General Repairs for Diamond Setting

GENERAL  REPAIRS  FOR  DIAMOND - GEMSTONE  STONE  SETTING!

    This list of trouble-shooting repair duties are geared mainly for the jeweller who does the general form of basic setting repairs at their bench!

Although this essay was written about 15 years ago, it's good to rewrite this again for this useful blog and it's just for YOU!

1) For Centre stones, it is far better to just lower the diamond in the old setting than to retip with 4-6 new claw tips. Although the stone is somewhat lower in the head, it alleviates much of the stress of soldering new tips, by the jeweller.

2) For resetting bead-set diamonds, just be careful, that the metal is thick enough to sink down the diamond into the metal. The absolute minimum should be for .01 - .03 pointers is 0.75 millimeters.

3) For multi-diamond cluster rings. Re-align all of the claws, then check for stone security.

4) Before accepting and items for repairs, examine for wear on the supporting gallery, is the jewellery item worth the effort? How long will it last for?  It can be "a ring from Hades?"

5) My motto is: "once you start working on it, fix it, finish it & get rid of it! Do it so it won't burden your time and haunt you later.

6) For bezel work, it’s far easier to make a new bezel, for the original stone than to waste your time with the worn and abused frame. The finished results will be more gratifying to you and the customer. Not to mention how much happier the client will be...and of course YOU!!!

7) I won't want to choose to re-setting a centre diamond. At times it is necessity to reset the diamond in a new "head", then to re-tip & it looks much cleaner. The decision is up to you, as you are the jeweller!

8) Don't use solder to retip. Use gold tips, or you will be troubled by discolouration of the solder at the joint of the two metals. Make the finishing of the claws very clean looking. Always leave the job clean so while you are polishing your item, you won’t have to waste precious time.

9) If the customer asks, "can you fix this setting?" Never say, “I'll try” and have you marry the ring from Hades. This customer may turn out to be one of the most excruciating clients you might ever want to meet. If your gut feeling is to say "don't do it" then say it! Look at the grief you just saved yourself! (I can speak from experience!)

  10) If you have to remove a stone from the bezel, BREAK OUT THE SYNTHETIC STONE!

  It’s easier to buy a new stone than to ruin the mount and start re-building a ring.

 This can happen at any time.

11) Check out the settings and its stones, place the whole item into a sieve or a lid-covered tea strainer and place it into a sonic-cleaner for 10 minutes. Then steam it out afterwards. How many stones are loose or have fallen out? Better there than at your bench or at the polishing machine.

Remember when your metal expands due to soldering. Your stones might get loose!

12) As a Diamond Setter, it is my job on many occasions, not too start the job for the impending doom that might befall the enclosed diamond or genuine stone. If the diamond is  heavily included, Emerald, Opal, or any other kind of gem-stone, is in a rather dangerous condition, it is my responsibility to advise the client immediately, if not sooner!

13) If your jewellers are setting pave', be very careful on making sure that the metal is thick enough to take the necessary diamonds. I once had to set .003 pts in metal that was only .04 mm's in thickness.

14) Where there are genuine stones, remove them from the setting, under no instances should you attempt the soldering process, where there are Emeralds, Opals, Turquoise, Coral or any soft stone. Don't tell me that you are sure you won't break or burn them. YOU WILL!  If you persist, you will be looking for another stone to replace the one you just burned,  trust me!

15) When setting centre stones. Please make sure that ALL the claws are pre-polished, once the diamond is in, no way can you polish the new head after it's been finished.

16) When there is a loose diamond, that is in the ring and ready to give to the client. I always secure the loose stone with a little "wire-bead". Do not hammer after, or press-over the claws again. You might have to re-polish the mount, I even use this method in a bezel-setting. Just a securing method that works all the time.

17) When breaking out CZ's the stones explode when breaking apart! Please wear glasses. I said this before, Please wear glasses! I've seen too many setters with splinters in their eyes over this procedure. I took one fellow to the hospital with this problem! Why do they explode? These stones are set into wax under great pressure and the wax retains that stress on these stones. Only at this stage of removal will they endanger yourself.

 So when these old stones are ready to be removed, please be 'very eye-careful'! My glasses form-fit my face and my only two eyes that I have been given since birth!..:>)