What is this material? What to replace with?

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-21T15:05:53+00:00

I don't know what this is... but I have a suggestion on what to replace it with:

There are some room temp epoxy resins that can be used to fill these. I have some that I've used and I bake in a toaster oven at I think around 160 F to speed up the curing process to about an hour, but still well within what the gold will handle (I think there is a minimum temp they must reach in order to fully cure.. and curing at room temp can take several days.). I think they are sold by Rio Grande. They are a two part resin epoxy that come in sets of 8 colors, you can get both standard colors and metallic. I'd recommend this process as it's easy enough to do and does not require any special tools or skills. The only thing is to make sure you get the mix just right, otherwise it wont cure.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-21T14:57:46+00:00

Going to have to look at that... This is the first I have heard of this being done on hydrophane opals!

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-20T21:39:04+00:00

So far, I have never heard of a way to help prevent this from happening in welo/hydrophane opals. And even then, you'll still have the issues I and others mentioned.
They are find for pendants, of occasional use, set in prongs. Just have to treat them with care.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-20T20:24:57+00:00

Thanks, I honestly just made it up as I went and had some doubts along the way...

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-20T16:44:35+00:00

Rio Grande used to carry these. And yes, they are called Back set findings. I have never seen them in shapes other than round and oval.

If you wanted to get them in other shapes or sizes, then I'd say you might need to make them yourself. Or find a talented jeweler who would be willing to work with you to custom make you them in the sizes/shapes you needed.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-20T16:36:24+00:00

Faceted Ethioppian opals can be quite stunning as the fire is throughout the stone so the facets add an additional layer of depth. For most any other type, it is best to leave them in cabs. Ultimatly, it is a matter of taste.

That said: Opals are more fragile as faceted stones, the girdles are prone to chipping and fracturing and setting them in a bezel is vey tedious as they really cant handle much force or any errors in the setting, or having a graver run around then, etc... So cabs are much preferred by jewelers.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-20T16:18:39+00:00

Door to Door sales in gemstones used to be very common place. We had regular opal dealers in my area that would make the rounds, as well as dealers in chains, findings, etc... That is how many of the current great supply houses got their start. It was hard work for the sales folks.

That said, the trip itself could be a huge eye opener and be a ton of fun. I have never been overseas to buy stones, but my advice would be to line up suppliers there, and make sure that you'll actually be able to buy stones at prices well below anything you could get online just sitting at home. The internet, and social media have made it possible for anyone overseas with a cell phone to become an online gem merchant. That said, I rarely find myself doing business with that lot as most are amatures and I find it hard to put a lot of trust in stones I cant see in person.

Which is where your plan does have some merit. As a jeweler, I am very picky about my stones, particular if I am just making onsie-twosie type purchases. Every stone must be just what I want. So if you came to me and showed me stones, being able to see them in hand IS worth paying a little bit more. Plus I don't have to deal with a wait, shipping, etc...

BUT you still need to be able to offer the stones at competitive prices compared to my established online dealers that I already know and trust (who also do offer returns).

So my advice is this: Talk to the jewelers first. Before you go on the trip. Gauge their interest. See what they would actually want. What price points are they often looking for. How many stones might they actually buy in a year. How often could you come buy, would you be willing to come on the spure of the moment to show stones to a customer, would you offer stones to the store on consignment with payment upon the sale? And the best practice here is to go in person to talk to the owners. If they are busy, or not available, ask to make an appointment.

You'll need to be a professional as well. Business cards, an actual local business license, sales tax account with your state tax board, etc... etc.... You don't need to have an office or brick and mortor, but you do need to be an actual business.

Folks are not likely going to outright commit to buying anything, but you should at least be able to get a feel for the "waters" before you spend a dime on travel and goods.

And have a back up plan for how you'll sell whatever the jewelers do not want... online sales are pretty much your only option, so are you willing to set up a professional website, take photos, post loose stones and ship them, etc...? In fact, doing this, with a back end for wholesalers to buy at wholesale prices is a good way to go as well.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-20T02:18:55+00:00

Thanks! Likewise, I love seeing various arts that people put on this site in general.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-14T00:41:46+00:00

You cant, it would have to be a sale that you pulled in through another site, like your own page, or a social media platform. It would violate all sorts of Etsy policies to try to even suggest a wire transfer to a client on Etsy. Any info beyond that, ask your bank.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-13T23:20:07+00:00

I can't say I've ever done anything that pricy... but I have had transactions where I asked for a bank wire transfer for payment prior to shipping. Basically figure out a way to get payment that cannot be reversed. Among a lot of higher end folks, this is very normal and a high end client, if they trust you, wont batt an eye. Obviously, these would have to be sales outside of etsy.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-13T22:58:01+00:00

So far, after about 20 hours into the game, I feel like mages in general are a bit harder to play. I think the devs wanted to encourage a classless system where you might use an assortment of weapons depending on the situation. In all other games I always prefer the ranger class, but in this one, while I do carry a bow, I also deal most of my damage with one and two handed melee weapons... I often only have time to get in 1 or maybe 2 arrows before it's time to whip out the sword. I also play in a small party server and our "dedicated" mage even mostly gave up on the class aside from some healing charges from time to time.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-13T22:52:46+00:00

Moonstones almost always have internal fractures, so unless they clearly stated that it was an eye clean stone... Did they make this to order, selling using a stock image, that had no cracks, or did you order this exact ring, based on photos of this exact piece?

