"SKELETON WATCHES" what are they? (8 photos)

"SKELETON WATCHES" have nothing to do with Halloween. Now that we've got this cleared up, lets move on, agree? 

  These adorable watches have no sort of rudimentary plate covering the outside of the movement. It is for 'us' to view and enjoy how these watches continually operate. You can easily observe the rotating springs, levers & wheels of the date, hour, minute and seconds. 

  I sincerely hope that you enjoyed this tutorial essay on these watches, as I did in collecting them from the outside of the local jewellery stores....Gerry Lewy!

"BEHIND THE SCENES" in Newly-Created Mini-Claws => 21 photos

 In this second of many tutorial essays are more intensive tutorials for you to review.

 In my previous blogs, I've just skimmed over the essential techniques, now and I'm going in much greater detail of why Diamond Setting is a challenging (albeit difficult) skill to learn.

 I'm using a ring that I had laying around my bench. Instead of Pave' stone setting after I Gypsy-set a Genuine Amethyst I thought of  trying a novel approach. Why not just create a Pave' setting from a FLAT surface? Is this possible? Just read further, this is where the fun starts, trust me!

This Difficulty Scale is at '8-9, out of 10'.

 After deciding where the overall stones will be set and their separation, I will make a little indentation in the metal. At this time I drilled a hole exactly where the 'markings' are.

 With my "BUD" shaped bur I chose to open the holes, if a Bud isn't sufficient I'd use a "Round" bur instead. This "Bud" bur is held at an angle, if the stone is not in the correct position, my bud bur 'will move the hole' a millimeter or two. How is this done? I'll just lean the bur at an angle.

This is how the 'bur leaning' looks in greater detail.

  I'm interested in keeping my working areas clean, I'm using a wire-wheel to brush the surface.

 The next few steps are so important that I can't miss any steps in creating the new claws. I must avoid any accidents, if I can't see anything, then problems will easily occur...OUCH!

 

 These few burs that I'm using, should be within close proximatery to my immediate working area.

 I used my Onglette graver, #1 to carve a rudimentary line where the new claws will be positioned.

 Where the original line was cut, I prepared to cut again with my Onglette #2 graver that is highly polished on ONE SIDE. As my graver is narrowed to a fine sharp point, (a Flat graver cannot cut these intricate areas). 

 In between each drilled hole are 2 lines of cutting, I've cut with my mini-shaped bud bur #002 a series of cuts like an X, but now to look almost like :O: + :O: These will now be the beginnings of claws! 

  To review the drilling, I've opened up the holes to accept every round stone.

 To examine the progress of my work, I put my ring sample under the "Electronic, 100x power Microscope". I will never use 'short-cuts'. I must examine how each stone and it's new claws are being used in holding every stone.

 I could use my sharpened graver to give me Bright-Cut ONLY AFTER THE MINI-CLAWS HAVE BEEN MADE. I don't want the burs to ruin any of the delicate graver cuttings.

 Here is a better view on the bud-bur crafting, if I used a graver it wouldn't allow me to cut DEEP in between the close areas. I experimented this process many times before taking photos.

 If one side of the 'cross-cutting' has been completed, I'd turn the ring around to bur-cut again this other side of this mini-line.

 in this photo you can observe where the bur-cutting dug into the metal, then I'll turn the ring around to continue the cutting. This will give me the desired depth, interesting idea. There is now at this point of  touching or hitting the graver cuttings.

I'm using my selection of mini-burs everywhere, why? My gravers just can't negotiate the small spaces to make any sort of line-cuttings.

 I decided for convenience to cut 1/2 of a line, rotate the ring and cut the other side. This will give me a DEEP cutting. Gravers cannot cut a 'long line' in such a very limited space. I'm using only the VERY TIP OF THE BUD BUR. If you wish to use a small #002 round bur, so be it.

 This is my complete assortment of useable burs. I don't want to waste my time in searching in my bench for one much needed bur.

This is my 'finished process' in creating 'new claws' on the side of a ring.

 This alternate pattern can also be used, this "wide ring pattern" originated as flat plate.

I missed taking some important photos, my apologies with this oversite.

"BEHIND THE SCENES" Emerald Stone Setting => 11 photo's

 As I described in a previous essay, setting Emeralds can be a very delicate project, but especially when they happen to be square.

 This is a real challenge when dealing with these 'delicate & soft' gems, as the Mohs Scale of Emerald Hardness is 6 out of 10, and a Diamond is 10.

 The Difficulty Scale is about 15, out of 10, I'm very serious with these numbers.

