The IDEAL Gemstone size-range for JAL Stone Age Jewelry is 5mm up to 10mm. Lightweight stones or beads can be as large as 14mm, but it’s not recommended. Can smaller stones be used?

Smaller high-grade expensive Gemstones can be used by doubling the stones in the vertical plane, or adding them as dependents, drops or loops. Two small stones add up to more visual impact than one larger stone, even at the same carat-weight, not sure why.

The ONLY acceptable drill-hole sizes for JAL Stone Age Jewelry is what can fit on a .16 gauge or .20 gauge COPPER wire. Larger drill-holes don’t necessarily help, and very large drill-holes can make the bead or the bead arrangement unstable and wobbly.

When you work in copper, it’s your work the customer is buying. When you work in silver or gold, you get the same pay for your work, but you must also sell the precious metals, and the customer NEVER understands that they are getting back a cash rebate in the form of precious metals easily exchanged for cash at the current melt-value.

So you become a metal salesperson. Continue reading →