"Behind The Scenes" => Diamond Setting Tools (36 photos)

 Here are my very own assortment of Diamond Setting tools. They may seem to be extensive, but they give me such wonderful results.

 I'm very sure you have seen every one of them throughout my blog, they might seem very repetitious, but Diamond Setting Tools 'just never go out of style'.

 I could give CAD (Computer Assisted Designing) an extra notice. But at my setting bench, CAD was used extensively long after 'these tools' were created. I was trained as a Diamond Setter 65 years ago and CAD was not even a glimmer in the inventors' eyes.

For your information on this day of August 9th, 2023, there has been 70,018 visitors to our blog and is now seen in 94 countries. There are now 283 tutorial essays. All I can say is a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone & everywhere.

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 In this box are my favourite burs that are used specifically for making 'bearings' for engagement claw rings. These burs are cut exactly to the dimensions to the shape of diamond.  

 I use every size of these "High Speed Steel" (aka HSS burs) I don't want to be searching for one bur, here are all of the available sizes that are now commercially made.

 This mini-clamp is still serving throughout all of my gem setting projects. I formed a little indentation in the little pins and these prevent any marking on my new items. 

 Even on my Guinness World Record disk it still worked for me. I don't have to buy a (GRS) large and heavy clamp, that large clamp had many limitations in holding these items.

 In my assortment of 'extra' burs, I found that many times that some loose burs do get misplaced or dropped unto the floor. 

 I have 77B, Cup-Burs, Bud-Shaped and Round burs all of these came in different sizes. If I used just one bur, then the rest of them were "money well spent".

 

 Here is my GRS clamp (before I sold it). It was too heavy and I wasn't too disappointed in giving it away.

  This is my fantastic DIGITAL MICROSCOPE that magnifies all the way up to 200x power. As you can see that it has a 125GB microchip for saving photos.

 Brushes are the backbone of any setters bench, some of them are even tooth-brushes. Then another is a paint-brush (3rd from the left) and a women's 'make-up' brush (2nd from the right). Don't laugh, if it works, then it's good for me!

 This photo was taken as a reminder of tools from the past that we don't use anymore. I believe it was a grinding & buffing machine. During some of my travelling I saw these two items (shown below) that are relics from pre-1900's and are older than antiques.

 Imagine putting your gravers to this floor-model grinding machine? The operators must have had a 'pully system' to make the large wheel rotate. I tried to turn this wheel, but with limited success.

 

  This brooch was created circa 1936 A.D. Every bit of this item was 'crafted & made by hand' and not by any computer. AMAZING CREATIVITY, agree? The setter used his Milgrain wheel extensively. 

 

 I bought, but not bent the claws to this shape. When I saw this set of 'bent jaws', I knew that these pliers were meant for me.

 I suggest keep looking (in person) at your favourite tool supplier or hardware store for any unusual selection of tools. 

  This size of Diamonds are so small that I'd need 250 of them to make 1 Carat of stones This 

 stone-picking fob is made with a combination of 'Charcoal and Wax'. The Charcoal leaves NO RESIDUE what so ever, after the stone is released into the metal.

 This is my 'second home'. You can see a little metal tray that catches any wayward stone or diamonds. It has raised sides to catch any little stone that might get dropped.

 BURS, Do you have or use any burs? I keep many of them still in their packets. I use them for easier location in the need of my stone setting, I keep them either in these packets or on a bur peg-plate.

   Can you imagine using these antiques in weighing your diamonds? 

On the far right is my Diamond scale that is 100% more accurate.

 These glasses were made prior to the Opti-Visor being used today.  BTW, just for your curiosity is a ring that my Mother wore after her sudden demise.

This unusual clamp has a particular name to it, can you quess what it's called? 

How about "Inside Ring Clamp" I prefer it more than the wooden clamp as it's much easier to hold.

 I can turn the screw-type holder without hitting it with a hammer to get it tight. All I do is to turn the screw tight and it gets locked into place and never to get loose while I'm using it.

 These plastic inserts are what the ring sits on.

 In England circa 1945, a race was on as to who could drill a hole the quickest. It was between this fly-wheel and a motorized drill. Guess who won?.....The jury is still out!

