All that Glitters

Southland Times, Issue 20395, 26 January 1928, Page 11

All that Glitters

A Modern Jeweller s Store

Visit to Messrs. Reins Ltd.

THE ART OF DECORATION

Truly “all that glitters is not gold,” but a large proportion of the stock to be found in a modern watchmaker’s and jeweller’s establishment, as typified by Messrs N. J. M. Rein’s, is of this precious metal, or some other metal just as precious. Personal adornment appears to have been among the very first objectives on which the invention and ingenuity of man were exercised ahd there is no record to be found of any people—even the most primitive—so dull and unimaginative as not to employ some kind of personal decoration. As a more cultured mode of life evolved this art developed and its practice became universal, both in the sense that all mankind acknowledged and appreciated its value and influence and also in the sense that it affected almost every phase of life and activity.

Let us take jewellery first. Gradually the old methods of producing articles of use and beauty were superseded, and various ingenious processes were invented by which greater accuracy in the portions to be repeated in a design could be produced with certainty and economy. The same process was gone through in what might be termed interior decoration, until to-day there is on the market such a diversity of articles for both the purposes mentioned that the casual purchaser of a Christmas present, with no fixed idea of his requirements, is utterly bewildered on entering a jeweller’s shop by the multitudinous array set out so attractively before him. Such a feeling was experienced by a reporter who stepped into Messrs N. J. M. Rein’s shop recently to see what was to be seen. OVERSEAS MARKETS. It has been the aim of Messrs Rein’s, Ltd. in stocking their shop, to search the markets of the world for the best goods available which meet the requirements of local buyers. Under the impression that they can secure better articles in the north, too many people have been in the habit in the past of sending away to make their purchases, but they are now gradually learning that they can shop better here and have taken full advantage of it. When it is said that goods come direct from England, France, Switzerland, America and Germany, and that the firm employs a buyer in London with practically a free hand in the purchase of the latest novelties, the difficulties of a detailed description of even part of the treasure displayed in this up-to-date jewellery store will become apparent. One advantage of having a London buyer who is free to act promptly is that Rein’s Ltd. are supplied at once with the latest products of the manufacturers. For instance, novelty leather bags which were sold at Rein’s at Christmas are only now being brought into the town by indent agents catering for next season’s trade.

Space will not permit of even passing notice of many kinds of personal ornaments, as unlimited in number as they are beautiful in design and construction, coming under the heading of jewellery, and this article will be confined in the main to the larger branches of trade. VALUE OF STOCK.

.The total value of the stock varies from £12,000 to £14,000 —quite a substantial sum when the limitations of Southland’s population are considered. That the enterprise of the firm is justified is shown by the huge annual turnover.

Included in the stock are diamond rings valued at £l5O each, ladies’ wristlet watches valued at £4O apiece, gentlemen’s gold watches valued at £5O, cutlery cabinets at up to £6O. prize cups up to £5O and sports shields up to £45. The visitor who has a look round and prices a few of the ornaments and jewels will quickly realise that a jeweller’s stock runs into money, and that he would not get very far in his inspection of Messrs Rein’s fine showcases before his figures ran into thousands. ABOUT RINGS.

Rings form an interesting study on account of their significance in life to-day. One becomes so accustomed to them that they are apt to be passed over—well, merely as rings.

In the manufacture of rings, taking for instance these of gold, the metal is first melted and poured into moulds. The ingot is then rolled out to the thickness required, roughly shaped, hammered, filled up and joined. This description leaves out technicalities which would serve only to bewilder the reader. All Messrs Rein’s rings are manufactured in New Zealand for the solid reason that duty on the imported article is so high as to be prohibitive. For instance the duty on an imported ring valued at say £3O would be £6. This makes the cost of the imported article disproportionate to its intrinsic value. Thus by local trading the buyer is saved this additional expense and in addition he has the satisfaction of knowing that Messrs Rein’s Ltd. deal only with the principal makers. The rings are all hand forged of eighteen carat gold. By hand forging the gold is made tougher and better able to withstand wear. After the ring has been shaped it is handed on to the setter, who as a tradesman is quite distinct from the jeweller. Great skill and experience are necessary in the proper setting of precious stones. The setter’s problem is how to bring the greatest possible amount 6f brilliancy and colour out of a gem, and the angle at which, say, a diamond shall be set in order that the light shall penetrate at the proper point to bring out the “spark” or “flash is a subject of grave consideration. Stones set in a haphazard slovenly manner, however brilliant in themselves, will look commonplace by the side of skilfully set gems of much inferior quality and water. A CASE OF WONDERS. Many wonderful things go towards the making of a watch. A little knowledge in this case, far from being a dangerous thing, should serve to make their possessors more careful in the handling of them. Parts of many makes of watches are gauged to half the thickness of the finest hair, and screws so small are used that 20,000 could be contained in an ordinary thimble. A watch is expected to run twenty-four hours a day, for 365 days a year, and for years on end. It is expected to keep time at any temperature from 10 degrees below zero to over a hundred degrees above, in moist or dry air and in any position. It must stand the continual jolts and jars of ordinary wear. Still people wonder why they go wrong. . The mechanism is so delicate that the pallets in the escapement strike 18,000 blows in an hour—over 150,000,000 in a ' The movement of the drive of a fast locomotive is a real tortoise compared with the works of a watch. Yet a locomotive is oiled every few hours and a motor every few days with gallons of oil. _ So fine and beautiful is a watch that a single drop of good oil will run it for years, but many persons deny their timekeeper even that. All are aware, of course, that the driving force in the mechanism is the main spring. This cannot be seen as it is contained in a brass box or barrel. In a watch of ordinary size the spring, if straightened out would be twenty-three inches in length. If this is broken by any chance m the centre the watch stops immediately, but if near the outer edge it may run for eight or nine hours. A poor weak spring, strange

to say, lasts longer than a good keen one, but is listless in its action.