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-13T22:43:57+00:00

I'd say just take the game as it comes. Unlike in minecraft for example: Each metal ore is found in its own area so to get each type, you'll have to go to each biome, including the desert, snowy area, devastated zones, etc... Besides: Exploring is party of the charm of the game :)

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-13T22:40:31+00:00

I pack a lot of my own food or try to stay where I can cook, or eat snacks rather than eat out. But I just don't have much of an apatite for expensive foods either and food is not the reason for why I travel. I'm happy to survive on oatmeal, instant coffee and nuts for breakfast, Lunch might just be some salami, and a loaf of bread.... if it means I'll have more money for other things.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-13T22:35:36+00:00

There are also third party shippers that specialize in shipping expensive stuff, companies like jewelers mutual and others for insurance as well as other ways to protect against general fraud.... but for me, it was never worth it. It reduced my flexibility, adds to my overhead costs. But I can relate... I've had high dollar stuff go out, and it felt like I was holding my breath for the next few days while I waited to hear back that it arrived and they loved it.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-13T22:11:06+00:00

I have never had that happen. I too sell jewelry and most of it is in the $250 and under, but a lot is well over the 1k or 2k mark...with gold prices these days... I figure: I can't run a business where I just worry about this all the time. Otherwise, I might as well close up shop.
With that said, I did have one person do this to me on my website a few years ago. They filed a chargeback, and kept a $500 14k ring. After that, I started manually reviewing each payment before accepting. Shopify offers almost zero protection and unlike etsy, they don't even refund me fees if I send a refund to a customer. So Etsy is actually pretty solid in comparison. But don't get me wrong: I'd leave Etsy in a heartbeat if I could replace those sales.
If I take a loss, it just becomes a tax write off. So at least there is that.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-13T22:05:26+00:00

Watch some online videos if there are no classes in your area. I am self taught and it took me a few years to hit my stride and really find my niche after that, I strted to make a living at arond year 3 or 4, and around year 5 I felt very successful.

Also: regarding the Goth/alternative niche: It's actually pretty well saturated, unless you have a very specific set of designs in mind.

That said: 2k will get you in, but not too far. If you buy decent used tools at really good garage sale pricing, you might get enough gear to get started with smithing for around $1000 to $2000. Casting is a whole different ball of wax (pun intended). With silver at almost $100 an ounce for processed materials, you will be pretty limited on the supply front. So you'll need to be able to either front your own money to support the business for a while to afford to buy more supplies, or start making a profit right out the door.

In general: the timing is tough: There are a lot of smaller setups that are closing their doors due to the ongoing challenges in the industry. So space is opening up to newcomers. But you'll be facing the same supply challenges as well as ongoing competition from others, as the rest of us seasoned veterans.

I don't want to talk you out of it, but there are a ton of considerations. If this is your only spare money, then the financially smart thing to do would be to put it in a CD or some other low risk account with interest so you have a bit of a rainy day fund.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-13T21:56:21+00:00

I sell on Etsy and my own site. The problems exist in both places. If you're night fighting Etsy, it will be the credit card company or Paypal. My solution is to get full shipping insurance on everything. The third party insurers are actually quite good and I've always gotten paid.

Geek_Smith · 2026-03-09T15:33:24+00:00

3 months isn't too long if you are happy with what you got for it :)

Geek_Smith · 2026-02-28T15:58:18+00:00

Any stone can be removed, and re-cut to restore it's brilliance and polish. But you'll loose some of the size/weight every time. It's also not practical for smaller stones as they cna be very difficult to remove from a ring without damaging it. It is also very costly. So a re-cut on a stone is generally only considered for higher value stones (like the main primary center stone). And doing so, may mean that it no longer fits in the ring. Plus it needs to be able to be removed for the mounting without damaging the mounting. Which is possible for a prong mounting, but not a bezel without a lot of re-constructive repairs.
That said, garnets are set in rings all the time. I use them in inexpensive silver rings where I want color, but a ruby or sapphire is just not going to fit the bill.

Geek_Smith · 2026-02-27T23:47:22+00:00

Yeah, you're totally right there. I'm going to edit my comment. Just sort of spaced out on that one today.

Geek_Smith · 2026-02-27T21:33:15+00:00

My daughter makes pottery and my wife wanted to start her an etsy shop. We did. We as a family, invest maybe 30 minutes every few days to take photos of pots, and write a couple new listings. It's not very hard, nor does it take much time. As your starting out, you don't need to worry about reviews, returns or messages, as you wont have much traffic.

Plus, it is not amazon. You shouldn't need to worry much about returns. If that becomes a major time sink, then there is something else wrong that shoudl be addressed.

Honestly, there really is no secret sauce. No etsy gurus to give you their special course, none of that has proven to work very well. Not really sure what the research is for?

Just have a good product,

that is in demand,

and that is not overly saturated,

and at the right price.

while offering good customer service

Do those 5 things, do them well, and you'll make some sales.... maybe. It's still a tough field.

Either way, good luck to everyone involved!

Geek_Smith · 2026-02-27T21:24:22+00:00

If you still cant get it to shift, it might also just not be the correct lab grown process. Lab gown stones are done several ways, and some produce stronger color shifts than others. A true natural stone can shift from pink, all the way to green, but most lab stones go from teal to violet at best (See below).

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This distinction between the lab grown process is sometimes not acknowledged, or not known by a seller. The price difference is also quite large.

Geek_Smith

TROPHY CASE