Joydeep Paramanik AD, 5th SEMESTER KOL13AD28
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT It is with a sense of gratitude acknowledge the efforts of entire hosts of wellwishers who have in some way or other contributed in their own special ways to the success and completion of this industry orientation . Firstly, I would like to thank my mentor, Assistant Professor Radhika Kishorpuria, for her patient guidance, enthusiastic encouragement and useful critiques on this research work. I also wish to acknowledge the help for the research work provided by Professor Jayati Mukherjee and Professor Chirapriya Mondal. Also, I express
my sincere thankfulness to my project guide, co-
ordinator of Bhandari collections Mr. Sujit Bhandari who has been very helpful in the completion of this project’s, sincerely thank to all of them for their valuable suggestions, motivations and encouragement. I express my thanks to the entire team of Bhandari collections, for their support and encouragement in bringing out this project reports. Finally, I wish to thank my family for their support and encouragement throughout my study.
Contents 1.
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 4 Aim of the subject ............................................................................................................................... 4 The aim of the subject is - ................................................................................................................... 4
2.
A BRIEF DAILY REPORT ON THE VISIT .............................................................................................. 5
3.
Introduction to the company .......................................................................................................... 6 Understanding the company .............................................................................................................. 6 Nasibpur (Imitation Jewellery) ............................................................................................................ 7 Girish Park (Diamond Jewellery) ......................................................................................................... 7 Design Conception ............................................................................................................................ 10
9.
PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES .......................................................................................................... 11 Jewellery Production Techniques ..................................................................................................... 11
10.
PACKAGING ............................................................................................................................... 21
11.
METHODS OF SELLING .............................................................................................................. 22
12.
COSTING .................................................................................................................................... 22
13.
ABOUT THE LABOURERS ........................................................................................................... 23
14.
SUSTAINABILITY ........................................................................................................................ 24
15.
POSSIBILITY OF INNOVATION.................................................................................................... 26
1.
INTRODUCTION
Industry Orientation is a part of the curriculum of the 5th semester of Accessory Design course in NIFT which takes place for two weeks during the break after the end of the 4th semester. Jewellery Manufacturing is a matter of creativity. Jewellery as a product can be classified in various categories such as pure Gold Jewellery, Diamond Jewellery, Kundan Jewellery etc. Moreover, their design specifications also contribute in its manufacturing. This is one of the most vital subjects in the education process of design. I also got to know the after jewellery manufacturing process, like quality check, inspection, customer feedback, to name a few.
Aim of the subject The aim of the subject is To
understand
a
complete
jewellery
manufacturing
environment. To experience how industry works To know about the processes involved in manufacturing various types of jewellery items. The packaging and transportation process To understand the functioning of the company i.e. how a company runs.
2.
A BRIEF DAILY REPORT ON THE VISIT
(7th July) – Introduction to jewellery design and its techniques (8th July) – Jewellery Design, rendering a 3D model on Rhino CAD for CAM Various CAM techniques explained (9th July) – Creating the Master Wax Piece (from design on paper to 3D model on Rhino CAD)CAM Process (10th July) – Mould making using vulcanizing process, developing multiple wax pieces, stone setting on wax pieces and wax tree making was shown (11th July) – Metal casting and metal tree making was shown, along with polishing processes (13th July) – Quality check, packaging and manufacturing cost was explained (14th July) – Introduction to gold and diamond jewellery design, briefed about types of gold (15th July) – Types of stone settings and metal casting were shown (16th July) – Methods of polishing and finishing were shown (17th July) – Melting of gold and process of making wire and strips from metal was explained (18th July) – Diamonds, Diamond cutting was shown (19th July) – Process and requirements of Rhodium plating was shown
3.
Introduction to the company
The industry orientation programme was carried out at a jewellery manufacturing company named Bhandari Collection. This company is owned by Mr. Sujit Bhandari, who was also my mentor during the two weeks of interaction. This company deals with the manufacturing and selling of imitation jewellery and gold, diamond, precious stone jewellery.
