Which weight scale would you use and why? - 9 photos

 I have three (diamond & metal) scales, each one have their own purpose for my gemstone setting profession.

 My Diamond scale is just what it is, it's a scale just for weighing diamonds. Accuracy is at 3 decimal places. My other 2 scales just won't be that accurate, that's why I needed three scales for 3 different applications.

 This "Diamond Accuracy" is rated at 100% as my diamond dealer once weighed my diamonds on his scale and 'we' both shared the same stone weights. Interesting results.

 1) You can see what these 5 stones weigh in ounces. Is it useful? Depending on your needs. As this is highly portable, I can easily just put this into my shirt pocket.

 This 'diamond scale' had metal (gram) weights built in. Some pieces of jewellery need a more delicate weighing system, this is due their small size. 

   

  These 5 (synthetic) stones weigh 2.10 carats, two decimal places is more than sufficient.

 For lighter pieces of jewellery, this same diamond scale is 'better than great'! For detailed accuracy, it shows me weights into 3 decimal places.

 On larger scales, these delicate weights might not be useful and the scale-weights could be fluctuating wildly. This actually happened during this photo-session, yuk!

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 2) The scale for metal is also for gold & silver with an accuracy to 0.01 grams. The one I'm showing is battery-activated and is quite portable between my work-bench and office. In fact, I keep this scale INSIDE OF MY BENCH.

  This silver (gold-plated) casino disk has a weight of 61.1 grams. I can easily reverse the cover into a container for jewellery, this feature is good to have.

 3) Lastly, my first scale that I ever bought was never good for gemstones. This weight-scale is primarily for metal, and only for metal. This metal-weighing scale has a distinct feature of being accurate to ONLY  2 decimal places.

 For metal, this is great for many purposes. BTW, this weight is 2.59 ounces.

   This same disk comes in at 73.6 grams. One decimal place for grams is not totally accurate, insurance appraisals need a more accurate reading.

 For some countries who use "DWT", or penny-weights, this measuring system has a nice feature. BUT, this scale is not good for gemstones, as I know from first-hand experience.

If I overlooked some features for these three scales, my apologies!

My Pave' apprenticeship-training, circa 1960. => 9 photos

 This was my "apprenticeship training" for Pave' setting!

 How many Diamond Setters (today) can create Pave' beads on flat metal? They leaned upon using "CAD-created metal (mini-prongs) beads" instead.

 In the earlier years of my apprenticeship, circa 1960 A.D. I had to explore the basic bead-setting techniques that my teacher himself used. He then showed me the route of using only an Onglette graver with the 'front point rounded'.

 How many of today's setters use the Pave' raising of beads? I believe that this method is slowly getting 'forgotten', and I intend to keep this skill alive.

 "Times have indeed changed...but thankfully, not forgotten".

 If not for these blog essays, this technique might very well get forgotten, in future years.

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  I still have the 'brass plates' that I practised on, as 'these plates' were the beginning of my career in Diamond Setting. Brass is a very hard substance and difficult material to practice. To learn on a softer material (silver) wouldn't give me a chance to experience what 10 kt. gold would be like in those earlier days. Jewellery in 10kt was the 'normal gold alloy', as 14kt was saved for the more expensive clientele.

 I succeeded and 'the rest is history'.

 During those earlier days, I learned how to cut & shape Onglette gravers. And you my 'great blog readers', can buy a new graver without experiencing the method of graver shaping. Today you must use a rotating disk laden with an abrasive to shape the graver. All I use today is an oil stone for the face of the graver and 'polishing papers'.

 You just can't learn how to shape your gravers, if you buy them already shaped by your tool supplier. I spent literally 6 months, practising (every day) learning how to shape gravers on a bench-grinder and an oil-stone, just for my instructor. Because of those long months, I now think of this task as 'second nature'.

This brass plate is still on my bench after 65 years.  

 I had to learn what a Milgrain tool was, and how it worked on metal.

  My next lesson was how to cut into the metal corners 'without slipping'.

 These brass plates remind me of the many earlier weeks that I wanted to give up, but my Dear Father, (R.I.P.) said "get back to work next Monday, start again & keep learning".

 These two little stones were the very first stones that I ever set. Imagine doing this on brass?

 

 I went on further to cut squares without slipping and ruining the corners. Remembering that this was back in 1960. Brass is a very unforgiving material & I learned some unsavoury language when my graver accidentally slipped. 

 Those little '4 dots' were the first 'beads' that I ever created. There were so many rules in using a graver in creating beads. Even placing the brass plate unto a shellac-stick and preventing the plate from falling off during the 'rough cutting' was a new lesson.

  Once that I mastered the 'bead making technique' my teacher instructed me to keep doing this 'basic, bead making'. He had the wisdom in knowing that one day I might be teaching this skill to others. How true he was!

 In learning in 'how to control the graver', was the most difficult task that I had to learn.

 

  How to cut 'parallel lines' and again not in slipping was my most challenging task. I wonder how many jewellers and setters had to maintain control their choice of words in their apprenticing years?

 

 "Apprenticeship is a main ingredient in learning a new profession". You just can't learn by reading new techniques from a book, as you can't interact with written text.

 My blog is good for you, as I've 'walked those roads myself' and know the problems you might have. If there are any questions, please mail me at 'gerrylewy18@gmail.com'.

Why YOU MUST ALWAYS measure your "Princess-Cut" Diamonds - 16 diagrams & photos

This is one of the most serious requests I will explore. Why must the "Princess-Cut" diamond be carefully measured always before setting the stone?

