October 1999

Precious Metals & Bench: Metalsmithing

Revere Releases Ring Repair Book

First in a six– part "Professional Jewelry Repair" series

The premier book in Alan Revere's "Professional Jewelry Repair" series, Ring Repair, documents the repair, alteration and restoration of rings in gold, silver and platinum. Ring Repair is the first book devoted solely to repairing rings. Subsequent books in the series will focus on settings, chains, bracelets, clasps and an introduction to repairs in general.

Ring Repair offers a visual documentation of the most common repair jobs bench jewelers face. It's intended for those making the repairs at the bench, as well as store owners, managers, sales associates and students.

Clear and Concise
A combination of text and photography is designed to present every step in each project in a clear, concise manner. Revere is recognized as a leader in jewelry education through his school in San Francisco, Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, and his contributions to trade magazines. Some of the chapters in Ring Repair come from articles he wrote for JCK magazine, though all were rewritten and the majority of information has never been published before.

The 128– page volume features more than 140 close– up color photographs by Barry Blau, plus 90 black– and– white sketches by George McLean and Revere. Images of antique tools used in ring repair are interspersed throughout the text.

The book is divided into two parts. "Part I: Getting Started," covers procedures, tools and safety. "Procedures" is an instructional overview of the theory of ring repair, with topics such as measuring a customer's finger, sizing non– round rings, locating seams and a discussion of various kinds of joints.

The tools chapter identifies implements used specifically to repair rings, such as ring– bending pliers, head and shank tweezers, ring mandrels and a new ring sizing shear. A chapter on safety reviews health and injury– prevention practices.

Part II is a photographic documentation of 15 ring repairs, complete with a job envelope and an anecdote about the owner. Tasks range from the simplest stretching job to adding sizes, reshanking, adding ring mechanisms and two– tone sizing.

The book includes dozens of tips and trade secrets Revere has collected during three decades at the bench. An appendix charts the lengths of ring blanks for all finger sizes and gauges of metal and includes a unique illustration of ring mandrels from around the world.

Mark B. Mann, director of professional certification at Jewelers of America®, states in the foreword
that "This book will help repair jewelers at all levels because it shows examples that demonstrate the entire spectrum of problems and situations encountered when repairing rings This volume is exceptional in scope, accuracy and readability."

Published by RAJA Press of San Francisco, CA, Ring Repair sells for $44.95. It's available through jewelry supply houses and from Revere Academy Books. Revere Academy Books, 760 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94102; (800) 844– 9442, www.revere– academy.com.

Antique Ring Sizer

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