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 I usually line my stones in a row as I want to see how long in 'millimeters' the row of stones will be. (In Canada, we use the Metric system)

 I must first select if there any wider stones, if there are any, I will put them in the centre of the row. But never at the end, as the eyes will gravitate towards the centre of the setting.

 The very next step is to use a round bur of #003 or #004 and cut & shape the corners of the settings. 

 I WANT ALL OF THE METAL TO BE TOTALLY REMOVED from the 4 corners. This is to prevent any breakage when the stones are being set. This can & will happen so often.

 Once that the corners are cleaned then comes the next step and that is the long row of 'Girdle bearings'. Every aspect of 'cleaning' is so important as just one missed step can fracture a soft stone.

 

At each cleaning, please use your 10x power loupe and examine how the cleaning is being done. Never take any 'short-cuts' (this is really scary stuff here).

 "Breakage can happen without looking for it".

In this particular ring I will separate the claws further with a saw blade of  #004 thickness. Number #002 is too wide as we are only separating the settings, but not removing any metal.

 Make sure that the use of the saw blade 'cuts' straight down. In this photo, you can see that this wasn't the case, there was an error which I did on purpose, just to show how easily things can go wrong so fast.

When the stones are placed into openings, then you can bend the metal over each Girdle of every stone.

The stones must not be 'touching' if any of them are touching, you could very easily break two stones at once. I wrote that this a difficult setting process!!!

Try and keep a little space in between the stones, if you do then your setting problems will minimized.

In separating the individual end bezels I'd use a Triangular file of #4 cut to clean and maintain an even separation.

 In the side view there are some stones that are slanted, or just set with little care. I DID THIS ON PURPOSE just to show how easily things will go wrong.

 You can easily see how the saw-blade went askew. This is why you must be very diligent in everything you do in gemstone setting.

  Another error in 'saw-blade' cutting is shown here, plus the bearings for the girdle are also crooked and not in one straight line.

 I would prior to setting these delicate stones is to open the area for the stones. NEVER JUST SNAP THEM IN "breakage" is a bad friend.

 I would place (but not set) each stone, why? I need to know exactly how each stone is to be set.

 I set one stone and my metal-pusher touched one stone on the Table an look what happened? Can you see just how close the stones are? There is no space in between any of them. OUCH!

 This Emerald setting is not for the beginner, if you need to learn, experiment on Cubic Zirconia and on a silver ring. I did this 'experimenting' in my earlier years, but for this essay, I made numerous errors just for YOU.

"BEHIND THE SCENCES" Multiple Claws (12 photos) Gemstone setting.

 Claw setting now comes in many varieties, from a large collection of fancy-cut stones, all the way up to multiple mini-stones set in one ring. I will now be displaying some of these colourful & ornate rings.

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Triangular shaped stones have two choices in being set. Either having a "V" shaped claw  that are used to protect the sharp corners, or a 'double' claw as shown in this photo.

  In this photo the designer opted for claws on the Emerald-cut stone. This gave the setter an easier chance in having the claws at the rectangular shaped stone. The setter also choose to 'round off' the claw tips (which I prefer).

  In this photos I saw that the designer chose to use just rudimentary 4 tiny claws. In view of these, I would make my choice to be a double-claw system. 

 For this, there would be more security for this expensive Emerald stone. There would be also ample room to put double-claws instead of one!

 It took me many times to get a photo of this ornate looking ring. By the looks of this ring, it appears to be of multiple sections that were very carefully set and then it was soldered from underneath.

                             

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   Here are 'old fashioned cuts' and a diagram showing the reflection of light passing through a gemstone.

 In this photo are Culets of Diamonds that were removed, 'we' don't use this antiquated method today (thankfully). When the Culets were removed there was an 'empty space' from underneath being seen right through the stone.

 I am not in favour of this sort of Diamond Polishing, if it is seen, then the diamond should be again 'recut' to gain more brilliance.

This is a diagram of the angles and heights of how a diamond is shaped  in todays market.

 

This how the light is reflected and 'bounced' through the stone and back to the viewer.

 Where the are sharp corners on the stones it is advisable to drill a round bur into where the it is folding over the Girdle. I would use this for safety of the fine girdle edge, but not for esthetics.

I believe in safety of the stone which is adamant in gemstone setting.

This is the up-close photo of the method that I'm writing about.

 All of these many techniques being shown above come from this simple '4-claw' setting.

 I sincerely hope that this history lesson is valuable to you in learning how diamonds were cut and shaped many years ago...Gerry Lewy!