A Day in the Life of an S.E. Needham Jeweler
For my photojournalism project at Utah State, I went to S.E. Needham Jewelers in Logan, UT to see their processes of creating jewelry. S.E. Needham Jewelers is Utah's oldest jewelry store, with five generations of jewelers since 1896. They are located on Main Street in Logan, and often use the slogan, "middle of the block at the sign of the clock."
My first photo story was about the process of making a diamond ring. The process starts on the computer with the CAD system.
After the ring is designed, metal for the ring is cast. Though torches were used at one time, a new modern process has taken over. Torches are still used for other processes. I was able to see Joseph Needham, a certified goldsmith at S.E. Needham, heat up a platinum wedding band, producing a bright orange glow.
After the metal is cast, the diamond is selected. While I was there, I was able to see S.E. Needham IV, or Gene, select a diamond from a set for a client. The biggest and center diamond in the photo is a marquise cut, also pictured is a round cut and triangle cut. Gene looked closer at the diamonds through a special magnifying glass. He is able to see the inclusions in the stone.
Next, the diamond is set in the finished ring band. Back over at Joe's desk, he uses a bur the size of the diamond he is working with, and sets the diamond. After the diamond is set, the prongs holding it in place are filed to better fit the ring.
After this, the ring is done! The final product is pictured below, with a round stone.
Thanks for reading! Additional photos of S.E. Needham below. Instagram: @abigailerinphotography, Facebook: Abigail Erin Photography, Pinterest: @abigailerinphotography.
