Where were YOU in 1961?

 Where were you in 1961? 

 I knew exactly where I was, I was learning to use my Onglette gravers even in those formative years. I was gaining experience in cutting designs on very 'difficult & extremely hard Brass' as this was the starting of "my 9 years of apprenticeship". Computer Designing wasn't even a glimmer in anyone's eyes, but 'we' had to learn every step in Onglette cutting.

 To make things more difficult, I had no idea that I had a "Learning Disability", namely being Dyslexic. That's why those '9 years' took so long and tedious for me. (Enough with my history).

 Here is the proof of the "Brass Cutting". My teacher said to me "If you can't do it right the first time, DO IT AGAIN & AGAIN" and I did many times until I got it done. He reported my progress every week to my Father, (z"l).

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This first brass plate was solely on 'controlling the graver' 100% of the time.

 This second plate was the start of some very intricate graver cutting. Remember that all of this cutting was years before "Computer Aided Designing" aka CAD.

 I had to learn & ensure that the holes were not drilled through the metal, and I had to make darn sure that the graver didn't slip and ruin any new pattern. 

 Every line had to be 'just a perfect cutting' with no slipping of my hand and the graver. I had to ensure that the Milgrain wheel was applied in such a way that it gave it a 'nice finished look'.

 There were even many months of learning how to use a "Bench-Grinder" and holding the graver to the Oilstone. When I finished my own graver, my teacher always gave me his set of gravers to grind for him, without burning the steel.

  I had a difficult time with this strange pattern, there was no 'rhyme or reason' in what I was doing. But graver control was done according to my teacher's requests. I did succeed through the 9 years of 'fun'. 

  Now after 60+ years, you are now seeing what was then literally impossible, is now second nature to this "Diamond Setter & Author".

BTW, this is my 224th tutorial essay. Hoping you appreciate my earlier years of training.

"Sharp as a Razor" reprinted from "MJSA -2017"

 As this one essay was printed in 2017, it still needs to be written into this blog in 2023. Instead of using "Lewy" I'll be using "my" or "I" as needed.

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  I have dedicated my life to perfecting the art of setting stones. And through my studies, I've learned the importance of having a nice, clean edge on my settings and the right tools needed to achieve that.

 In my practice, I rely upon a series of gravers to do my cutting work, with some modifications. "Tool suppliers sell good gravers, but they are so very thick".

 In order for them to be suitable for my cutting work, I need to greatly modify them.

  I start with a standard #1 (or #2) Onglette graver and start the shaping process with my bench grinder. Because of the amount of metal, I must remove an estimated 50% of the front of the graver metal that is to be greatly modified. I will grind away metal from the tip (or front) of the graver. 

  When the graver looks sufficiently shaped, I will use my oilstone to refine the cutting edge and also any sharp & rough edges. If this blade is still too wide, I'll take it back to my bench grinder to refine the cutting point more.

 I will spend about 50% of my time working on the bench grinder and an additional 50% on my oilstone, making subtle changes and watching my new graver angles. This process will take me about 20-30 minutes nonstop. If needed, I will keep going from my bench grinder to my oilstone repeatedly. I WANT ONLY PERFECTION. 

 This graver is akin to a 'razor blade' as only the front of this graver will come into contact with the metal or stone.

 Once I'm satisfied with the shape of this new graver it will be used for Bright-Cutting along Channel Settings, Pave Settings & Gypsy Setting walls.

 After every two or three cuts into the metal, I will stop and refurbish the front of the graver. As noted, I WANT AND DEMAND A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT.

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  Tool Suppliers can't make these specialized tools, only Diamond Setters have that technique.

 (I remember once that a jewellery store owner requested that I travel down to his store from Toronto to Tennessee to help him. I looked at his gravers and not one of them was put to his bench grinder, why? He hadn't bought one).

 Here are 14 recently archived photographs with explanations that I'll be using for this informative essay.

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On the left is my untouched graver along with 9 gravers for various cutting needs.

 I use this particular graver company for their 'high-speed steel' metal.

Here is my bench grinder for all of my graver-shaping.

 In this photo, I'm removing any unused section of the graver that goes into my adjustable & extended handle.

 I prefer the 2 screw handle, why? In case one screw gets ruined I still the remaining screw to keep it usable.

 As you can see my graver blade has been greatly modified for my metal cutting.

 In my collection of tools, I have 12 handles each with its own gravers.

This is my oilstone that I keep within reach of my left hand and it is continually kept moist with a 'light viscous' oil. 

Here is the 'before & after' width of my cutting blade.

 Here are my assortment of Emery & Polishing papers. These keep my gravers in pristine cutting condition. The grits range from #240 Emery to #1,200 Polishing.

 This "Right-Sided Onglette" graver is very important in my "Bright-Cutting" in this Bezel setting.

 This particular #600 (Polishing grit) is the first of many 8 stages in paper-polishing a graver. 

 This photo shows how a modified "Right-Sided" graver should look for metal cutting. BTW, only the "right side" is highly polished, (if you are right-handed.

 

  I hope that this essay was helpful to you.

Are your a repair shop or wholesaler? PLEASE READ THIS ESSAY.

 At every jeweller's bench, there comes a time when you have to repair a large diamond that was previously set into an Engagement ring. 

 Here are some very useful techniques that should be followed. These same techniques have been discussed in various trade magazines over the past many years. 