 Every stone you find will be fraught with multiple widths and lengths. The measurements might be off by as much as 1-2 mm's at best. This is due to the stones being 'cut by hand'.   Only 'perfectly cut stones' being shaped automatically by CAD designed computers, or polished by lapidary machines. These will be great to set by any Diamond Setter.

In cases like this 'precious stone', the facets are equal on all of the stones' sides.

  After taking measurements throughout the stone at the Girdles. It's time to decide where the widest edge is.

 Then at the 'long edge' I'd paint lines on the table Facet, as further shown below. These lines will be as a guide where the length of finger will be.

  I found that there was 11.69 mm's (width) and then 12.02 mm's (for the length).

 This photo now shows why taking measurements is so essential prior to setting a "Princess-Cut" stone. If I reversed the location, the stone would look 'off balanced'. 

 Thankfully these measurements are now correct on all 4 sides. This will be a true "Princess-Cut" stone with no problems for deciding which side to use.

 Here is a sample of measurements on a 'square stone' there could be 4 measurements. Lets see what must 'we' do in this case and then to make this stone look good in the setting.

 If you examine a gemstone with multiple sides, let's now look at a 'parallelogram'. That is a stone that has 2 'long sides' and 2 'narrow widths'. What happens if the stone is set more wide than long?

 The answer is to first measure in millimeters and see where the "long" is on the stone.

The long angle MUST ALWAYS BE INLINE WITH THE FINGER.

This is just what we're aiming for. (Please excuse the exaggeration of measurements).

 But what happens if the RED edge is not 'long',  the diamond will look too wide. ALL OF THE RECTANGULAR DIAMOND FACETS SHOULD BE INLINE WITH THE LENGTH OF FINGER.

 BTW. As an example, lets look at these Girdle facets. The Facets are so very thick, that I'd shy away from setting this stone because of the thickness of the stone in general.

 

 Why would I hesitate in using this particular stone? There are 'corner facets' missing and if any added pressure is applied on them, "Good-Bye stone"!

I measured this stone as a good example and look at what I found? Two measurements with one (nearly perfect) square stone.

 I didn't plan or arrange the numbers for this display, but this is what can happen at your setting bench.

 BTW. There will be little problems with Diamonds. With semi-precious stones the measurements need to taken at every section of the Princess-cut stone.

 Is this time consuming? In my estimation, nothing is lost if the many measurements are accurate and then the ring will look absolutely 100% GREAT.

 

How to safely pick up our loose gemstones - 13 photos.

  How would you hold your precious gemstones? This essay answers this dilemma.

 There is only ONE METHOD in picking up any size of diamonds or gemstones. PLEASE DON'T USE YOUR TWEEZERS. If you do, your precious stones will fly off and vanish somewhere in your jewellery-studio and never to be seen again.

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 The answer to this age old-method is shown here. These tapered wax, picking-tools are so simple to make that you don't need to buy them, you can make them yourselves. I made a group of them myself just as extra, if needed.

                  WHAT ARE THEY MADE OF?

 They are made of wax & charcoal powder combination, nothing else!!! 

 With this combination, you can mix the two compounds into the palm of your hand. You can place the wax on any 'old' bur, but keeping the bur-teeth still attached, as it will hold the new wax combination.

 I used them for diamonds that were 0.005 points in size, or as large as a 5mm gemstone. If the point of the wax gets too wide from excessive use, just use the 'warmth of your fingers and palm and reshape the wax again in your hand. How easy is this?

 Here are a few examples of my 'wax picking-tools'.

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This mixture of 'wax & charcoal' is something that my bench will never be without. I've been using this 'combination' for the past 65 years and never, ever lost a gemstone.

 I've made many of them and never bought any, in fact I keep a supply of them in case one of them wear down and become unusable.

The 'pick-up tool' size is determined at the moment, basically the size is of no consequence.  In this photo is a 5mm stone that nicely holds this stone.

 Supposing that the wax-mixture is needing a repair, this repair can be done in minutes. I'll just roll the mixture in my warm finger-tips with a new batch of wax....DONE! 

If the point of the tool is getting worn, I'll again reshape the wax with my fingers. 

From holding a 10mm stone as shown below, I can easily hold a 3mm gemstone with no effort. 

  I can easily hold any size or shape of stone with no ill-affects. How is this done? 

The answer is just let your warm fingers remodel the 'wax-combination' to the size of your stone.

 The wax will easily grab the 'smooth surface' of any Cabochon stone or any size of Faceted stone.

            Kindly observe the three different sizes of wax-shapes. 

 1)The wax on the right is for the absolutely large stones and ranging down to the ultra-small stone. This wax can easily hold a 0.0025mm diamond. 

2) The wax on the left is kept for the mostly small stones. (I did this while setting 925 diamonds on a CAD bracelet). 

3) The center wax-fob is for the commonly sized stones.

 This one diamond was 'cut & polished' by my Father 90 years ago. I was very careful in handling this stone. The wax-fob held unto this precious diamond with no chance of getting dropped.

               NEVER USE YOUR TWEEZERS IN HOLDING ANY GEMSTONE. 

  

 

 Tweezers are good, but not for holding any of your precious stones. I'd never do this, so why would YOU?

 

 Here are a few "Tapered & Straight Baguettes", these too can be easily held in place without any fear of dropping or getting lost.

  These synthetic stones are 6-7 mm's in size, as this wax safely holds either of them with no problems.

 This large stone is literally held in place by rolling the wax securely around the Culet of the stone. I can drop the wax & stone to the floor, without any fear of it being dislodged. Is this the WOW effect!

   Hoping that this essay has been of great assistance to you? - Gerry Lewy!