"Princess", Square-stones in End-Bezel ring

 In this new essay I've decided to explain something just a bit different. This just isn't a "Channel Setting" nor is it a "Bezel Setting". I would definitely now name this exercise an "End-Bezel Setting"

 This particular design has "Semi-Split, End Bezel" metal covering that one stone. But here is the interesting part, is that these sections are all joined together..OUCH!

 Remember that we are now dealing with "square stones" and all of them must be dealt with great care! The care required, is in protecting the four corners of that stone, allowing the Pavilion not to be touching any metal underneath. 

 Of course the bearings must be straight across the end-sections of the semi-bezels.

Is this difficult? NO, not in the slightest, but certain rules & techniques MUST be followed!

 On my "Difficulty Scale": I'd put this pattern at a 7.0 out of 10. 

 You can easily see just how the end-bezels are looking, each one of them are attached to the next. We must now separate each of them with a saw-blade, I prefer a blade of #2/0 width.

 Further on in this exercise, I will use my bud-shaped bur to again separate the metal after setting, but not the saw-blade!!! This will be explained further in greater detail.

 My very first step is to make the setting hole square as this must conform to the Pavilion group of facets on the Princes stone. In this photograph all of the bezel holes look almost rounded..YUK!

 I now have much work to do in creating each of these holes and also cleaning them to accept each of the Princes stones..loads of hard work with the #007 bud-shaped burs,

 I'm now using a bud bur #006 to clean out the inside-corners of the channel. I want each of them to be in a good condition to be able to move towards the stone.

 As you can now see how the corners of the holes are starting to now appear. Don't spend too much time on this step, just make sure they are clean from any casting defects!

 This is not to be seen by your customer but make sure the stone will sit against the holes with no effort!

 I'm inspecting how the Princess stone will look against the edges of the walls.

Now you can easily see how and where the stone will be sitting. As you can see that the "Pavilion" is not touching the inner hole...NICE!

 Before I start to make a bearing-cut, I need to have a bud-shaped bur, what size will I be needing? I have no idea, I will have that opportunity by placing the bud-bur against the "Girdle" of the stone.
I'll pick a bur that is slightly larger. The bur number is not important, but as long as the bud-bur is larger than the Girdle of the stone!!!

 Before I touch the inner wall, I need to know just where I will start the first bearing for these lines!
I prefer to mark with an "felt tip, ink-marker to estimate the depth and where each bearing will be made. In this view, you can see the separation of the walls

 I prefer a bud-shaped bur for this exercise, no round burs are allowed. You will see in a moment!

 Don't play around by ruining your bearing-cuts with any use of a round bur. These will  not work as you can see in this photograph.
  You MUST HAVE A STRAIGHT and WELL MADE BEARING CUT!!! Each line must continue from the previous line to the next section, simple as that!!!

  Now comes the fitting of the stone, there are many things to look out for. Bearing must be made wider that the Girdle, is the Pavilion touching the inside hole?

 How about the side Pavilion facets => are they touching the metal under the bearing line; so much to think of ..WHEW & OUCH! Everything you do now takes precious time, no guessing!

 If the stone is too (girdle) wide, I will exchange it for a thinner (stone) Girdle?

 I like to clean the inside of the hole with my Flat graver. I want the metal to be shiny at all times (if this is at all possible) and no remaining pieces of metal that might touch the stone..:>(

 Make the bearing wider than the Girdle, don't have the metal squeeze the stone when it's set!!!

 Already you can see just how wide the stone is. But look at the height of the wall, as it's holding the stone, this is exactly what I'm looking for. I'll explain in a minute.

 Be so darned careful that not one corner of the stone is touching the corners of the metal. If this is happening, take the stone out and re-core the corners, again! (I made this error just for this demonstration of what might & could happen!)

 Your (tapered) corners...must...look...like...this, agree? THIS CONFORMS TO THE SHAPE OF THE STONE.

 OMG, the corners of this stone are overlapping well into the next setting spot. What do we do now? I'm not worried!
 I will make allowances to this problem by having the corner rest against the slanting design or end-pattern. I will make an extra "half-bearing" to allow that corner to rest INTO the metal.

 I used a pair of pliers to individually open up each two sides to allow the stone to sit in it's new 'home'. As you can see that these green stones were not well-made in the 'faceting department'. I'd call this a 'double problem' for any setter, or jeweller.

