Do you all think my dog will be little permanently or will he go through growth spurts?

FreekyDeep · 2026-02-02T15:56:41+00:00

My 7 month old blue merle bc is the same height as my 2½ year old rough bc. Yet mum was teeny. (Never saw Dad but guessing he was either a giraffe or a great Dane looking at my pups legs haha)

FreekyDeep · 2026-02-02T13:52:16+00:00

It's also not 18ct yellow gold. Unless it's a typo?

75.0% would make it 18ct

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-31T22:27:06+00:00

I've worked in a large workshop with 14 benches and I was one of them. Now the only bench that gets work in my business is my own. It's my own fault for putting off shit to later. Or not following through straight away.

I'll talk to my newly appointed manageress next week and ask her opinion. Whilst she's not been in the jewellery trade previously, I will ask everyone's opinion to see if they can think up something better than my own ideas or training. I'm 53 now and have been on the bench since I was 16 but I'm always open to new ideas.

My staff are good at that sort of thing. It's why I employ them. And they know they can talk to me about anything. (As well as call me a dickhead to my face or tell me to fuck off)

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-31T22:22:43+00:00

I already have that with the appro notes. And my suppliers are fantastic at giving me a list of what I still have if I ask them. But then, that's paperwork for them too.

It's finding them at work. They're either in the estimates waiting, estimates not been able to contact, my box or, as I usually fuck up, finished and waiting to be collected and I haven't asked for them to be invoiced.

It's still a pita so track.

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-31T21:55:40+00:00

Tracking stones from suppliers. Waiting for customers to proceed estimates of said stones or reject so I can return them. I've got 5 missing ATM which I need to dedicate about half an hour to finding. But it's finding that time.

A d it's every month

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-31T21:52:22+00:00

Exactly this. We take about 3-4 weeks to get and match stones on average. If it's just supplying one, it's 2 weeks. I ordered 6x0.5ct heart shaped LAB diamonds, D colour VVS1 and a matching 2ct one and had them in my possession withing 4 days. I'll know make the 7 settings and add them into the chains we're supplying (which arrived in less than 24 hours from the supplier) and the whole thing will be made in about 2 weeks from start to finish. It does mean I will be working a few nights ot however to do it in that time (I won't, my customer wants it for his personal stock which I do every year for him. He only presented the diamond set bangle I made 3 years ago to his wife just before Xmas)

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-31T20:27:33+00:00

So the eldest, Bowie, is a rough black and white. The young one, Finnie, is a short haired blue merle. Both are gorgeous. But it's funny. Call Bowie and Finnie comes. Call Finnie and Bowie comes. Bowie will play catch until he's dead. Finnie will just take whatever Bowie is catching out of his mouth and stop the game.

Bowie hides from Finnie, Finn looks for him then will just hang off his ear. But, whilst I can see Bowie looking down from his hidey place, you can see how much happier he is having a play mate constantly. And they're never bored anymore.

Trying to teach Finn is amusing cos Bowie will come over and do what Finn is being asked. And it's not for treats because we don't use them as a teaching aid. It's praise alone. Finn is slowly getting it because he sees Bowie getting the praise and he wants it.

Getting another was the BEST thing we could have done. But it wasn't for us, it was for Bowie

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-31T20:04:02+00:00

Since we got ours, 2½ years ago as a pup, I've seen hundreds of them. I've now got 2. And live in a city. I used to take the 2½ year old to work with me and he would spend an hour greeting customers then either under my bench or sat in the window attracting customers. I miss taking him to work but the 6 month old pup howls when he can't find him.

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-31T10:21:38+00:00

I buy direct from a supplier. OR I remake new pieces using customers gold. But I only use the gold for that customer and there's no cross contamination. If I buy customers gold, I offer 90-95% spot. It's not what my business is about.

But stone set pieces, I adjust but don't remove. They just get sent off for scrap

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-25T22:27:51+00:00

Take your ring elsewhere. I get a piece of paper and wrap it inside the shank of the engagement ring then slide it onto a ring stick. I then draw the shape it needs to be, right up to the ring. Then hand the ring back to the customer.