Understanding the company With reference to the visits, what I understood about the company are as follows: Deals with imitation jewellery as well as gold and diamond jewellery Designs for costume jewellery supplied by local designers Gold and diamond jewellery customized Caters to the local market Involves highly skilled labours working at low wages Also involves women of the village at Nasibpur Bhandari collection provides with beautiful & gorgeous jewellery items that are sophisticated and budget-friendly. These are hall-marked 18k gold jewellery which are studded with CZ stones which are replacement for real diamonds & gives an authentic look and are as appealing as real diamonds. Bhandari collection provides anytime buy-back guarantee card, which is a lifetime guarantee card.
4.
BRIEF TIMELINE OF THE COMPANY
The company was started by Mr. Sujit Bhandari himself. Previously, he worked as a jewellery maker for a company. Later, he wanted to start a jewellery business of his own, and thus Bhandari Collection came into being. It had started around 18 months back, and made only imitation jewellery. Recently, around 6 months ago, it has started making gold and diamond jewellery.
5.
MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT
Nasibpur (Imitation Jewellery) This is a village area, where all the works are done in small huts. More than 50 workers, including women, work here. Women work at a separate hut. There is a supervisor who keeps a watch on all the work being done. The workers do their work in a stress free environment, along with entertainment. They play music and work. Thus, they do not lose the enthusiasm towards their work. As the place is a village, it is pollution free and experiences good weather conditions. Moreover, people make efforts to keep the place as clean as possible.Thus, they work in great working conditions and the manufacturing environment is quiet friendly. Girish Park (Diamond Jewellery) This place is in North Kolkata, a part of the proper city. The processes are carried out in different places. For example, the stone setting is done at a place, and the mould making is done at some other place in the same area. The works are done inside small rooms of two to three storied old houses in obscure bylanes. The rooms are small and many people cannot work there. People working there are highly skilled labours, and they are not guided by any particular person, although their works are checked at regular intervals by a supervisor. The labours work with great enthusiasm there. Thus, the people work in moderate working conditions.
6.
INTRODUCTION TO JEWELLERY DESIGN
Jewellery manufacturing process includes most advance technologies and dedicated research. Jewellery making is a very composite process undergoing a long and slow procedure making it tough from the initial point to the finishing point. Each product undergoes a series of procedures before we get the finished product as a beautiful Jewellery product. The natural components of Jewellery (stones, metals, and accessories) pass through multiple processes. This jewellery is unique and involves a lot of time and skill. Except for personalized Jewellery which is handcrafted, most of the jewellery is executed by casting machines. At the very soul of the jewellery industry lies the designer who sees ideas come alive and become real. It is the art or profession of designing and creating jewellery. This is one of civilization’s earliest forms of decoration, dating back at least seven thousand years to the oldest known human societies in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The art has taken many forms throughout the centuries, from the simple beadwork of ancient times to the sophisticated metalworking and gem cutting known in the modern day. Before an article of jewellery is created, design concepts are rendered followed by detailed technical drawings generated by a jewellery designer, a professional who is trained in the architectural and functional knowledge of materials, fabrication techniques, composition, wearability and market trends. The twentieth century is where this rudimentary change in the public’s attitude towards jewellery design and function is most apparent. Traditionally jewels were seen as sacred and precious; however, notably beginning in the 1900s, jewellery has started to be objectified.
7.
MATERIALS USED
For imitation jewellery, a particular type of metal is used. It is a mix metal of 75% of copper and 25% of brush. This metal is locally known as ‘good metal’. For embellishment purposes, Cubic Zirconia crystals and other non-precious stones and crystals are used. The stones are mostly sourced from Burrabazar, Kolkata. Costing of this metal is 6 Rs per gram Costing of stone is 35 Rs for 100 stones
For gold and diamond jewellery, the following types of gold are used:• White Gold (Nickel + Gold) • Rose and Pink Gold (Copper + Gold) • Green Gold (Green + Silver) • Black Hill Gold Alloys (Yellow + Pink Rose and Green) • Diamond • Other precious stones like Ruby and Emerald
8.
PROCEDURE OF DESIGN MAKING
This is the most vital step in jewellery manufacturing process. It is a stage where in the designer develops an idea for the design, evaluates the idea and translates it into reality. Creativity and imagination are the two skills required for drawing inspiration. Once the idea is conceived, it is sketched on a paper or entered in a computer through Corel. The design is then viewed technically to understand the product and visualize all the aspects of the design. There are 23 techniques used for manufacturing a piece of jewellery. These techniques will give shape to the ideas and create the final product. The designing is done either manually or with Corel designing. In manual designing a minimum of 12 to 15 designs are created by an individual jeweller. Whereas in Corel designing a jeweler creates minimum four designs with complete technical views and details.
