Using different settings and configurations for different metals and job tasks we find ourselves making adjustments perhaps too often.  Do you use a printed cheatsheet to keep track of settings, memorize them, or use your laser welders built in memory slots to keep track of settings?

I have a Client that wants us to design a set of 14kt gold cuff links with a solitaire 2 ct round diamond set in each cuff link.  The challenges will be cup and face height as well as overall weight.  We also want to ensure a secure post and toggle mechanism as we do not want these to ever fall out.  That, yet we want them to be easy to manipulate.  It can be frustrating sometimes putting cuff links on, especially if one is in a hurry and on the go.

If you know of any resources for inspiration I would appreciate a link.

This is old news, but I thought I would write this here rather than in another thread and be off topic.

I lost interest in Pandora, in 2021, when they did their huge marketing effort on a fake issue.  They made a big deal about how they would stop using natural diamonds in their product lines when in reality they only had one or two items with one or two natural melee set in them.  They made it seem as though they would have to revamp how they existed as a company, when in reality they just had to tweak one or two designs.  And sadly, the mainstream media ate it up.  Jewelry media was not impressed.

Pandora Stops Using Mined Diamonds, A Product It Rarely Used

Pandora dropping natural diamonds is 'completely irrelevant' - Lucara Diamond

Diamond Industry Blasts Pandora’s Positioning of Move to Lab Grown Only

Natural diamond organisations protest Pandora statement

Meanwhile ...

Jeweler Pandora Takes Ethical Stand Against Mined Diamonds

Pandora says laboratory-made diamonds are forever

Pandora to stop selling mined diamonds

Pandora jewellery brand says it will stop selling mined diamonds: Chain becomes first big retailer to completely switch to lab-grown stones, amid ethical concerns

Pandora ditching mined diamonds for lab-grown ones: The move by the world’s biggest jeweler reflects consumer demand for sustainability and ethical sourcing

Pandora, world's largest jewelry marker, will no longer use mined diamonds

Jewelry maker Pandora will stop selling mined diamonds, focus on lab-grown ones

... garbage.

Great marketing though.

Someone told me Pandora does not fix jewelry they just replace it. I did not believe them so I looked it up. On their website on their What is Pandora's Warranty Policy page it says "We do not repair jewelry, we will only replace the item if it is still available or give you and item of equal or lesser value."

It must be nice to just replace jewelry instead of fix it.

In little kid language how do these work?

I monitor an unhealthy amount of email accounts and I have seen an uptick in malicious emails with “links” in them. Do not click links from unknown recipients and do not click links unnecessarily, even if they are from Clients. So much so, I would recommend if you are the written policy type, that you include some type of policy which forbids your employees from clicking links within emails. If you are able, have your email service append gibberish at the beginning of email link URLs so instead of a link being https://jewelersbenchpin.com/portal.php it goes to gibberishhttps://jewelersbenchpin.com/portal.php which is not a link any browser should accept, and *should* cause your employee, or you, to second guess going to this destination. Now, if you feel so compelled, you can still trim the “gibberish” from the URL and paste it into your browser for the win, but that is a rather intentional act which requires you to intentionally visit the link.

I monitor an unhealthy amount of email accounts and lately I have noticed a concerning trend – an increase in malicious emails containing suspicious “links” targeting jewelry industry keywords. In the interest of safeguarding your online security, I want to share some tips to help you stay protected.

First and foremost, please remember never to click on links from unknown senders. Even if an email seems to come from someone you know, but it looks unusual or unexpected, exercise caution.

Consider implementing a company policy that discourages employees from clicking on any links within emails, regardless of the source. This extra layer of caution can go a long way in keeping your digital environment secure.

If your email service or email client allows it, consider having links automatically disable all links within emails.

From an email service, this is usually done by adding gibberish in front of the link URL. For instance, instead of a link appearing as “https://jewelersbenchpin.com/portal.php” it may be transformed into “gibberishhttps://jewelersbenchpin.com/portal.php”. This small but effective change makes the link unclickable for most browsers. It would also require intentional effort to trim the URL, paste it into a browser, and tell that browser to go.

From an email client, depending on your email client, there may be a setting which disables the ability to click links. For example, Mozilla Thunderbird has an option called “network.protocol-handler.external-default” which can be found by going to Tools :: Settings :: in the “Find in Settings” search box type, without quotation marks, “network.protocol-handler.external-default” and press enter. By default this setting is set to “true”. Double-click the setting to set it to “false”. Restart Thunderbird, and try clicking on a link. The links will be inert. You can still see where they point, but they will not go anywhere if you click them. If you need to use a link from an email you will have to intentionally copy the link, paste it into a browser, and tell the browser to go to that address. (For example, to unsubscribe from a newsletter or such.)

There do not seem to be any options for email apps from major companies such as GMail or Apple Mail.  These apps require you be more vigilant with regard to what you are viewing, clicking, and overall how you treat email security.

With all security, digital and physical, there is a balance. That balance is between actual security and convenience. You have to decide where that balance falls for you and your organization. It may be inconvenient to have a physical alarm system, or systems, and a vault and/or safes, but these are inconveniences you have deemed worthwhile in your balance of actual security and convenience. The same is true with all aspects of security.

Do not click links from unknown senders, and maybe avoid clicking links from known senders as well.

Be safe!

Has anyone used Sunstone laser engravers in their shop?  Any feedback?

Has anyone used Sunstone Welders in their shop before?  Any feedback?

Here is a good medium solder recipe that worked well for me.
5g pure gold
1g pure silver
1.6g pure copper
1g pure cadmium
Melt it in a clean crucible. pour it into a metal ingot mold. roll the ingot into thin wafers or sheets.
You should end up with around 5.5 penny weight of solder when you are done which will be a good amount depending on how many jobs you do and how much solder you use. some jewelers have a bad habit of using too much solder. If they made their own solder they would be more frugal with it. your mileage may vary.

What do you think of joining associations?
I do not see the return on investment but maybe I did it wrong.