Now for a little of the inner workings. From the main spring barrel the power travels through four wheels to what is called the escapement. The teeth of these four wheels must be absolutely exact in size and shape and the pitching of the teeth must run perfectly. In some watches these teeth are one two-thousandth part of an inch in diameter between point and base. The hair-spring is literally as fine as a hair. The steel wire is drawn as thin as a spider’s web, the final drawing being through a diamond with a minute hole. A diamond is used because of its hardness. A hundred miles of steel can be drawn through a diamond without damaging the diameter of the hole, whereas a steel plate would last for only three or four miles of wire.

After the wire has been drawn it is coiled, tempered and blued. The work of marking these springs requires great care and skill.

There are 211 parts in an ordinary standard watch. The saw which slots the heads of the screws is one hundredth part of an inch in thickness. Every one, whether of steel or gold, is perfect in size, shape and thread of screw. In a very small watch the screws in the balance are just like small specks of gold on the wheel, yet these are all essential to its perfect running. The rim of the balance wheel is formed by welding a circle of brass to a circle of steel. As brass expands more rapidly than steel the former is put on the outside and the rim is cut in two places, leaving two small open spaces. When the outside rim expands the steel draws the free ends inwards, thus keeping the wheel the same size. The variation is only a few thousandths of an inch, so it will be seen that a standard of absolutely microscopic accuracy is required. Some of the scales used to weigh the tiny screws employed (in a balance) are so fine that they will weigh a pencil mark on paper. One particular maker has found that on a piece of paper weighing one sixty-five thousandth of a grain the pencil mafk runs out at one five hundredth of a grain.

The jewels in a watch are tiny stones with a polished hole in the centre for the pivots to run in and are about the thickness of ordinary writing paper. Their size is about that of a pin-head. Mr B. C. Galloway, manager of Rein’s, Ltd., gives the following concise advice to watch owners: Wind regularly; don’t attempt to regulate your watch yourself, any watchmaker will do it free of charge; protect it from the weather; don’t give it to the baby to play with; don’t open it in a dusty atmosphere. TOUCH OF HUMOUR.

The business of Messrs Rein’s is not without its humorous side, and Sidey’s Summer Time Bill has done something to make this aspect more apparent. Mr Galloway said it was not uncommon for a watch or clock to be brought in for repairs by some wayback farmer who point blank refused to have it put on an hour in lige with “Town” time. Several had waxed quite indignant when he differed from their point of view. One old lady demanded that her watch be put back to the “Lord’s time.” Such an attitude seems almost incredible in the year 1928. Another gentleman, obviously somewhat out of touch with city ways and ideas, brought in a clock in a very dilapidated condition. Inquiries revealed that he had boiled it under the impression that with a thorough oiling its disinclination to go would be overcome. The suggestion that he should give it to his wife to fry met with a particularly frigid reception. A complete overhauling, however, restored it to its former state. PEWTER WARE. A large trade is done in Pewter ware—an old English craft now happily revived. Thirty years ago an ardent collector of genuine old Pewter decided to revive this interesting old craft and from a very small beginning the enterprise has grown to enormous proportions, extending even to such a far outpost of the Empire as Invercatgill. The designs of the numerous articles vary to suit every taste; some are quite plain, others have an embossed pattern, while a great many have a hammered surface, the artistic effect being entirely produced by hand. Pewter is being used more and more every year to make the home beautiful because of its many appealing qualities, combined with its reasonable cost as compared with silver and high-grade plate. MODELS OF HISTORIC SHIPS. Occupying quite a modest place on the counter of the shop are several models of historic ships. The story of the ocean has been told in countless works of history and romance, but this surely is a particularly artistic way. Anything which can help to symbolise and perpetuate the maritime glories of the country as they were achieved in the days of long ago must be of especial interest to New Zealanders. Thus, besides forming an interesting display in a drawing-room these perfect little models have a sentimental attraction which would in itself recommend them. ENGLISH CHINA. Included in the stock is a large range of English china. The majority of the lovely pieces are hand-painted by such recognised artists as Stinton, Lockyer, Austin and Barker. The china is all of the highest grade obtainable and would grace the table of the most fastidious and critical hostess. PRIZE . CUPS AND SHIELDS. Prize cups and shields are regarded as a specialty by Rein’s, Ltd. Yearly a hundred or more of these handsome trophies pass through their hands, the majority of them being imported articles. Recent sales in this connection are: The Reginald Mackinnon Memorial Cup valued at £5O; the Reginald Mackinnon Silver Shield (for the best managed farm in Southland) valued at 30 guineas and the presentation shield to the Auckland Rugby Union from the Southland Amateur Sports Trust valued at £lOO in appreciation of the number of art union tickets sold in the northern province. This shield was classed by Auckland experts as one of the finest pieces of silver work shown in New Zealand. IN CONCLUSION.

Space has precluded mention of other branches of Messrs Rein’s trade—antiques, bronzes, statuettes, their engraving appliances, their large workshop (in which on the average 1,500 watches are repaired every year), their machine for fitting unbreakable crystals—a modern substitute for glass fronts to watches—their cutlery and plate, their leather work trade and their extensive optical work, but that this particular firm is fully equipped for its work in Invercargill has been made abundantly clear. Quality in the goods sold, value for the price charged, enterprise in bringing the best the market offers to the local buyer, courtesy and service—these are the slogans of the firm. And thanks to the successful prosecution of this policy Invercargill hain Messrs Rein’s, Ltd., a jewellery store that bears favourable comparison with the best in very much larger centres of population.