Emerald-Cut diamond, Diamond Setting - 20 photos

This Emerald-Cut, diamond ring can be turned into a magnificent expensive creation. But how can this diamond be set with ease? This essay will answer many of your questions.

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 Regardless of the original thickness of the claws, there is much to do in the preparation.

The stone 'bearings' must be free of any metal preventing the stone from sitting correctly. 

1) In using a round bur on all of the 4 claws, this makes 8-angled cuts into the claws.

2) All of the metal inside of the claws will determine the safety of the stone.

3) The "Pavilion Facets" along with the "Crown Facets" need to be prepared for setting.

4) These 4 claws now have '12 areas' to be carved out in the setting.

5) Where the 'Pavilion Facets' are now resting, need also be carved out. (See this photo!)

  =>All of the metal carving prepares the setter to carefully set this diamond<=

 Just how do the claws get to fold over the Emerald-Cut stone? 

I use a pair of pliers to grip the edges of the corners. Other setters will push over one side only, but this will leave the claws to be totally bent out of shape, this is a bad method.

 As there are 8 sides to these 4-claws, I use a different method to overcome any 'claw-pushing' problem.

 Don't under any circumstances attempt to squeeze "corner to corner why? Squeezing will cause instant breakages around the corners to occur.

 I decided many years ago to grip the "V" sides of the claw, then to close each side of the "Vee" claw pattern. You can now see where the plier-jaws are nicely placed.

 This is my 'gripping area' in the plier-jaws. This serrated indentation of plier-claw grips the claw and not allowing them to slip off.

 This indentation is not too deep into the steel jaws, but just enough to hold the claws firmly in place during the folding process.

 These pliers are bought with the 'bent' appearance, I enjoy using them as they give my hand all the security in working with the claws. I DON'T NEED TO BEND MY HAND & FINGERS. 

These few gravers will do something that so very few setters will do, that is to Bright-Cut the inside of the 8 sides of the 4-claw setting. (I've seen this for a fact).

 When I need fast results in 'graver maintenance', I'll improvise by enhancing the graver polishing by having my soft leaded drafting pencil rub along the surface of the paper. This allows polishing paper to give me (or anyone) a far better graver cutting result.

 

  The 'pencil-rubbing' with the soft lead improves the paper from #1,200 grit up to an estimated #1,800 grit. This action works extremely well for Flat gravers that I would be using to Bright-Cut the insides each of the "V" claws.

 

 These are gravers that under my scrutiny will give me the best possible results in Diamond Setting.

 After filing the outside of the claws to shape of a "V", I can now proceed further.

 I'm now continuing to shape each of the 4-corners "equally". You can now see just how the claws are now being formed over the corners of the gemstone.   

  Why is there a line engraved into the corner of this metal? From this 'line', this acts as a guide in the Bright-Cutting process to occur.

 There is a gap in the metal claw, this is not good to have. Everywhere claw metal "MUST BE DOWN ON THE STONE".

 You can see that ALL OF THE CLAW-METAL IS NICELY RESTING ON THE STONE. You can see that the corners of stone is well protected from undo wear and misuse.

 Here are all of my Emery & Polishing papers to maintain a good cutting graver blade. The paper grades start at #240 Emery, all the way up to #1,200 Polishing grade of paper.

  Once that the inside Bright-Cutting has significantly being completed inside of each claw, extra filing with a Triangular file #4 cut can only now proceed. 

 The whole idea is to "have maximum security, with minimum amount of metal".