HOW TO SET AN (ultra) LARGE Diamond Bracelet? => 29 photos

  In my previous tutorial essay, I neglected to mention how these diamonds were set. I will delve into this topic here & now, including which tools I eventually used. I am using the same photographs from a previous essay.

  I will never use a 'clamping device' to hold these links. Why is this? This bracelet was too delicate to keep repairing the many diamond bracelet links. 

 I just came across this in my archives. Do you want to count how many diamonds are here? 

 I took as many photos of this project as I could. Why was this? When the visual story of setting the diamonds was completed, "goodbye bracelet", it was given back immediately to my client.

 These very delicate links gave me much concern, preventing any anticipated breaking.

 

  Just feast your eyes on this little bracelet.

 The extremely tender areas of this bracelet gave me many difficult times in thinking about how this bracelet should be held in place.

 (I increased the clarity in many of these photos for your viewing!)

For your information, there are 5 sizes of diamonds just in this single photograph.

  I pondered many ideas, and the solution was to use 'Shellac, on a wooden hand-held dowel'.

 In looking at this cover plate for setting diamonds, my choice was to use Shellac on every link and ignoring ideas from my past experiences.

  The moment that I decided on the 'shellac holding' process, I felt so relieved.

 The shellac can be bought at any tool supply store or jewellery company online. It comes in a 'flake' consistency. It can be melted only with a low flame, don't overheat it as it bubbles and hardens.

  Here is my answer to all of these problems. You can see just how carefully the wooden dowel is resting in my hand.

 I placed this large plate near the side of the 'shellac stick'. Why did I decide on this precise location?

 I so carefully wanted to have full access to the plate for setting these diamonds. I didn't want to have my fingers reach across the wide shellac plate, agree with me?

 Even placing this mini-link again near the side still gave me better access to the gemstones. This was also the case for the few 'mini-links'.

  What shape of bur would I use? My only shape would be a "156C" 'under-cutting' bur. The reason for this is that each of the claws will have an indentation just where the diamond 'Girdle' will be sitting.

 In this photo, I knew that the 'ball-type gripping technique' was a thing not to be thought of again.

 Once the selected links were prepared for setting. I examined the individual mini claws, as there was only one chance to set each stone. 

 The minute teeth of the "156-C", the letter C refers to the bur being Carbide. These bur teeth MUST BE SHARP and not dull.

 ALL OF MY BURS & TOOLS HAD TO BE SHARP AND NOT DULL FOR CUTTING THE CLAWS. Precision and accuracy in using these tools were, above all, paramount. Even my Bead Burnisher had to have a sharp edge (or be new) while being used.

 When I was using my '156C' to cut a seat for each stone, quality was always on my mind. There was no room for shortcuts and quick setting. HOLD THE BUR VERTICAL and not slanted.

 

 I chose to use a stronger Optivisor to observe each setting process. I usually use a 10x power, but when I was being truly overly cautious, I chose a 15x power Optivisor lens.

 

 Each link had two pairs of 11 diamonds, and each claw was not a 'quick drill and goodbye'. Each group of 11 stones had to be carefully drilled and prepared for setting.

 This process was a mind-boggling process of precision setting. This was not for the jeweller who was new to gem setting.

 I preselected the size of the stones for their prescribed setting on this plate. There must have been 4-5 sizes in this heavily laden plate that covers the 'snap-on' bracelet cover.

 I kept 1-2 burs on my bench peg and avoided the option of looking elsewhere for other burs.

 I had only one opportunity to set each stone. If one claw was damaged or broken, I just avoided thinking about the serious repercussions.

 

 These were the extent of my selection of setting tools. My machine on the right is my 'mobile handpiece', and it was not heavy, as every tool gave me finger dexterity.

 I set one diamond at a time; that is my thought that I won't drop any large numbers of stones.

  All of my burs had to be held in a vertical position, as this kept my stones flat and level.

 I had no intention of resorting to any other method of holding this diamond-intensive bracelet.

 These are some of the setting tools I had within finger access through this lengthy and intense setting process.

 That little 'white dot' is the exact size of the diamonds that I was working on.

   Hooray! This intense setting process is finally completed.