 But it's great to know nothing is perfect, when dealing with inexpensive imitation stone cz's..YUK & YUK, again!

 As I only had a few green stones in my inventory, some of them are showing signs of previous setting. Get all of the stones really close to each other.
 I don't want any spaces in between any of them, plain & simple!...NO SPACES. Just a fine line of the colour GREEN!

 I'm making sure that the stones in their respective setting and the metal has been pressed over  with your pair of pliers (to gently secure). I don't want any movement when the metal is being tapped over with your Riveting Hammer.

 I will use the hammer on the ring while the ring is sitting on a steel mandrel, why so? If you hammer in a leather clamp, the 'hitting power' will get absorbed and the stone will never get tight!

 Tap one side of the end-bezel on all of the stones, you can see that the stones are getting secure at each tap! Try not to use the "Reciprocating Hammer". I find that with this strong hammer, I have little control on these very delicate and large stones.

 As each hard downward tap might move that stone and crash against the neighbouring stone and WHOOPS! Both stones might get broken!

  I chose in using a 'bud-shaped' bur and not the saw blade as I need, and can also change the width of the cutting at that moment. Using a saw-blade is too restrictive and time wasting for me..:>(

 If I need a #006, or then a #007, I can easily change the bur in a couple of seconds...saw-blades takes too much time and my mind is on one thing, that's to separate the metal edges..FAST!!!

 This "chosen cutting apparatus" gives me more access to anywhere on the ring, and at any position!

 This final cleaning is so important that there are no short-cuts, anywhere, at any time!..:>(

 I marked the outside area of the top edge. I now know where and how far against the metal must a file be touching (on the outside edge only) in the finishing stages of this ring!

 I won't touch anywhere near the front of the edge,why? You will see in a moment.

 This 'front section' against the stone, is just where the Flat Graver #40 will do it's final cleaning. I even won't touch the top area, as I must have "thickness" of the metal to "Bright-Cut".
PLEASE  do not use a file to clean the front metal, why? 
 Two reasons: you might hit & scratch the soft stone, and leave striations in the inside metal line!

  Can you see any spaces in between the green stones? There aren't any, and that is what is required.
 Eye-Appeal at all times!

 Any further cleaning is up to you. I still find (sometimes) that I have to do a "minor touch-up" and everything should be ready for the final polishing and be left in a pristine condition!

 Even on smaller (4 mm's) stones, the same principles and techniques are used. There are no differences in the burring and making bearing-cuts..Straight lines across the inside walls at all times! 

 Just some more things to remember, please be very careful when dealing with these large and very delicate stones. Think about the nest step & the continuing steps ahead in this type of setting!

Channel-Setting, with 7, Princess (square) stones!

 Some jewellers will call this kind of gem-setting "Channel Setting", I'd name this style a difficult setting. What ever name you wish to call it, this setting is not for the beginner! .

Another essay to follow shortly is similar to this, but that one IS a "Channel Setting" process. Both are similar in nature, but just so very different.

 The Difficulty Scale on this technique is rated at about 15 out of 10, with a Frustration level of ???

As you can see that accurate measurements are necessary with starting any program in setting.

 Each stone is measuring (exactly) 2.50 x 2.50 mm's

 The opening is .58 mm's or much longer that the 5 stones. We will deal with this problem further!

  I'm now showing a simple array of setting tools that will make this setting a reality!

 The 'bearings' for the Princess stones is not a long continual cut. It is composed of individual straight lines, but joined together! After all, each square stone is cut straight across, agree?

 I'm leaving the 'end-stone opening' untouched at the present time. The first bearing is only a guide for the next 2-3 cuts. Each cut is deeper INTO the metal.

 You can now see how deep the cuts are getting!

 From a curved end-opening, I want to make a square-corner..by using a small #006 round bur!

 The first of the 5 square stones, are now easily placed into the metal. If the preparation is successful, than no problems will occur. Just simple planning of the next few steps. Always making sure that the stones are "nearly touching", but not that close together!

 I removed the round channel ends and now starting to make a square, end-opening.

 Now this is starting of the "frustrating segment"of this project. The reason is allocating enough space exactly for ONE MORE STONE....with no finished spaces at the ends!

 Just observe the slow removal of metal as the next stone will be ready to be set. You MUST make the opening longer, but never wider!

 Remember, you are making the two spaces of equal length, at both ends of the Channel setting! Double the work, but it'll turn out so much nicer, when finished!

