THE 21ST CENTURY FIRE-EATER
In this article my aim is to excite, motivate, predict and explain From my point of view and with my experience of more than fifty years in this sector, I will try to explain myself as well as possible, so first of all I will define Fire Puncher.
The fire puller, within jewellery making, is the main craft through which a piece of jewellery is made, developed and finished.This is independent of other trades such as the gem-setter who sets the gems, the polisher who finishes the piece, the electroplating expert, the lapidary who prepares the gems for the jewellery, etc...
This is also a bad time for jewellery sales, certainly, but at the same time, we live in creative years like at the beginning of the last century. That is why every creative craftsman has the best years ahead of him to be able to differentiate himself from the increasingly developed mass production.
In the jewellery trade, the fire pullers (a name little known to the public, who are only familiar with the generic name of jeweller) With today's tools, imagination and knowledge of parallel trades, they will be able to experience the best moments of jewellery making and make a name for themselves by developing their skills with great satisfaction.
At present, the Fire Puncher has to be aware of the gems in demand by the public, what the lapidary cuts, the preferred colours of gold, their current combinations, having knowledge of fashion and the most popular colours, the trendy brands, etc. In addition He has to know that he is a link, not a separate one, to the tastes of the main customers, which are women. She has to be up to date in the world of hairdressing, cosmetics, make-up colours, accessories, shoes and much more. All this without forgetting the man who has his own tastes and lives his life in a modern context.
When the Sacador de Fuego understands the moment he is living, knows how to adapt to all these small fashion components and joins forces with a good salesman who understands all this, success will be assured.
35 years ago, the fire puller wanted to compete with the machines in the perfection and finishing of the jewellery but it was a tremendous mistake, Therefore, only those who were imaginative stood out. The lost wax casting brought with it the ugliest years of jewellery, the fire-puller did not understand that the lost wax was just another tool in his work; a lot of jewellery was sold but few pieces with class and true style.
I insist that the coming years will be important for all craftsmen who see the future with imagination and for those who know how to use the tools this century provides us with.. It will be less jewellery but better targeted to a different and changing public, too. forecast to decrease jewellery trades by 40%.
The union of the fire-puller, enamellers, engravers, lapidaries, engravers, foundry specialists, artists trained in the fine arts and young people who are computer-trained in the creation of new designs, will be able to make the new jewellery industry famous. It is not only this craft but also other crafts that will be able to survive the first twenty years of this century.
I hope that my son, who is going through such interesting and profound changes, with the training he has, will be able to develop all the ideas I bring him, as well as to optimise my advice.
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Diego González Blasco
Qualified as a Fireman by the Escuela Sindical de Madrid 1963.
