CAD designed bracelet with "918 STONES". (43 photos)

 This 'little' bracelet was created directly from a CAD designed rendering. I'm showing you (and everyone) what my client and I both worked on, from it's inception to the finished 'sample' silver bracelet. 

 This tutorial-essay has 39 photos (some may not be in any sequential order). 

 This fantastic item contains 918 synthetic stones, as each link is emblazoned with 22 stones. I used mainly my Digital Microscope as a tool for these 'up close' photos, these were making my essay much easier in viewing as each was magnified at 125x power.

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 Each of the stones being shown measured 1.2mm's not including the 14, 1.0mm's on the periphery of the clasp-cover.

 These 8 photos that are not set yet, were just to show you how they looked prior to the setting processes.

  I chose to use my #156C (well worn) Carbide bur. I wanted a wider swath at these mini-claws, that is just why I preferred a 'well worn' bur, as some of the stones had wider Girdles.

 

 At the base of each hole I used a #002 Round bur, as I wanted to prepare an safer resting spot for the Culet of each stone. This cleaning was done for all of the 918 holes.

 Just think that each of these holes will have a stone measuring 1.0mm. Now you can understand the enormity of this setting project. I used a 'Bead-Burnisher' #11 to push the 2 claws over each stone, each claw was then 'rounded' in the process.

   How was I going to hold each of the links for setting? I choose to use my favourite "Flake Shellac" that was heated on to a hand-held, wooden dowel, (this will be shown further in this essay.)

 Only 2 mini-claws are being used on each stone. There is very little space separating each of the stones.     

  The stones seen here are only 1.2mm's in diameter, and these are the largest stones that I was using.

 I'm just showing the mind-boggling complexity of setting these 918 stones. When I had to rotate the clamp to set these same looking links & claws, I simply 'lost my place'.

    In this photo I'm showing the "before & after stone setting".

 I'm displaying how each of the claw-tips look after the "Bead-Burnisher" has done its work in securing the stones.

 There were 918 holes to be "Culet cleaned", then 918 holes for #156C-Bearing Cutting" then my Round bur for "Pavilion Cleaning" prior to my setting.

 

 Then another 2 mini-beads that needed to be "Bead-Burnished" the setting process for each of the 918 stones. (The concentration just for these few steps was sometimes too overwhelming for my eyes).

 This the clasp-cover that still needed to be soldered by my jeweller. The remaining empty holes is where the 1.0mm stones will be set. 

 I minimized the number of tools being used during this whole process.

 Here is my melted "Flake Shellac" holding a few sections of this enormous project.

 

 To avoid any clutter in my bench, I kept my setting area totally clear of unnecessary tools, just in case I dropped a 1mm stone. 

 In comparison, here are my 'working tools'. This is a difference from the photo shown above.

 I only exposed a few links at a time. At no time would any links be allowed to move while being set.

  This photo shows the adverse visual complexity while finding which claw to use.

 I found that my eyes had immense difficulty moving from one mini-claw to the other, why was that? All of the "setting areas" looked so darned identical.

This photo shows the 'inside area of the clasp' prior being soldered with its top section.

This is the top section of clasp with 12 stones missing, these 'empty spots' are for the 1.0mm stones yet to be set.

 There are 88 stones just in this case-cover, with another 12 more smaller stones waiting to be set.

 Any item that has to be affixed on shellac MUST have all of the shellac be removed & cleaned prior to the many setting processes. 

 I'm waiting for my jeweller to fully assemble the clasp and Rouge polish all of the links. At that time, I'll return this bracelet back to my client, then my work is done.