Do you want to read all of the details? => 12 Photos

           Teeth are very important and so are these photographs.             

  You are now starting to view 40 photographs taken from my setting bench.

 =>NONE OF THESE PHOTOGRAPHS HAVE BEEN PLAGURIZED FROM OTHER JEWELLERY SOURCES. 

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 With this Onglette, Bead Raiser and Twist-Drill, these are my only setting tools that I'm working with.

  Including my setting tools is the shellac-covered, wooden-holder are my basic tools to help me to gently create this 'piece of art'.

   Every hole was drilled and executed with precision that it was a challenge for me. This project lasted 2 weeks of stone setting plus deciding which stone would to be placed where.

 

  Every hole was not just drilled...It was marked in the metal, using a metal scribe and I was carefully pondering where to drill each hole. Once the hole was drilled. I used a bud bur and enlarged each hole to allow each stone to fit into the hole accurately.
 

 The first hole was more than a hole, it was the first step in a pattern of future stone settings. 

  Every metal tooth had a "center-point", from that center-point I guaged where the next group of stones will be set.

  I wanted every beading tool to be able to move metal over the girdle of each diamond.

  My shellac-stick had one task, that one task was hold the row of teeth securely. I wanted the tooth that I was working on had to be in the centre of the shellac stick.

 The shellac-stick had to have a slight recess in the shellac. That 'recess' was against the bench-peg and had to be held steady as a I wanted no movement while I was working with it.

 I chose the best sizes for EACH TOOTH. The center of each tooth had to have the largest stones.

 On the edge of each tooth will be the smallest diamonds. I WORKED ONE TOOTH AT A TIME.

 The center of each hole is where the Pavillion and Culet of the stone will be located. YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE BEADS ARE SITUATED. Now you can see the gradual pattern of the beads taking place for each stone.

 The beads were further apart and closer together near the centre stone.

 After two hours for the individual stone marking, drilling of the holes, choosing which stone to be set first and then the actual setting of the stones. This was not a simple stone setting project.

Photos of TEETH (with no cavities) =>3 photos

  My client gave me an interesting project which was to set 165 diamonds into 14karat 'tooth coverings'.

 

 The next many photo's will explain just how those teeth were set into 14 karat gold.

NOTHING BUT TEETH => 4 photos

These next few essays are all to do with setting diamonds intoTEETH, (just say ahhh!) and enjoy the photos!

 

(Some SERIOUS ERRORS) Wax Stone Setting => 17 photos

 Some of these stones were too hot while being inserted into the wax. You can see that much of the wax has melted ON TO THE SURFACE OF THE STONES!! This will give you many problems.

Be careful that these wax claws are not bent over the stone. "What you see, is what you will get." 

 Don't subject the warm wax & stone => to a HOT temperature. As a HOT stone will quickly melt into the wax creation.

 Even an ill-placed stone like the stone in the center can give you a few headaches. The outside claws look slightly melted.

 This is a wonderful wax pattern, but the main sprue is too thin for the metal to flow during casting.

 I sincerely hope that the square stones (Princess-Cut) won't get chipped during the metal casting. There is a great preponderance to have these delicate stones get chipped.

 Always check to see if any claws aren't missing during the wax injection processes. Always check again to see that all of the patterns & designs are cleaned prior to casting.

Is the wax sprue thick enough for the metal to flow? I would remove it and insert a thicker sprue.

These very delicate claws must be handled with the utmost care. If one or two claws are missing, or the stones are crooked, DON'T HAVE THE PATTERN CAST. Be very gentle with these waxes.

Please don't turn the Rheostat on you wax-pen too high, or the stones will melt into the soft-wax claws.

I've shown this photo before, but look again!

 One stone is too small while the neighbouring stone is too large. One stone on the right, is totally covered in wax and can't be used. This is what happens when the stone has become overheated and actually melted into its claws.

 This the beginning of a Half-Bezel top, everything so far looks just GREAT! The stone and the wax form are of the same size.

 The stone has the right proportions to the bezel. If you can see all of the Table Facets at once, then the stone IS SITTING FLAT.

  THIS WAX AND STONE ARE (almost) READY FOR CASTING.

Look again, there is a slight space under the Girdle of the stone. This appears to me that the stone is not 100% sitting correctly.

  The Table Facet of the stone is now sitting flat. I'd give it a high mark to cast. These photos are training photos for you. Do these wax stone-setting often as this will be true experience for you!

 After you gain experience of the first 50 trial wax settings, you can help other jewellers.

ONLY=> Tube Settings => 15 photos

 The Tube Setting is similar to the Flush stone setting. I am using a modified round bur that will make a seat for the stone to sit.

  In this photo, I will decide where the bearing will be cut.

 The stone is now starting to be held at the correct location in the Tube.

 

  You can see where the groove for the stone is being cut.

 This "Half-Round" is what I created many decades ago and it works so very well.

 With the Reciprocating Hammer I 'moved' the metal down on the edge of the Girdle of the stone. I never hit the metal hard.

The tip of the Hammer Anvil is held at a 45degree angle.

There appears that the rim of the metal has now a flange beyond the rim. This has to be removed as soon as possible!!

 You'll notice that the hammer anvil has not touched the stone. This what I expected, I can even set Genuine Emeralds in this Tube technique.

A gentle filing has removed that 'flange' around the rim. NICE?

 I placed the Tube securely on my shellac stick, as I didn't want any movement while Bright-Cutting the Bezel rim.

 This Bright-Cutting is an exercise in keeping the graver & Tube secure in this delicate time.

 If I used my ring clamp, the Tube might have moved and come loose.

Having the Tube melted into the shellac was a wise decision, as I wanted the Tube Setting to be set without any problems.

 I didn't break off the Tube from the shellac stick. I just heated the surrounded surface and it came off without any effort.

 

Gypsy Setting => 20 photos

  "Gypsy", or as it's commonly known as "FLUSH SETTING" is a smooth way to set gemstones in metal.

I'll be using only a "156C, Undercutting bur" to cut a seat for the intended stone.

 How deep should the stone be? Good question, look bellow.

 Where teeth of the 156C bur are sitting is EXACTLY at the top edge of the metal IS EXACTLY WHERE THE STONE MUST SIT.

  There must be a cutting seat all the way around the hole.

 This is exactly where the Girdle of the stone should be seating. Then the Table of the stone will just never protrude above the surface of the ring.

I finally use a #1,000 grit Pumice wheel to smooth the metal after all of hammering has been completed.

With this ultra-smooth surface, I can now easily hammer the surface leaving no indentations anywhere on the ring.

 

When the gemstone is inserted, I will gladly Bright-Cut the inside of the bezel.

  This photo displays how the inside frame is being cut.

 

The Riveting Hammer must have a very smooth surface with NO SURFACE INDENTATIONS IN IT.
I would use a #400 Emery paper to clean the surface.

Here is a great 600x power magnification after the hammering has taken place.

Even after a few taps with the hammer some marks might appear. Just redo the cleaning again.

This is the resurfaced hammer head again.

If there are defects at the hammer head, then these marks will appear in the ring.

 Just before the hammering starts, the stone must be level and not crooked.

 This is my best photo showing the stone after it has been set. 

 Just a footnote: Please use a #800 grit polishing paper to keep the hammer face SMOOTH.

 Make sure that all of your gravers are well maintained.

 To maintain a smooth paper surface, I apply a soft-pencil to increase the grit from #800 up to an estimated #1,200+ grit.