Design Conception As the company is completely customer dependent, so the designs are required to be according to the customer needs. Other than that, imitation jewelleries are also made according to occasions. For example, Eid collections and Durga Puja collections are made just before these festivals. Wedding collections are also made in gold, diamonds and stones, but only if a customer places order for that
9.
PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES
Jewellery Production Techniques
Step 1: Design making Initial step is to create a design. The process of blueprint Designing is carried out by craftsman using techniques and methods handed down over decades. Each jewellery holds traditional motif with concept. This concept is basically rough design. The final design that comes is the result of co-operation between the designer and craftsman.
Step 2: CAD CAM PROCESS CAD has opened up a new era of creativity which is still at a nascent stage in the jewellery industry largely due to the traditional outlook of many a jeweller. However, with the many advantages of CAD there has been a growing trend to embrace this technology. Evolving technologies have brought in numerous jewellery manufacturing service providers who are now providing CAD/CAM facilities at more affordable prices. CAM is software that links CAD in such a way that the output from CAD is executed directly by machines which are linked to the system in a production line The CAM system is categorized into two types Subtractive Prototyping and Additive Prototyping. Subtractive Prototyping- In this technique planned tool movements cut away extraneous material from the work piece to form the required design part. Processes include milling, turning or drilling. Additive Prototyping- In this technique a design part is built up by adding layers of material upon each other directly linked with a 3D model (CAD) i.e. Growing or 3D Printing. The data from the 3D CAD model is converted by the manufacturing equipment into many thin layers building up the final design part.
Step 3: MOULDING Once the master piece of Jewellery is complete, it is used to make a high technology mould, which in turn is used to make wax reproductions of the Jewellery. After the sketch is complete with all the fine details, it is passed on to the moulding section. In the moulding department the very experienced professional moulders then turns the sketch into a master mould which sets the base for the total process there from. The master mould is a very complex level of crafting as the final outcome rests on the master mould.
Step 4: CASTING Casting again is a very complex process and requires utmost skilled and experienced casters for the desired final product. The wax is poured in rubber mould which have the design already et5ched in it. The wax piece inserted takes its shape. Later on Liquefied metal is then poured into the flasks, allowed to cool, then demolished to reveal the Jewellery in casting form: It consists of following: Rubber Mould Once the master piece of Diamond Jewellery is complete, it is used to make a high technology rubber mould. After the sketch is completed with all the fine details, it is passed on to the moulding section. In the moulding department the very experienced expert professional moulders turn the sketch into a master mould which sets the base for the total process. The master mould is a very complex level of crafting as the final outcome rests on the master mould.
WAX INJECTING The wax replicas are placed in steel containers which are then occupied with a chemical powder and the containers are heated in a chamber to 550°c which solidifies the powder and melts the wax leaving behind a perfect effect.
WAX SETTING After the application of the wax it is set in the mould according to the design. The appropriateness of this act ensures the quality of the final product.
DIAMOND ASSORTMENT After wax setting diamond assortment is made because the diamond piece/pieces are required to be fitted in this Jewellery according to the size and shape of the diamond.
WAX TREE Once the wax pieces pass the QC (Quality Control) test, they are soldered on a wax rod. This process is known as “treeing”. Generally, pieces of the same family like bracelets or rings are put together on one tree. A sprue is attached to each piece which in turn is attached with the rod. The sprue should make an angle of approximately 45 degree with the stem. The tree should be such that the heavier items should be at the bottom of the tree and the lighter ones at the top. After the wax sprue tree is ready, it is adhered to a rubber base and placed inside an open-ended stainless steel flask (cylinder). The cylinder is sealed using adhesive tape so that the mixture when poured during investment process does not leak out.