 When the drilling has been completed, then use a round bur of #007 to cut the inside corners for these two square stones.

 Turn over the stones and determine how much more metal must be removed! THIS IS SO NECESSARY!

 I would scribe the metal and then measure another 2.50 mm's (stone size) ready to be cut out.

 Here is the starting of the 'removal process'. You notice that I haven't gone further than the scribe lines!!!

 I'd cut deeper inside the metal just for the Pavilion of the stones.

  Repeating what was just done on the first end and again measure the length for the second cutting.

                                        

 These stones are riding on top of each other. This particular c.z. has a wide girdle more allowances for more drilling with your round bur.. into the metal!

 This can be so very annoying, as sometimes the stones might just break at this point!

  HOORAY, the two stones finally went in! You will notice that there is no, or little touching of the stones with all of this "aggressive, metal excavation".

 At this point, you may use your riveting hammer to tap (lightly) the metal down over the stones. Some setters will use their Reciprocating Hammer at this point, why? They (and I) want to make sure that all of the metal is now ON EACH STONE!!!

 If any of the stones ARE TOUCHING in hammering process, they might vibrate and you can have two broken stones..:(

 I prefer a little space in between each of the stones, but barely visible with your 10x power loup.

 With your Flat #40 graver shave off the over-hanging metal, over each stone. Don't use a file, as you should have a clean Bright-Cutting surface.

 Don't attempt to file the surface until the Bright-Cutting has been completed. You need the thickness of the metal to manually cut with your graver.

 When you're starting to use your Pumice wheel have the wheel not to grind the metal flat. I would angle the metal (at a gentle angle) away from the front of the wall!

   I have only one word for this final photograph..NICE!

These Essays are dedicated to very special people...!

 These essays have been made possible by only three people; my Parents and my mentor/teacher!

My Mother (Sarah) b. 1906 in Manchester, England and died November 12, 1968!

My Father (Maurice) b. 1906 in Bialystok, Poland and died November 12, 1968!
(both died in a car accident)

My teacher Stanley (Stan) Levine!

 How did these three people help me to make all of these "Gem Setting Essays" get into my blog?

 My Mother (z"l) was a prolific writer and photographer, at a young age of 22 she organized and edited a Jewish newspaper all by herself. I always remember that if someone in her hometown of Manchester asked (her my mail) how the weather was like in Toronto, Canada, she would give a 4 page reply. She always took photographs of us 'in family pictures' and her gift of writing and the love of photography got me to do the same even to this day! She always did her typing at night until 2:00 into the early hours of the morning. As she had a physical disability she typed with only one finger!
Her speaking ability was passed on to me, with that, she taught me how to speak to large crowds of people.. namely, students in a class!..:>)

My Father (z"l) was a "Diamond Polisher" by trade in Belgium and had a jewellery factory in London, England during the WW 2. He was awarded a contract from the British Government to be the ONLY supplier of Industrial Diamonds for the "War Effort". No one was allowed to sell these  "Diamond Dresser Tools & Wheels", other than my Father!
 Many of his peers were extremely jealous of his abilities. From this innovative technique, all diamond tools came to be now a normal way of cleaning grinding wheels in all of North America even today!

When we came to Canada in 1947, he brought with him this new process & technique of using Diamonds-Boarts for reshaping & cleaning grinding wheels that are used in machine shops. When the film & television media heard of this ultra-new method, he appeared on television and had a short-movie made by "National Film Board of Canada" of this new diamond business. "Lorne Green", the same fellow from the "Bonanza" television series, was the announcer.

 Further to this essay, now comes my own story!

When my Parents finally realized I wasn't able to get through high school, my Dad got a friend to teach me Diamond Setting. No one in those earlier days knew of what being a Dyslexic is. So off to this jewellery factory at the age of 16, I went and had the greatest opportunity in working with "Mr. Stan Levine". He taught me literally everything related to setting of gemstones and 'Modifying & Bright-Cutting Gold & Platinum in the art of using gravers. Because of this hard work, I learned Diamond Setting in a 9 year long apprenticeship!

Now with all of this training, writing and photographic skills, you are getting what these three people 'gave me'. Please use this wealth of knowledge well in helping you to master the many Diamond Setting techniques.

 To these three people, I owe so much! BTW, my Maternal, grand-father was a watch-repairman!