Bland's Jewelry • Taylor
Bland's Jewelry • Taylor
Written by Beth Wade Wednesday, 07 November 2007
Jeweler brings 43-years experience to custom pieces.
Robert Bland grew up watching his father, who owned a jewelry store in Temple, make jewelry and set stones.
“I was interested as a teenager, but my daddy didn’t have patience,” Bland said. “So, what I learned from him was visual.”
At 17, Bland went to work at Zale’s Jewelry in downtown Temple. His first day on the job the manager asked him to set a quarter karat diamond. Not really knowing what to do and not having any stone-setting experience, Bland said he called his father, who walked him through the process. That was the beginning of his stone-setting career. Forty-six years later, he is still learning.
Bland opened his store in Taylor in 1984 and has operated out of several locations throughout the years.
He has been open and operating in downtown Taylor for the past six years.
“It means something to us to help downtown revitalize itself,” he said. “I love this store [location] because you are going to talk to me when you come in.”
The store offers a wide variety of clocks, Pulsar and Seiko watches, Fenton Art Glass, rings and other jewelry, some of which is custom-made by Bland.
But beyond the items he sells, Bland is all about customer service and making sure his customers are treated well.
Whether a customer stops by for a free five-minute cleaning, which he stresses, is very important, or is having a family diamond reset, Bland ensures all of his work is satisfactory.
“We are all about customer service,” Bland said. “When you deal with a mom-and-pop jeweler, you get good customer service. If you have a good reputation and you treat people right, they’re going to come back.”
During his years in the business, Bland has seen changes in the City of Taylor. Some of his first clients now have children coming to the store to buy engagement and wedding rings, he said.
“There have been so many changes in the economy through time. There were four local jewelers when I came here, and I’m the last one left. The ‘Last of the Mohicans,’” he said. “It’s tough. I’m not rich by any means, but I feel very successful, and I think the No. 1 reason is because I do everything myself.”
Steps to creating a custom-made ring
- The customer helps determine what the ring will look like.
- A wax artist sculpts the piece from a block of wax.
- The wax ring is sent to a caster and turned into a rubber mold.
- The rubber ring is placed in a crucible and plaster is poured inside.
- The plaster is heated in a jeweler’s oven to remove the rubber.
- Gold is heated into a liquid and poured into the crucible.
- The crucible spins, bringing the liquid gold into the mold.
- The hot gold is then put in ice water to shatter the plaster.
- The ring is put in a tumbler with pellets and soap to polish.
- The ring is sent to the jeweler to set any stones and finish the polishing.
- The customer picks up the ring.
Bland’s Jewelry, 302 N. Main St., Taylor, 352-5097
0 Comments 
