(VERY LONG) Baguettes in Channel Setting - 24 photos

 This project has a "Difficulty Scale of (?) out of 10". Consider this of being one of the most challenging Diamond Setting projects that you can ever encounter. This is fraught with frustration and keep asking yourself "why am I doing this?" 

My answer is "you are doing this project, it's because you can!"

 If your ring was initially made for Channel Setting of round stones, this project will now be using 'long baguettes'.

 Basically ignore the round holes, they aren't going to be needed in this project. We will work around them as they will be used in keeping the two channel walls together.

 Measure the sizes of these synthetic stones, All of the long baguettes MUST BE OF THE SAME MEASUREMENTS. Examine them with your digital calipers, don't assume that they are all the same size. 

 Any deviation could lead to stone setting problems, we don't want this to occur.

 Grind down the metal where the holes were intended for the round stones. Once done, then we can start to carve out the metal for these DEEP BAGUETTE STONES.

 Carve out all areas of the channel, even along the lowest edge as you can. We are lowering the stones deep into the channel, and with the deep stones we have to keep a watchful eye on the spaces allowed. EVEN IN THE CORNERS, MUST BE CARVED OUT.

 I attempted to use a "bud-shaped" bur to cut a flat groove for the new stones needed here. But as you can see, that just wasn't the case. The bearing was slightly crooked, but this didn't cause me any adverse problems. I just worked around this drilling error.

 I put my round bur against the stone's Girdle to reach the required size. I added a slight millimetre larger to the required size, as sometimes the stones have different thicknesses.

 As a setter I must be always wary of the Culet depth. If the metal hasn't been carved out sufficiently, the stone won't sit well. I suggest using a '10x power Loupe' to examine where the Culet is sitting.

 

  I explore and examine different areas of this channel continually. This is the most delicate area of this project. 

 Even the extreme corners (not shown) of the channel needs to be cleared of any unnecessary metal.

  In this photo, you can see the different thicknesses of the four stones. This is quite 'normal' with synthetic stones, please don't be too concerned.

 I could suggest in obtaining extra stones just for these inherent (thickness) problems.

 When the baguette stones are placed into the channel, I usually use my pair of plier jaws to initiate the 'securing & tightening processes'. This is to bring the channel walls closer together prior to the hammering that is to be done.

 Closely investigate where the Culets of the stones are in relationship to the inside metal. If the stones are touching the inside of the channel opening, take them out =>NOW! 

Re-carve the channel opening.

 I will carefully carve out a bearing just to have the 'stone not move lengthways'. I will also carve deeper into the metal at the end of that stone. This will 'lock in place' the last stone.

 I discovered that there was too much space at the end of the channel. I then decided to set another stone just to fill in the gap, but I set that white stone FIRST, then this locked in the long baguettes.

  I rotated the ring as I wanted to work on the other area of the ring. As before I drilled a 'bearing' as to secure the two long baguettes. The two blue stones were longer than the Amethyst, therefore there wasn't any need of an additional white stone.

  
 

 The finest picture that I took for this essay IS HERE. It shows you how two stones that were set on two angles together. 

 But look carefully that between them, there are no spaces where the two Girdles meet.

 This is why I can't give a higher Rating of Difficulty than (?) out of 10.

 All through the rigorous stone setting process there are no spaces. In fact where the end stone had some space is where the white stone was to lay. 

  The Reciprocating Hammer Anvil MUST not touch the stone under any circumstances. IT ONLY MOVES THE METAL towards the long Amethyst and blue stone baguettes.

  I Bright-Cut the inner wall of the channel, some of my peers just use a triangular file. But I use a FLAT graver to get a very shiny surface cutting.

 Files leave a rough texture along the metal wall, which is not nice to see. With this, stones could get chipped in the process.

 REVIEW: There was a problem with a remaining space, I then opted for a white stone to be set. I initially measured the length of the two stones and I found that there was a 'spacing problem'. That is why I set a white stone to have the channel completely filled with stones.

 The metal on the channel wall is hammered flat, I will now Bright-Cut the inner metal. Then I'll use a Triangular file of #4 grit and gently remove any hammered marks.

When I see that the surface is level, I'll use a Pumice wheel of #180 grit and clean everywhere.

  One third of the white stone is nestled inside the channel wall but not allowing the FLAT graver to have too much metal cut away. I wanted to have a distinct long 'channel opening'.

 If you see any spaces in between the stones, (I wish you luck) as there are no spaces to be seen. I planned for this stone setting exercise long before I set the first stone.

 In retrospect, I could have used an Amethyst round stone instead of a white stone, but my stone dealer didn't have any at that time of setting.

 Sometimes 'we' have to improvise to what we have on hand, pity!

 

REVIEW - Where were the smallest diamonds I set? - 28 photos

 To put this in perspective, if 100 of these diamonds were used they equalled 1 carat, these would be still too large. These diamonds were all held in place with ONLY 2 MINI-CLAWS. This was a mind-numbing & eye straining project.

This Level of Difficulty was indeed '15+ out of 10'.

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 I was told by my client "DON'T DRILL THROUGH THE METAL (bracelet holes) FOR ANY OF THE STONE SETTING". This caused me to have additional problems during the 'intense' setting process.

 THIS IS BASICALLY A "PICTORIAL ESSAY" WITH LITTLE FANFARE OF TEXTING.

 

 Do you want (or inclined) to count the number of stones that were used? I had 'extra' diamonds because of the uneven sizes that were required.

 The outside row of stones were slightly larger. If one claw broke off, this where major soldering for repairing took place. Thankfully nothing went wrong.

  I used a "156C" Carbide, (undercutting bur) these burs created a seat inside each of the mini-claws. The size of each bur matched the size of every stone.

 The small round bur was used just to make space for the Culet of each stone.

  I used a shellac stick to enable me to hold many diamond links for setting.

 In this photo you can see that the Culet will be free from any metal as it's going into claw openings.

 

  Once that the setting has been cleared away then came the "156C" burring. 

 I held the 156C bur almost perpendicular, as I wanted to drill out the required 'holding-claws' at the same time.

 The outside row of diamonds were somewhat larger, my main concern was to keep these diamonds 'saved' for these rows of setting.

  This was just one diamond that I saved just for this photograph. This was one diamond out of 950 stones.