At the Show: New equipment, tools and services

Picture perfect

PicUp Media is a Sydney-based company offering retailers products to photograph and market collections in the bricks-and-mortar.

Exhibiting at Booth A20, the company will premiere its GemLightbox, which can be used to transform the most humble workshop into a professional photography studio.

GemLightbox is a revolutionary lighting environment used to create beautiful reflections, shiny metals and amazing faceted stones. The plug and play jewellery photography lightbox system is designed for simplicity, convenience and consistency.

Flexible Precision

Rapid Casting has been in the CAD/CAM and casting game for a while now, and offers jewellers fast turnaround service using modern technologies that will be showcased in demonstrations.

One of the latest products from Asiga, the Max X, is the company’s highest resolution jewellery production system. The machine offers reconfigurable resolution of 27, 35 or 43 microns and has capabilities across jewellery, dental and audiology.

Rapid Casting utilises the Max X’s capabilities to construct customised casts that can stem from sketches, magazine images and company logos into 3D digital models, before a cast is rendered using the Asiga. The Sydney-based company is an authorised reseller of the Asiga range, for those jewellers interested in joining the 3D casting revolution.

Jewellery Institute set to shine

Taking up a prime position at the Sydney Fair, the Jewellery Institute of Australia (JIA) is sure to draw crowds with its demonstration shows across the program.

JIA Founder Gabriel Owens

JIA founder Gabriel Owens said with the help of IJF’s Gary Fitz-Roy, the Institute’s vision to share knowledge and demonstrate skills would come to fruition. The education provider will host an hour-long demonstration of the GRS Pneumatic machine from 11:00am and again at 2:00pm.

Demonstrations will include how to hand engrave and diamond set while the exhibitor’s 55-inch flat screen television will project the fine details to visitors.

“Last year was a great show for us, and our booth received high attention from visitors. Everyone was stopping by and watching our screen, and they were amazed how the engraving and setting is done with our new techniques using a microscope and the GRS machines,” Owens said.

“We are one of five schools in the world that teach these techniques. GRS Russia, Alexandre School in Belgium, Jura School for diamond setting in The Netherlands, and the GRS training centre in USA are the only other providers of this training. We are putting Australia back on the map again for high skills, for diamond setting and hand engraving and have students coming from the USA, UK and South Korea.”

Pearl Masterclass Voyage

Cygnet Bay Pearls will be at the Fair just before its inaugural Australian Pearl Masterclass Voyage on Monday 27 August.

The weeklong trip officially launches at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney with a cocktail event to honour the winners of the 2018 Australian Pearl Jewellery Design Masters.

Guests are then taken to the Central Coast to Broken Bay Pearl Farm where they can witness firsthand the harvesting of Akoya pearls. The voyage then takes guests across the country to Broome and the Kimberley where Australia’s historic pearl festival, Shinju Matsuri is in full swing. The Masterclass Voyage also coincides with the annual Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm Harvest Festival.

Managing director of Cygnet Bay Pearls James Brown created the experience to offer a unique opportunity for jewellers and jewellery enthusiasts to gain an in-depth understanding of the Australian Pearl.

“After 70 years in the industry, these master classes will reflect the culmination of my family’s learning and love of the story of the Australian Pearl,” he said.

“We are committed to sharing this little known, yet great story and hope that a little bit of our passion rubs off on all who join us on this voyage.”

Enmore to entice

TAFE NSW Design Centre is bringing its ‘polished’ theme to the IJF.

Students from the Enmore campus will display their jewellery at the Fair with a range of staff on site to discuss the courses and opportunities the college has to offer.

The students will have a chance to showcase their skilled craftsmanship, refined and balanced pieces- both traditionally and contemporarily resolved, aesthetically innovative approaches and their high standard of professionalism.

Gases to go

Power10 Gases is a supplier of industrial gases used in jewellery manufacturing and will be on site at booth C53.

Power10 supplies acetylene, mig, tig, and oxygen gases, the last of which is most commonly used by jewellers. The company provides businesses with their own cylinders so they can cut down on the ongoing costs of rentals.

In recycling cylinders once they are empty, businesses only need purchase the gas, saving on the cost of cylinders while preventing landfill. Power10 Gases delivers direct in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.