 BRUSHES? This wasn't bought in any tool supplier or even a hardware store. Would you believe it's a 'shaving brush', I use this in brushing and collecting metal scraps in my bench. It's so gentle and has a wide swath.

 This Copper rod has just one purpose and that is to GENTLY push gems into their right place. If you use steel, the stone could be damaged.

 The little indentation has just one purpose and that is to gently cover the Table of the stone. As you can see that the indentation is being slowly worn down. Reducing its reasoning to be used further.

Here is a 'steel pusher' I'd use it to move claws or bezels that have little danger of being broken.

 I use these 'Separating Disks' for one purpose and that is to create a serrated edge on the tip on the pushing tool. If I didn't have this edge, the tool would slide off and this is not wanted.

  

  In this photo, is how I would create these 'modified pusher' edges.

 To correct the worn down the Brass Pushers is redrill the centre hole with a round bur.

I'm now correcting the inside hole as the same size of the claw that is required to be 'pushed'.

 I'll be drilling 'deeper and wider' to the specifications that is required. Many of my hand-tools are created by me and not through any tool supplier company.

 My files have different numbers on them as to the 'grit' size of the Triangular or 'Mini-Pillar' file.

This is my Onglette #2 "Right-Sided" graver. I modified this graver to allow me to Bright-Cut only on one side, the Right-Side.

 The top graver is what you buy in our tool supplier. The lower graver has been modified on my Bench-Grinder. I never allow my gravers to used with a large & thick body. 

When I'm Pave' setting, I need the fine looking graver to be as shown in above photo.

 Here are more files but with additional marking to let me know what grade they are. I don't want to waste my time looking for the grit texture at every moment.

  Here are the different anvils for the Reciprocating Hammers. These being shown are the new & untouched configuration. The lower hammer on the right, is the modified anvil.

 This anvil is needing to be reshaped, immediately. The edges are rounded and one corner is literally broken away.

 

 In this photo is a very coarse file, it isn't used for metal filing. It has one sole purpose and that is to file wax forms or rings. You can see the wax residue in between the teeth of the file.

Those 4 lines were made by me to signify that the file is #4 grit. Plus that "2" is of a #2 grit.

 Just another series of scribed 'markings' tell me at an instant is each file has its own grit of the Pillar (wide) file. The 00 is the most coarsest file that I have in my collection. From here I go down to a #4 which is the finest grade.

 This is a "Half-Round" file that I use on special occasions. You can see that the teeth are so far apart as I presume the grit could be high as #00. In making these files, the teeth were made by a machine cutting each series of teeth, 'one tooth at a time'.

"BEHIND THE SCENES" => These are INSANELY DIFFICULT projects in Diamond Setting (14 photos)

 These are the most awesome & inspiring patterns ever thought of. They are on the verge of being 'insanely difficult' but someone has to set these stones, agree? Not one of them were 'Computer Assisted Designed'.

 I knew of a CAD designer that had no idea about Diamond Setting, she made so many mistakes her husband told her to listen to Gerry Lewy. He saw that 3 of her rings were ruined, why? She had no knowledge of the basics of any gemstone setting. 

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 All of this 'hand-crafting' had no assistance with CAD. In between each stone I cut a <> pattern, it was from this pattern I worked on Bright-Cutting each of these angled cuttings. Even if two stones were not equal in distance, that didn't deter me from doing my cuttings. What remained after I set the stones were little claws.

 I used my Onglette graver to cut the metal and my "Bead-Burnisher" to mold over the metal onto the stones. All of the graver cutting was done prior to any gemstone setting, this terminology is "Pre-Cutting". Those little triangles when the stones are set will be diminished in size and with a graver they can easily be moved over the girdle of the stone.

 This is my easiest form of setting. I had to make sure that the ring retained the 'dome effect' after all of the hammering was completed. I dare not use my "Reciprocating Hammer" on this ring all I used was my flat surfaced hammer of 85 grams in weight. I used my "156C" (undercutting bur) to create a seat for each stone.

 I had to make sure all of the 13 stones were tight and not crooked. Around each stone, I chose to 'Bright-Cut' the inner circle. This Difficulty level is at 9+ out of 10.

 Imagine setting ROUND stones in a line, this is relatively easy. Now try to set square 5mm stones. As you can see in this photo there is a space at the end of the row, (I plan mistakes just for this essay). In this photo there are no spaces permitted in between or at either end of the settings.

