Setting your EXPENSIVE, "Princess-Cut", Square Diamond.

THIS ESSAY, IS A TWO PART SERIES!

                                        I've never written two sections for any essay.

                               There are times where 2 sessions are really necessary. 

 One of the most "Difficult Center" stones to work on is a Square-Stone a.k.a. Princess Stone! 

One claw can give you a rough time, but now you have 4, Vee-shaped claws to deal with now.

 I would give this project a "Difficulty Level of 35, out of 10". In Diamond Setting, it is said that there are no SHORT CUTS, (but for this project) how true this is.

Many stone settings are worked with "Computer Aided Designing", but to allocate Princess, Square-Setting to "CAD", this is not possible. All of this Diamond Setting is done by hand.

NOTE: If you see "a few pictures" that are repeated, my appologies, many times one picture can be used for different reasons.

The very first picture to be seen here is a rough casting. What I do is to put the ring into my "Magnetic Tumbler'. This apparatus literally cleans every bit of the inside of the 'basket' where the 4-claws are now being held together, this uses "steel pins".

 

I will leave this 'tumbler' on for at least 15-20 minutes, from my experience "the longer it's on, the more the merrier!"

 These "steel pins", as they are rotating, literally get into areas where your files and polishing wheels just can't seem to manage to get into!!!

 I will now put my round bur against and inbetween the "Vee", as where the 2 sides merge together. I will allow the bur to come down to a depth of 1/3 from the top of the "Vee" to where the bur will now rest. Please allow the bur now to rest against the basket top.

The round bur is now rotating at a slow speed, "slow" means that you can see the bur turning. 

 I need to have the round bur size of #006, or #007 (maximum) go deep enough that the 4-points of the Diamond, not touch the corners of the metal. THIS IS SO VERY IMPORTANT.

 If you have the point of the stone touch the metal and push over the metal, the chances of breaking are extremely high in damaging one, or all of the 4 corners.

 With your Bud-bur of #006 or perhaps a #007, cut the metal as being shown here in this photograph. The stone angle is at 45-degree, this will allow the 2, "Vee-shaped" claws along with the Pavillion of the stone, to rest against each other.

 If you don't shave off the corners of the contact spot, you could break the diamond just where the stone will be resting or touching.

BTW, the costs of this stone are extremely high, as compared to any other shape.

 "Cost of Princess-Stone Breakage" is not in the cost of stone setting. I can't give you the cost of stone setting as some cities, might charge you more than others.                                            

 Between the two,"Vee-shaped Claws", the cutting-down edges, must MUST BE TOTALLY REMOVED. These look just like razor blades but PLEASE @ 45-degree angles.

                 

                           

   The Pavillion could easily be broken as this edge of the stone must be first angled cut. If not, "bye-bye diamond!" 

 These bearings for the Gridle of the Diamond must be shaped with your Bud-Shaped bur. I suggest a bud-bur width of approximatley #006 to #007, To quage properly is to align the bur against the girdle of the stone, if the Girdle is 0.07mm's then I will guage the bur at 0.08mm's.

 BUT NEVER THE SAME WIDTH AS THE STONE. Not too often will you find the girdle to be the same width as the bur. This is only an approximation on all four girdle-sides. 

 (All four sides of the stone will NEVER be the same, this is from my own approximation from 60 years of experience...!!!)

All four corners of the ring must allow the 4 corners of the stone to be set with no problems!

     

 If you can set the Princess stone with no problems, then you can, with no problem set any Triangular stone. How is this possible?

The "Princess, Square-Cut" stones have 4 claws, and of course the Triangular stone has only three claws! It's simple as that!!!  

       

Please make sure that your stone is set evenly and "not slightly crooked" (as shown here!)

I showed this picture to you, just to see how easy it is in the stone setting, can happen & with so little effort.

How can this be avoided? Just make "sure that your bearrings are evenly carved out.

 I made an effort to allow this stone setting, but for this essay, "I decided to leave it in, just for you"!

        

 Again, this stone is just a little crooked, but this is just barely ... 50% acceptable!

How can I repair the setting of the stone? The problem is rather an easy attempt in repairing the stone-setting. Allow your side-cutting pliers to move out 1, or 2 claws to move outwards, on one side. The stone can be easily removed..in other words "get it out" and re-cut the claws...EVENLY on all 4-sides!

 To set the stone with 'poor results' was not as easy as you might expect..:>(

I would use an "Snap-On, Emery Wheel, MEDIUM cut", (these brown paper disks on either end of the tray) just for one purpose and that is to reduce the claw tips down to an acceptable level. The claws are right now, too high and must be made to be much lower. How much lower you ask?

 They must rest at a level that the "tips of the claws" sit just above the 'Table Facet". Right now they seem to looking like "blocks of metal" they are looking like just an ugly mass of metal. 

 I might even suggest they should not be laying flat, but they must be laying at approximately 20 degrees away from the forward section of the Vee, agree with me on this?

The stone is also crooked, (from the high side on the left.)

(Another poor setting results). The claw on the far-left hand corner, the claw isn't against the stone at all. How can this be repaired? It can be repaired with the greatest of care, if not, you might just break the fragile stone in the process! 

With your same "pair of holding" pliers, slowly bend-back that one claw, that is not over the stone.

 Basically, this is a "file to trim" procedure, this is on all of your 4 claws!

This is done with your "Triangular file of 8" inches & #4 grit all of the 4-claws must be filed evenly & everywhere.

 When this is done! Kindly use your Pumice wheel of #180 grit with a 7/8" inch diameter, then followed with your (4 wheels) Pink-Coloured, "FINE" #1,000 grit (Polishing) Pumice wheel.

The (2 Blue-grey) wheels are the #180 Grit.

Both of these wheels come in two shapes, "Flat and Tapered", when you have a flat surface, then use your FLAT Pumice wheel. 

All of this MUST BE USED LONG BEFORE YOU USE YOUR POLISHING CLOTH WHEEL.

 When you have 'split surfaces' to deal with, then I heartily suggest using your Tapered wheels.

This procedure makes your life so much easier to work in the final cleaning & polishing..OY & whew!

With your Triangular files and #4 grit wheels, evenly trim and make these claws not looking like 4 pieces of metal on the 4 corners!

 In the next essay (#2, of 2) on this ring, I will delve into executing the finer trimming process not fully covered in this essay, so sorry!

 With your Triangular file of 8 inches in length, and of course @ #4 grit. You can now trim these

V-shaped claws to make them looking...just what your client wants...a fantastic looking ring!

"Where every your file went, your Pumice wheel (of your choice) will surely follow!" Keeping these claws nice & evenly trimmed...everywhere!

 Just make sure that your stone is properly aligned FLAT (a.k.a. not crooked).

 

In this essay closing, keep those claws evenly trimmed, nothing worse than a nicely set stone, but these claws looking like a "disaster zone"!

 IN MY FOLLOWING ESSAY (2, of #2) on this "Princess-Cut", Diamond ring. I will show you how to "Bright-Cut" the inside of these 4, 'Vee'-shaped claws! 

 How many Diamond Setters actually know how to do this remarkable and hardly ever seen finishing technique?

  Here is my email address and I'm located in the area of Toronto, Canada.

"Gerrylewy18(at)gmail.com"