 METAL CASTING MAKING METAL TREE Metal is cast by melting it and pouring it into a mould. This method is perfect for making three dimensional pieces. Casting helps to make more than one piece of exactly the same design. The process of casting involves six steps. Once the wax tree is ready, it goes through investment, burnout, alloying, melting, graining, cleaning and squelching processes. (a) Metal is cast by melting it and pouring it into a mould. This method is perfect for making three dimensional pieces. Casting helps to make more than one piece of exactly the same design. The process of casting involves six steps. Once the wax tree is ready, it goes through investment, burnout, alloying, melting, graining, cleaning and squelching processes. Here is a detailed explanation of each step. (b) Investment Cycle: This is an eight-step procedure and it is a precise one that should be completed in a short time frame. Following are the steps in the Investment Cycle procedure:
 CUTTING AND SEPARATING, FILING As the name suggest, this step involves the cleaning of metal. After casting, the flask is air cooled for 15 to 18 minutes. It is then inserted into warm water and the metal tree is removed and cleaned with water jet. All the investment powder is removed from the gold pieces. It is then put into 10% Sulphuric acid for oxidation which removes carbon and other impurities present on the metal tree. This is followed by few minutes of ultra-cleaning. The trees are then cut to get jewellery pieces which are checked for porosity, roundness, roughness and holes etc. The final pieces are then sent to the central department.
 POLISHING Every part must be polished while the mount is being made. The entire mount is carefully made clean and polished to the highest degree of smoothness so that each and every part is attractively polished. After stage setting, the polish man is credit worthy for giving the Jewellery a concluding polish. All tinctures of the polishing compounds and 'rouge' must be meticulously got rid of either by careful washing by hand or by use of supersonic cleaning baths. After finishing the assembly work every part must be polished while the mount is being made. The entire mount is carefully made clean and polished to the highest degree of smoothness so that each and every part is attractively polished off. All chemicals of the polishing compounds must be thoroughly get rid of either by careful washing by hand or by use of cleaning baths.
 FINISHING Once the casting process is over and the caster delivered the products to the following department, these are then foiled extreme attention for a smooth and soft finish. These castings are then hand finished in order to meet high standards - adding adjustments and settings before being delivered.
 PLATING Considerable technical improvements have been made in plating, especially as used in the Jewellery trade. Most plating is done by electro-deposition, rhodium, copper, chromium or other metals 88 being practiced by passing an electric current through a solution and then channelizing the plating metal from the piece of pure metal to the object set aside in the solution. Sincere attention must be paid to fabricating and polishing procedures because it is vitally significant. Plating operations generate hazardous waste when the plating solution is rinsed off work pieces, which contaminates the rinse water. Waste generated from plating operations can be reduced through good operating and maintenance procedures and by carefully controlling rinsing practices
10. PACKAGING Packaging is the technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale and use. It is one of the most vital post-production processes. After packaging, a product must always be labeled. In this company, labeling is done to indicate the product code and the price. In case of the imitation jewelleries, after the manufacturing process is done, the jewellery pieces are wrapped in cloth paper for protection from dust and other elements, which might cause damage to the jewelleries or might react with the metal resulting in change of colour. Then, those are packed in sealed plastic packets and are shown to customers. If the customers like any of the products and places order, then that particular jewellery is packed in jewellery boxes of appropriate size and is sent to the customer.
11. METHODS OF SELLING The manufactured and packed products are sold to two categories of buyers. A part of the total number of jewelleries is sold to jewellery retail stores as per their placed order. Swarna Kuthir and Mina Jewellers of Howrah, West Bengal are a few examples of the retail stores where the products are sold. The remaining products are used as samples to show to customers. As the company does not have any retail outlet or showroom, the owner hands over the products to a few trustworthy people known to him, and they show the products to people known to them, who are interested to buy the products. From there, the customers select the jewelleries of their choice and places order for those. The placed order is accepted by the owner. If the jewellery is readily available, then it is packed and sent back to the customer and the money is sent back to him. If the particular piece of jewellery is not available at that time, it is newly produced and then sent to the customer.
