Manufacturing Jewelry--One of a Kind Pieces (OOAK) What is Your Opinion?

When we think about jewelry, we don't think about how it is made, not usually at least. Unless it says hand made, or One of a Kind, maybe we do, but for the most part, no one really considers how something is made today...

Is it someone in a back room, churning out one by one a collection of hand made items, or is it an artisan who is turning out real, one of a kind, no two alike, one item only?

Handmade, The only one like it... but not really OoaK

Sometimes, the OoaK name is kind of confusing... because it can be attached to an item that is actually being mass produced, but since it is different than the last one... made by hand, but still mass produced... it can be a bit tricky to find out the truth.

Now, this is one of a kind!

There is creating a true one of a kind, and then there is churning out one after another of the same, slightly different, handmade-but-half-not so much hand made... pieces...

Is using a die or a punch changing the scape of jewelry making for individuals?  Should it matter that someone uses a mechanical object to turn out a piece of jewelry?

Last year, I asked a number of people to answer the question about what they consider metalwork...

Unique, but not really one of a kind

Overwhelmingly, most people did not consider any type of wire work to be metalwork... nor did they change their minds when the question was more narrowed to: If the person melts their own silver, pours it themselves, pulls their own wire, and uses it to create a piece of jewelry... are they considered metalworkers.... And the answer was overwhelmingly, NO.

Why is that?

One of a kind? Yes, and no...

I also asked the question to a group: Is using a mold actually being a metalworker?

Overwhelmingly... the answer was NO.

This surprised me.

Narrow the question down to ... if the person carves their own wax, creates their own mold, melts their own silver/gold, pours the metal into the mold, takes it out and cleans it.... are they metal workers?

Overwhelmingly... the people that were opposed in the first place still said ... NO.

What is the reason behind this notion?

No one could really put their finger on the reason... but one person answered that the wax wasn't even real wax... and that they were just mass producing. I am not sure about the wax part... I'm really not sure I can agree that the time, effort, talent it takes to create a piece through lost wax casting can be considered not truly metalsmith, artisan, OoaK.

There are jewelers that use lost wax as a way of creating one of a kind items that are high end pieces. This is evident in jewelry artists  such as Scott Schreiber, who I interviewed for this article in October, 2015 Scott Schreiber Jewelery Design.

Scott created this masterpiece of a ring, but all his creations are one of a kind, wonderfully unique(redundant I know)objects of art. 

So, tell me, how could this not be considered One of a Kind? And how could this person not be considered as a metalsmith... though I consider this man to be an artisan, a goldsmith, or Jeweler, which ever it is, he is as unique as his work.

mold by Penny Jo Couch, not one of a kind by me...

The Year of Jewelry project taught me that I can make one of a kind items if I really try hard, but even at that, I used a mold made by Penny Jo Couch to make a few items... I made hummingbird brooches.  Each one was one of a kind, each with different coloration, each with a bit of

manipulation here and there... but...

They weren't one of a kind. Not in the true sense of the words. But I love them... I love the way the molds are just about perfect!

I make a lot of brooches, each one cut by hand, each one etched separately, each one finished by hand, nothing but a polishing wheel on the flex shaft... in my little hand, cleaning it up and polishing it up... maybe a torch to give some color, or enamel, or maybe even ink?

So, I'm not creating one of a kind really then, am I? I repeat designs that people like, each a bit different since it is cut out by hand, cleaned by hand, finished by hand, not exactly the same...

Each is different, each has personality of it's own, and I love the way each has a variance in color or cleanness.

Truly one of a kind... cuff bracelet

How do you feel about the one of a kind idea? Do you create any two pieces alike?

 Someone who has sat at a bench for many years is bound to have made more than one of any assortment of rings, pendants, etc...

Though all are handmade. Each piece is crafted to be unique.

What do you say?