Marquise stone settings, in '6-Claw' & Bezel ring (using 31 photos)

  This will be an intricate lesson on setting a Marquise stone. I'm about to show the basics of setting a 'long and pointed' stone instead of the usual round stone that many online instructors show. 

  Many times a basic "6-Claw", or a "Bezel Ring" looks unattractive. We, as professional Diamond Setters must do our best to work and enhance what we're given.

There are many areas for breakage, I'll be also exploring many of them in this essay. The Difficulty Rating is at 8.0 out of 10.

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  What tools do 'we' need in this exercise?

We need an array of bud-shaped burs from #003, up to #006.

Round-shaped burs, from #003 up to #005.

 From a descending order from the 'finished to the beginning', here are the techniques for you need to learn.

With all of the multitude of claws to work on, I prefer to keep this exercise easy for you. 

For esthetic reasons, I prefer that the "claw tips" should be rounded using a "#77B Cup Bur" and not shaped like a 'spear' in the front of the claw. 

 

   Everywhere that the hand-pushing tool was touching, please use your Pumice wheel #240 to remove any marks in the metal. This means EVERYWHERE, inside the shank and along the outside of the base of the claws!

  

 These claws are extremely high and need to be reduced in height substantially. The claw tips should be just reduced to be above the "Table Facet" of the Marquise stone. 

 

  Even if you are setting a cluster of 5 stones. The claw heights should be the same as the "Table Facet" for any ring.

If these claw-tips grab the lady's clothing, problems will occur as we are dealing with one  or two claws holding each stone. GET THOSE CLAWS REDUCED IN HEIGHT. 

 

  HOW TO DETERMINE THE BEST "BEZEL SETTING" TECHNIQUE?

First of all, DON'T 'HAND-PUSH' THE METAL DOWN.

 Please use your Riveting Hammer. This process will give you a uniform flat surface, instead of a rough textured surface that will be so difficult to clean after the setting has been completed.

  The bearing for the "Girdle" of the stone can be created by using two techniques at your disposal. These are the use of a HSS (High Speed Steel) or a round bur. But what size of round bur is the best??

 The best bur size is to use a bur that is slightly wider than the "Girdle" of the stone. The reasoning is that there are areas where the stone could be thicker. This has to be a made available for setting of the stone. 

 In using the HSS bur, making sure the bur is cutting into the metal at the same depth all around this bezel. (this is not an easy process).

  When the stone is ready to be set into the Bezel. YOU MUST READ READ HERE.

1) You shouldn't use your hand-pushing tool. I prefer (as I mentioned earlier) to use a Riveting Hammer, or a Reciprocating Flex-Hammer.

2) Do not under any circumstances let the "Flex-Hammer, Anvil" get too close to the front-tip of the Bezel frame, (as shown in the close-up). The chances are that breakage could occur here.

3) The very point of the stone is the most delicate area on ANY MARQUISE stone, please handle this area with the utmost care as possible.

4) If you decide to 'hand-push' the "V" metal closer to the point, you may do so now!  DO NOT HAMMER WITH A HEAVY DOWNWARD PRESSURE HITTING. You could say "Good-Bye, Gemstone".

 The Marquise stone must never be tilted, or crooked in it's Bezel frame. The offending cause was when you were preparing the inner bearing, this was the common mistake with many "beginners & intermediate" level setters.

 

You can easily see that the top of the Bezel is not 100% flat BUT AT A SLIGHT ANGLE. This is not a major problem, but it's completely acceptable in all cases.

  If prefer not to 'hand-push' at the tip of the Marquise point. you can apply some 'light hammering pressure' to that Bezel tip. The Bezel must be at filed at an angle all around the frame.

 When you are picking up a stone of any size or shape. Do me a favour, don't use a pair of tweezers. If the stone gets loose, it will get lost, use this mixture of Beeswax and Charcoal instead.

  

  I prefer to have the tip of the Bezel always FLAT, regardless how the stone is sitting in the Bezel.

 

  You can see just where the bearings are being created.

 

 These are the selection of burs when you are carving out the bearing for this stone.

 At no time should any stone be finished if the stone is tilted in it's setting. If it is then removed it and redo the bearing layout, again.

 At the point of the claws, please use a round bur that is slightly larger than the girdle of the stone.

 For the side claws, I ALWAYS use a Bud-shaped to create the bearings, as these claws MUST always align themselves against the Girdle of the Marquise.

  All of the top three claws MUST EQUAL DISTANCE APART. For the widest section of the Marquise, there will be a wider gap, as seen in this photograph.

 When you are preparing for the underlying area of the series of claws, use a Bud-Shaped bur to carve out for the Pavilion. 

 

  Where you made a point-bearing is where the point of the stone will be resting against.

 If there is a difference between the 'width and length', then that stone should be placed in the center of the 5 stones.

All of these stones should be of the same shade, if not, then exchange it for a better selection of stones.

 

 In the great photo, you can see just where the point of the stone will be resting against. The round drilling was just 'perfectly created'.

 The underneath of the claws needs to be cleared out for the lower section of the stone aka Pavillion.

In using a Bud-shaped #5 bur, it is advantageous to keep all areas of the inner-bezel free of any metal that shouldn't need to be there. The reason is that it might hinder any stone setting.

 When the new "Bearing" has been properly created, then you won't have any problems in the setting. (I know this for a fact).

 

 All of the claws MUST BE CLEANED FOR ANY PROBLEM'S due to any residue of metal from casting.