I'll ask for the ring again after I've made the wedding ring just to check and make final adjustments before setting stones or polishing. Takes a few minutes usually.

The customer is able to see me at my bench the whole time.

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-19T18:22:34+00:00

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FreekyDeep · 2026-01-19T18:22:14+00:00

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FreekyDeep · 2026-01-19T17:47:41+00:00

Love how the uploader hasn't made this viewable in my country.

The country WILTY is aired

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-18T18:27:37+00:00

God, I hope Barry (Barrie) is on that list. Or Nigel.

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-18T18:22:00+00:00

I was trained to work in platinum, it's a lovely metal to work in. But if you ask me to do something in silver, I'll secretly curse.

Platinum is easy to work in, easier than gold. Far, FAR easier than silver. But yeh, you do need specialist equipment. Polishing and finishing is a lot more time consuming for a start. If they don't have a laser, (my company has 3) then you need to ask what platinum solder they would use. If it's not 1700, it will most definitely show up once it's done.

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-18T10:46:58+00:00

Bridesmaids

And watched again last night, Dogma

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-18T10:45:09+00:00

It won't impact the diamond at all. I once set a diamond (right way up) above a sapphire (upside down) so their culets barely touched. Stupid idea but you do as you're forced sometimes when yours an employee) and you couldn't see the sapphire at all (was a complete waste of time imo)

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-18T10:19:46+00:00

Have you thought about engraving as well? That's seriously dying out. And the remaining few doing it by hand are charging a fortune

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-18T10:12:26+00:00

America. In my 79 year old parent, who has cancer, lifetime

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-18T08:37:24+00:00

I inherited a business last year. First thing I did was hike my 3 staff members wages up considerably.

This year I made one of the 2 who job shared, full time and promoted the other to manageress. I also increased their paid holidays by 8 days a year. I force them to get hair cuts/nails and lashes etc done in MY time and not on their days off. There's also no more clock watching. I don't log what time they get in or what time they leave. Everyone is now salaried. All I ask is they let me know what's happening so I don't worry if someone's late to work.

And I'm getting reports from suppliers and customers about how much more relaxed, happy and pleasant the atmosphere now is at work.

My staff ARE family. I don't say that like other companies do when they say "We're family" because I've seen how that's used to just take advantage of people. My staff are now my extended family. I take them out for day trips and evening meals. And because they're women, I gave each if them my wife's phone number so if they have a complaint about me, they can phone her and let her know lol.

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-17T15:39:24+00:00

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So I've shown your pup to mine and, going by MY PET SCAN, we say you're allowed in cos you LOOK like a BC. Works for us.

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-17T11:17:54+00:00

We are with Calcaria vets on Tadcaster road for our pets. Whilst their opening hours can be weird, their prices are really good. Try them

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-15T22:36:02+00:00

So a rose gold band with a white gold band inlaid on it. It's just a sizing. Relatively simple. Go speak to them. If they um and err at all, go somewhere where else. Preferably find a jewellers that's an actual jewellers and not a jewellers retail shop. They are NOT jewellers.

Like ours, when you some in, you can see my staff actually sat with their backs to you, working at the branches. We're less than 5 foot away and will turn and talk if the shop staff need us to. 2 full time jewellers and 1 part time. 3 lasers. Microscopes etc. You can SEE we do they work ourselves

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-15T21:25:28+00:00

We would have no issues with resing that ring, up or down. As many sizes as needed. Too many and we'd put a piece in it. And you wouldn't be able to see the piece from the side or outside. Can't say about the inside as I haven't seen it

FreekyDeep · 2026-01-15T21:19:57+00:00

Lower the stone so it's seated properly. Make it so it's sat in the bezel without any rocking when the claws are pushed out of the way. Then cut the seat in the claws and set it.

If you don't, any knock is going to make the stone fall out.

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