks at the Harvey Gallery http://www.harveygallery.co.uk/

Myself , Dami Maimone (photographer) Kate peters (Photogropher) Stephanie Millin (painter) Lenka Medlik (painter) Cliff Lee (printer, painter) So if your in the Uk and want to see 6 artists of very unique artistic backgrounds come along and see us.

Hay, if any one travels overseas (outside the UK) to come and see me, I’ll personally give you one of my hand-made items of jewellery.

Rosyton

At last you tube has the Mokume Gane Goldsmith

With my attention being taken up of late with the new business venture I thought It was about time I brought myself back down to earth and remind myself that I am a goldsmith. So with some video editing software a life time of patience and a glass or to of rum later my first Mokume Gane you tube video was born. I have to say it’s not brilliant and I forgot to end/fade the song but it puts the message across. Enjoy.

  

Remodelling work

Interesting how the recession hits a business such as my own, I am seeing a number of clients who just want remodelling work doing. This is obviously another aspect of my business which I enjoy working in, as recreating someones grandmothers ring for the next wedding always brings with it a degree of pressure. This is of course the fact that you are working with materials that have a certain amount of emotion attached to them, and the end result has to be as good as the piece they brought in  and of course better if possible. So most recently I have remodelled a number of pieces, resetting stones, and brought to life heritage pieces that need just that little bit of contemporary sparkle, it has even given me the chance to add a little bit of damascus into the mix.

Guildford won’t know what hit it…..

I said in my last post that things were changing around. I’m in negotiations with a friend about doing a joint show in Guildford Surrey from the 21st of March, Final detailsl will be posted here soon. But it looks like I should be the only jeweller of 6 artists, there should be a couple of photographers, a painter, a sculptor and the rest is to be agreed.

So things are moving in the right direction at last. I’ll be posting pics and links to the new items of jewellery on my etsy shop soon.

Finding time in a credit crunch is harder than you’d think!

Well folks, I have to say I’ve felt the credit crunch, and felt it quite a lot. I lost a few commissions because customers I had lined up for either Mokume Gane or damascus steel rings, changed their minds and went for a plain band of gold from a shop instead. This is quite disheartening as you see the £’s flitter away in the wind. I know I’m not the only person to suffer, there are craftsmen and women out there feeling it just the same. But people think economics when in this situation and I can’t fault them for looking after themselves.

So as of late I’ve been decorating the house ready to sell up and move, this being only one of the reasons I haven’t written of late. When there is no work or £’s coming in the motivation falls away, and getting into the workshop is harder and harder. So I’ve had a bit of a break over the last couple of months, taking myself off into the woods for some R and R, and now back with vigor and relish for the new challenges that await.

As I said I’ve been taking some time out and in that time I’ve been playing around with making my own damascus steel, not for jewellery but for knife blades. A dear friend of mine is a blacksmith and has given me the my run of her workshop. I’ve had to prove myself with a hammer before being allowed to spray red hot metal across the floor of her workshop, just to make sure I’m not going to waste to much metal I guess. But I came through triumphantly and can wield a hammer like a pro, or so I think!!! Anyway I should with some luck be able to start producing my own blades in the not too distant future. I’m learning the hard way using a coke forge, when I get back to my own workshop I’ll be using a gas forge, which by its nature is cleaner. But ’til then I guess I’ll be having a few failures first.

Heavy goldsmithing!

Royston

Nice little post.

Last night I received a very nice but short post on my etsy.com shop. It simply read.

I love your jewellery but why is it so expensive compared to so many other items of  mokume gane jewellery on etsy. Most of the other mokume gane jewellery looks very similar and yours is so different why is this so.

Here’s my response.

Thank you very much for taking the time to look at my jewellery and as you have noticed my jewellery is a little different to most other mokume gane jewellery on etsy and compared to other mokume gane jewellery on etsy it is a little more expensive. Unlike so many people who sell mokume gane jewellery, I make every item of mokume gane, there are suppliers of ready made mokume gane which alot of gold and silversmiths buy in. Few artists master the art of making mokume gane themselves. Every item I sell I have made, I do not buy in anything and even make up specific alloys such as shibushi and shakudo which you can not get commercialy.  So you are paying for the expertise in not only making the item but the time and expertise in making the mokume gane as well. I actually worked out that after all material, living and running costs of my business I make less than minimal wage, in the UK I belive this to be £5.73 .  Please take in to account the high costs of living in the UK as well.  The cost of the USA is considerably cheaper than the UK and if your buying in ready made sheets that only need cutting to shape you can produce and item for less.

Now I think I’ll keep a copy of this for the next person to ask the same question.

Royston

I’m still alive.

Yes folks its true, I am still alive.

I had a littel 50% sale on my etsy shop and to my surprise it done quite well.  Yes I’ll be having one again some time in the future but when I do It’ll only be for 24 hours and you’ll get about 24 hours notice so  keep an eye on me to know when.

Other stuff thats been happening, damascus steel rings are gaining a huge following now, I truley do think I’m the only person making these in the UK, good news for me I think!

I’m getting a bit behind all of the “my projects” I’ve been working on, general life in the workshop’s getting in the way. I will be putting more interesting items of mokume gane jewellery up on the shop as well as launching a new website some time in the near future. I fancy something just that bit different. Again you’ll have to check back often to see for your self.

Till then, stay groovy.

Royston.

When things go wrong, and they some times do.

I couldn’t believe it, today my milling machine broke. Now it’s not the most expensive machine in the world, nor the biggest or best, but its mine, and as I use all my machine tools as often as I do, when one breaks its like a lame dog you have by your feet. You know they want to play but can’t beacuse they are unable to.

It was only 2 weeks ago I had my lathe repaired because of an electrical failure, now the milling machine is stuck, to say the least. That will teach me to buy “cheaper” Chinese products. Anyway with the milling machine the handle on the column came off in my hand. No big issue you’re thinking, but the 1/2 inch metal bar it was attached to had sheared off and the locking nut jammed tight shut. Now you see the problem. With nothing to grab hold of to un-tighten said offending nut, it’s taken hours of careful grinding with a Dremmel tool to get passed the hardened part of the shaft to be able to drill the bolt, and use a left hand tap to back out the very offensive bolt.

Now this is not over yet. I still have to buy a left hand tap and as the brake only happened last night, no shops were open to by said tool.  Now the point of me telling you all this, is simple. Its not till somethings broken do you realise how much you use it. When the lathe was out of commission, it put me back 4 whole days, due to the amount of Damascus steel rings I’ve to make, cutting those by hand is nigh on impossible. Same as the milling machine, I was roughing out a Damascus steel pendant and the next thing I knew I was breaking out the hacksaw to try and save the time.

Well its all part of the daily life in my workshop. Boring to some, exciting to others. It’s just normal to me so thought I’d let you all in on it.

Royston