12. COSTING After a temporary packaging, the cost price of the products is calculated. Then, the sell price is decided, keeping a particular amount of profit on the cost price of each product. Any kind of shipping cost is not included in it as the products are directly handed over to the customers. The costing of the jewelleries is dependent on the following factors:
Raw materials Labourers’ wage Finishing and plating Packaging
The costs of manufacturing of the jewelleries of this company are given below: Imitation Jewellery - Rs 100 to Rs 5000 Gold and diamond jewellery – Rs 1000 to Rs 1 crore
COSTING OF RAW MATERIALS Metal for Imitation Jewellery (good metal) – Rs 6 per gram AD stones - 100 piece for Rs 35
LABOURERS’ WAGE Rs 10 for filing and polishing of a jewellery Rs 40 for setting 100 AD stones
PACKAGING Depends on customer need Rs 50 for each jewellery in average
13. ABOUT THE LABOURERS As the sector is highly labour-intensive, its dependency on craftsmanship is very high. For instance, the cutting and polishing of diamonds and coloured gems, which are soft stones, requires immense care on the part of the labourer. Although some activities in the cutting and polishing of gems are mechanised, the sector still requires skilled craftsmen to achieve precision in diamond cutting. Availability of skilled manpower is a key strength that has enabled growth and expansion of the company. The company has a large pool of skilled artisans with vast traditional knowledge and expertise in jewellery making. The number of labourers associated with the company numbers to around 70, including labourers at both Nasibpur and Girish Park. The labourers are highly skilled craftsmen and have good amount of knowledge about jewellery making. A brief detail about the labourers is given below:Residence – Some of the labourers working at Girish Park have their residences in villages of nearby districts like Hooghly, Burdwan, etc. They stay back in Kolkata for the week till Saturday, and leave for their home during the
weekend. Other labourers are mostly localites, staying in Kolkata or in nearby areas. Those who work at Nasibpur are mostly from Nasibpur or Singur.
Work timings – 10 A.M. to 4 P.M., lunch break is provided. Saturdays are half working days and Sundays are holidays.
Age – Age has no bar for working in this company. Anyone who is skilled enough can work here. However, child labour is strictly prohibited in this company.
Wages: Daily wage labourers – Earns Rs 150 to Rs 200 daily. Monthly wage labourers – Earns Rs 8500 to 9000 per month.
14. SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability, although based on simple principles and old practices, is a difficult feat to achieve in present-day society. Over-consumption and materialism create a facade that leads people to believe they are above the laws of nature — but the good news is companies are taking steps toward achieving sustainability. The sustainability of a company is directly dependent on mostly the quality of its products and the services provided by them to the customers. Again quality of products is dependent on the quality of raw materials procured and the methods used for the production. Thus, sustainability is a question which has a number of answers. A detailed analysis of sustainability of the company is discussed below.
Bhandari Collection had started around 1.5 years ago as an imitation jewellery manufacturing company. There were only a few people who worked under Mr. Bhandari as labourers. The business went quite well and enough amount of profit was being earned. Thus, after around one year, the company expanded and moved into gold, diamond and precious stone jewellery as well. Till date, the company has maintained its sustainability. But, the question arises whether the company will be able to maintain it in future as well. The answer lies in the following factors which affect the sustainability of the company:-
Quality of product – This company uses the best quality stones sourced from Burrabazar, Kolkata at reasonable price. The metal used in making the imitation jewellery is quite environment friendly and reduces chances of damage. Profit earned – The company gains enough amount of profit which can be easily re-invested in this business for its expansion an improvements. Post-sale services – The company provides a warranty of 1 year on colour from the date of manufacturing. Offers – Discounts are offered at specific times of the year which attract more customers during those times. Target market – The company caters to Kolkata, and the people of this city are very much enthusiastic about buying precious as well as imitation jewellery. Thus, the company has a well accomplished target market.
Thus, after analyzing these factors, only positive answers are obtained every time. The company is market dependent and does not fail to fulfill the expectations of the customers. Thus, it can be surely concluded that the company can maintain its sustainability in future as well.
15. POSSIBILITY OF INNOVATION Innovation is very crucial to the continuing success of any business. Innovation can be viewed as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, inarticulate needs, or existing market needs. This is accomplished through more effective products, processes, services, technologies or ideas that are readily available to the market. IN DESIGN - Can collaborate with creative and skilled designers to create better and innovative pieces of jewellery. COMMUNICATION – Can launch its own website. Has a facebook page OUTLET - Putting up stores in different Durga puja pandals. Has recently got a space for putting up a stall at Hatibagan.
16. CONCLUSION I am very glad in doing my industry introduction in this company. Got a lot of opportunity to learn whole process . Even I am still working with Mr Sujit Bhandari. Handling the facebook page and also helping him in putting up the outlets stores in Durga puja.