(MAJOR REVIEW) "HOW TO SET A 'FLUSH MOUNTED STONE' RING? => 28 photos!

  There have been numerous questions on this topic. I believe that "repetition is a form of learning". This essay (I hope) will answer some of those questions.

 I always use an "Inside, Ring clamp" as I need to get my hand and fingers close to the 'setting action'. Not to mention that the ring MUST stay 100% stationary throughout the intense setting process.

 The 'bearing' or seat for this stone needs to be dug deeper into the wall of the hole. The seat needs to be halfway between the tip of the hole to the bottom.

 The preverbial Pavilion of the stone must be contoured to have the metal overlap the Girdle of the stone. 

 I suggest that the hole be at least 80% of the size of the stone; the main reason will be explained in the next photograph.

 The remaining 20% will be a wall of metal, eventually holding the stone. What we will do with 20% will now be fully explained.

 How the stone will be held in place is our next answer for you. BTW, there are no shortcuts shown here as there aren't any.

  I prefer to use a Reciprocating Hammer to move the metal over the stone, but never allowing the 'hammer anvil' to touch the stone.

  As you can see that the hammer never touches the stone, and there is a little 'rim of metal' around the leading edge of the stone. The hammer also has a faint chance of hitting the stone as it is vibrating in either direction.

 

                                          UPCLOSE INSPECTION!

  

  The 'TABLE' of the stone must never exceed the surface of the metal. This is so important. Why is this? If the metal is thin, then the Flush mounting will be nearly too thin for finishing.

  This is why the metal must be much thicker; there won't be any chance to 1) File, 2) Pre-Polish or 3) Emery the surface.

GET THAT STONE 'DOUBLE THE DISPLAYED' DEPTH. 

 

 When you are hammering, don't let the hammer anvil get too close to the stone. Why is that? The vibration of the anvil might just bounce around and touch the stone, goodbye stone!

 When the stone has been secured by the hammering, STOP!!!

  Now starts the 'finishing' steps by moving onwards to 'Bright Cutting'. Many setters that I've seen don't even employ this process.

 I'll be using my Onglette graver #2 and cut a circle as shown in this photo.

 Continue with additional metal cutting until the metal is smooth with no more faceting on the edges. 

 With the final stage of this setting, I'll now start with the 'cleaning'. I'll use my "Snap-On", Emery wheel of "Medium grit" and smooth the hammered metal.

 If the rim of the metal appears to be flat...STOP the emery cleaning and follow the curvature of the ring.

 

 With the Pumice wheel of #180 grit, again, smooth the metal as shown in this photo. But not letting the Pumice Wheel get too close to the soft stone.

  Keep the Pumice wheel just a few millimetres away from the stone.

 Instead of cloth-polishing the Flush Setting, I'd suggest using a much softer Pumice Wheel of #1,200 grit. If you use a cloth wheel to finish the ring, problems will arise. The cloth wheel will remove many finer details of the setting.

 Here is the completed "Gypsy-Flush Setting" ring. NICE? 

                 REVIEW OF THESE PHOTOS

 Here is the inside of the hole where the seat for the stone will be created.

 The 'Table Facet' must never extend to the surface of the ring.

  Once the stone has been lowered into the ring, just be careful how the stone is placed. 

1) Is the stone in the centre of the ring?

2) Is there enough metal to start the hammering? 

3) Is the Culet Facet not being exposed underneath the base of the ring? NOW WE CAN PROCEED FURTHER.

 I could use my hand-held hammer and tap the surface of the metal onto the stone.

 After smoothing the surface, you can now "Bright Cut" the inside of the setting hole.

  In using the "156C (Carbide)" bur, you can create a seat all around the inside of the hole. I take about 3-4 cuts to make a seat for the stone.

  This is exactly how the bur is being shown in the hole. 

   In this final photo, you can see the teeth of the bur starting to cut into the wall of the hole. 

 What determines the depth? I use the 'top of the teeth' as a guide for all of my seats in the Flush setting.