Archived notes on Diamond Setting

From the Diamond Setting bench of “gerrylewy18@gmail.com”

Still more additional notes on…Diamond Setting!

(These are a compilation of more setting notes from 2005 A.D.) 

What is the minimum thickness of metal to bead set .01 pt. diamonds?

    Well from my experience the metal in question should be no thinner than .75 mm. The optimum thickness could be in the range of .8 – 1.0 mm. Why this range? It is because of the beading-raising tool should not go through the gold as it’s been created. The diamond still as to “have a seat” to be secure and the Culet should not show through the bottom.

What happens when you wish to solder and customer’s dirt is visible?

   Just do really two easy things, and that is to clean it in either the ultrasonic – cleaner or steam, but get it clean! If you go ahead and apply heat to all of the ‘grunge & dirt” that gets caked on and it’s pretty difficult under normal circumstances. You might have to soak it in lye overnight, or in a pickling agent for hours!

Ring Mandrel; with a groove?

   Ring mandrels are used for sizing rings now as well as bezel and for channel setting.

In the case of a bezel setting, this piece of equipment can be very helpful. It can free up one hand, get close to the work and see just where the hammer should hit. The ring as it’s been secured into the bench allows for a chance not to have you get tired out holding the ring. All of these little actions gives you a chance to do better work.

 Now why the groove? Glad you asked if, for some reason that the item you are working on has a protruding Culet, the ring will have no chance to have that Culet be damaged from the continuous hitting. You can also adjust the force of the hitting action to suit the pressure of your hammer. Yes, you might add that I have to turn the ring around continually, but the labour wasted, is far better than misjudging the ‘hits’. If you wish to use your Reciprocating Hammer, you again can still use your mandrel but you now can have a free hand to hold the stones securely. Even with hammering, check for the Culet exposure.

Are you wasting precious time? 

   Look for a peg-pad that has little spaces for your burs, lay them out in sequential order (larger to smaller). Why have them laid on your benchtop in total disarray? On my benchtop, I have seven bur-pads just for my different styles of burs…Round, Bud, 156C, and “77B” cup-burs. I don’t waste my time looking for one bur somewhere laying around my desktop!

The hand tools that I don’t need, are stored in my bench drawers, out of sight, kept away from my hands, not getting accidentally stabbed. As for my hand tools, all the separate gravers with their uses are kept with the same handle. Again, time-saving for easy retrieval at a seconds notice. For example; my “Flat graver #40” is always in my "wine-coloured" handle.

How can you clean your oil-stone? 

    First of all, remove as much of the oil that been sitting on the steel impregnated "India FB6" (8 inches in length, by 2 inches wide) with a cloth so the residue of tissue paper doesn’t remain for the next step. If you shop around at your convenience store, please purchase some lighter fluid and let a few drops settle on the stone. With your magnet just gently run it along the surface of the fluid, not on the stone. Why?

As you are running the magnet along the oil-stone, you will see the steel particles lift off from the lighter fluid. Interesting isn’t it? Wipe off the residue, pour more fluid again and repeat until you are satisfied with the cleanliness of the stone. If you are continually grinding your gravers on a soiled stone you are then “pushing” more particles INTO the stone at each draw of the graver.

Why is your ring slipping around the clamp?

Nothing so inherently dangerous as when you are doing some bead raising and you find that your ring is slipping around the tightened clamp. What would you do now, remove the leather ring pad and turn it around and glue again the leather to the wood? Hence a more secure and safe to work ring clamp.

Wipe off any residue glue and trim the leather to make sure both items are smooth to your touch. If you feel that the leather is too thin, replace with a thicker leather that can be bought from any “shoe-repair” store.

Plastic versus Wood ring clamps, which and why?

Every hand of any trades-person has the tendency to perspire. More or less the hand and the clamp have to breathe. If the clamp is plastic, there is no chance for the hand to give up the moisture while being built up. When the clamp is made of wood the clamp can now have a pleasant association. I find also that the wood is sometimes lighter to hold and not so tiring. Plastic is heavier in general, no transferring of moisture can ever be achieved. Hence, perspiring hands while you are working, not too pleasant is this?

Communication

   When two people are speaking and one of them is the trades-person there will a modicum of the difference of ideas and how the others perceive the “word”. Now let’s go two steps ahead and visualize the following scenario 1) Customer, 2) Store owner, 3) Staff, then the 4) Jeweller, 5) Setter. Each with their own interpretation of the facts. Time passes and the facts are now even been forgotten.

 The problem is that there are too many people are getting involved and the original idea is lost or misrepresented.

  This will lead to a complete communication breakdown of what the customer originally asked for. For example; 1.00 carat diamond in 18 kt. yellow, 4-claws will probably get 14kt yellow with an 18kt 6-claw head for a 1.00+ centre stone…duh? Loose, size 6 gets you size 6 ¼. Already you are getting my drift, so what do you do?

 Write down all of the instructions, pictures or copies of customer’s ideas and have their initials…everywhere.