 To prepare the process of setting, I will start at one end and have the stones be of the same width all along the row of stones. IF THERE IS A SPACE. you could solder the space and fill in the 'gap'.

 When all of the stones are set, PLEASE very gently, use your Triangular file of #4 cut and trim the inside metal. To prepare a line of bearings for the girdle of the row of stones I suggest to use a mini-ROUND bur of #300 or #400 width. This where the Girdle of the stones will lay. 

 At each end of the long line of setting you MUST drill 4 little holes where each of the 'end stones will sit', these are only for the corners of the 'end stones'. There is so much to consider in this one setting.

 Mistakes can easily occur, please be very diligent in your making of 'Girdle bearings', if the line of carving is too high, the Table of the stones won't allow any metal to be formed over any of the Square stones.

This was a ring from long ago, but the rules of setting have not changed one bit. Let me explain how this ring was set, please bear with me as this ring is 8.0 out of 10 of Difficulty.

 

 One of the least used cutting "Setting Burs" that I have is a straight sided edge for cutting perpendicular, but not like the HSS bur which is at a 45degree angle. Before any setting takes place, a complete polishing of the ring and the horizontal lines of metal should be done NOW. Never when the stone is in the ring.

 The next step is to use a saw blade of #4/0 thickness and cut straight down, as shown here. You are now making a mini-claw that will be bent over the Girdle of the stone. After the metal is moved over the girdle of this large stone, your Triangular #4 grit file must shape wherever the moving of metal took place. Don't leave this to your large and aggressive cloth wheels.

 I'd be using the Tapered Pumice Wheels #180 and #1,000 grit wheels to do the smoothing & cleaning processes. 

 The amount of metal that is used in the mini-claws is governed by the thickness of the metal you 'saw-cut', plain & simple. This takes experience and much practice.

 I've covered many times about Bezel setting in previous topics. It's here that the 'smoothing & finishing' of the shank should be done prior to any actual stone setting.

 In Diamond Setting we as 'experienced setters' are confronted continually with many challenges, one of which is Pave' Setting ultra-small diamonds.

 In this collection are 250 stones that make 1.25 total Carat weight, you do the math. I used a collection of round burs just to drill one hole for each stone. I created 4 beads for each stone and had no reason to take any 'short-cuts' in using a 2-bead setting. 

 Have you ever set a 'square stone in a round hole'? Here are the results and it can be done! If you go to my blog you will see all of the finer details of the gem-setting process. The Difficulty Scale is beyond 25 out of 10. 

 When you are examining these two rings, always remember that the claws must not be looking like 'mountains of metal' over each corner of the Princess-cut stone.

 When the stone has been completed in stone setting, I actually "BRIGHT-CUT' on the inside corner of the metal claw, why? I'm not removing any security of the stone, but enhancing the effects of the Princess-Cut stone in the ring.

 Now honestly judge for yourselves which ring looks more appealing? That graver being shown is my FLAT graver of #40 size. This was shown to to me while I was learning my craft some 6 decades ago. 

 One of the highlights of my career is this little bauble. Just for the Pear-Shape, Full Bezel stone the cost was $12,000.00+ this was circa 2001. My client informed me 3 other stone setters refused to even touch it due to the many defects inside of the Pavilion.

 YES, I did use my Reciprocating Hammer (at a gentle touch) while setting this stone. I'd classify this insanely difficult setting at 30+, out of 10. For further details on how this was set, please read the essay that is in this blog.

 I saw this ring in an upscale jewellery store, I just had to capture the enormity of the stone settings. Unfortunately I have no details on it's construction except that it is beautiful.

 From what I see is that the green stones are nicely set 'side-by-side' with no visible spaces.

Another delicate Emerald ring that I used in my blog, is of the setting Square Emeralds in 'End-Bezels'. The chances of breaking these very delicate stones is high on the setting scale. 

 Not every ring is just a ring, but this little bauble won me some accolades in the process. I used colour wherever possible, those round stones are actually PINK DIAMONDS.

 I never think inside the box but always 'outside the box' when creating or setting difficult stones.

Here is the proof that the above round disk was a result of a phrase. "Nothing is too difficult, it just takes more time to complete it".