 I'm not copying them but instead, I'm using my own 60+ years of diamond-setting experience.

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 Here are some major problems (using my rudimentary diagrams) that are usually seen on a client's ring.

1) "Thin or worn claws". This ring top has only weeks remaining before the diamond will fall out. I suggest a "full retip" on the other tops.

  

2) "Broken claw tips". I personally ask you to remove this broken claw and then 'supply & solder' a newer claw.

3) "Unfinished & unpolished claws". Please have all of the claws polished on the sides and outside before setting the diamond. Once the stone is in the 4-claw head..forget it!

4) "Hooked claw tops". This is not the correct way to set a diamond. Remember that you are working with a multi-thousand-dollar gem.

5) "Lifted claw tips". Tell me where is there any security? The answer is nowhere. Either you press the claw tip down onto the stone or reset this gemstone.

6) "No bearing claws". There is no 'bearing' for the Pavillion of the stone. Every diamond must be well placed in its own claw.

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 What should a diamond that has been properly attended to have? (These notes have been written from my own experience).

1) The claw tip must be tightly pressed down & secured onto the "Crown, or Girdle Facets" of the diamond.

2) The claws MUST have smooth tops and not have any rough areas to catch the wearer's clothing. This will eventually cause a loosening of the diamond.

3) The claws must be thick & strong enough to hold the diamond for many decades of continual use.

4) The 'inside of the claw' must have the same angles as the diamond.

5) All areas of the diamond head must be highly polished prior to stone setting.

7) If the head of the ring is a 'two-piece' construction, the soldering joints must be strong and not just held in place.

8) If the head has a 'peg' underneath, then all touching of the head to the band & must be 100% secure.

9) The wedding band must be highly polished prior to the soldering of the head.

10) Are all of the 'trademarks, karat stamps & sizing' being imprinted on the ring?

11) Is the weight of the diamond notarized before being set? If not, the appraiser will ask you to remove it for an accurate appraisal form for his and YOUR records. How important is this? (I could go on for hours).

12) The 'colour of the diamond' will be greatly affected by the colour of the metal. Another reason why the diamond must be given to your appraiser loose.

Design names of heads for Engagement rings.

 First of all, my apologies, the individual photos are blurred and not in 100% focus. This copying was from a single page that I found laying in a "pile of diagrams" in my home office.

 Basically, these photos are now a '3rd generation' and I've done the best that I could under the circumstances to keep them in focus.

 The "claw setting inscriptions" are difficult to view, from my own experiences, I will endeavour to describe the correct names.

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This is the page that I found for everyone and for you!

This name is "4-claw head, with a soldering peg". 

This is a "Double 4-claws, with longer claws".

This is a "4-claw, 'V'-shaped style" setting. Basically used for 'Princess-cut' square stones.

This is a "Full Bezel" setting. Be careful, as about 25% of the stone is covered with the bezel, pity!

Another name for this style of setting is a "Half Bezel". Much more of the diamond is exposed.

This is named an "End Bezel", this setting is only used with square stones.

 I learned that there are two names for this setting: "Trellis" or a "Lucida". Remember that much of the work is in the polishing that is prior to the diamond setting.

This is a "Tension" style of setting. Much of this diamond is nicely exposed.

 I'd name this ring top a "Bead" style setting this setting is Bright-Cut. You could use CAD (Computer Aided Designing) in creating the four mini-claws. The Milgraining effect could be used after the setting has been completed.

This is an easy name. It's an "8-claw Setting". Pre-polishing must be done prior to the diamond setting.

 This has a long name, ready? "4 claws in a Basket setting, with added diamonds". 

 

"Double, 4-claws in a Double-Frame, Basket setting".

"Four-Claws in a Flat-bottomed, Double Framed setting"

 Now you can increase your diamond-setting vocabulary. I hope that you enjoyed this 220th tutorial essay.

Gerrylewy18 @ gmail.com

Here are the official names of Diamond Facets?

 In my previous essay on "Diamonds & Cubic Zirconia gemstones", I briefly touched upon their location and the names. Here they are again, but now in colour for easier identification.

 I'm not going to go into any form of a dissertation or explanation, these two 'attachments' speak for themselves.

What are the differences between a Diamond & Cubic Zirconia?

 The differences are many and G.I.A. notes are acting as a guide for me. From my own experience of 64 years on the bench, I will do my best. Where my knowledge is lacking, I gladly thank G.I.A. for their undivided assistance.

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The official name of a Diamond & Cubic Zirconia

Diamond: the correct name is "Full Cut". Every diamond has 57 Facets, 

"Single-Cut": Has 8 Facets from the "Girdle to the Table" and 8 more Facets below the "Girdle to Culet" (point of the Pavillion). The number is 16 facets.

Cubic Zirconia: As many facets as allowed depending on the size of the stone.

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Girdle Thickness: 

Diamond: Has a Polished Girdle.

CZ: Very rarely do they have a thin Girdle.

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Stone Colour:

Diamond: The range is from a "D-E-F" (colourless, "G-H-I" (little yellow),

"J-K-L", (light yellow colour) 

CZ: Clear

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Hardness: (Rated on the Moh's Scale).

Diamond: Rated as a 10.

Cubic Zirconia: 8 - 8.5

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Affects by Acidic liquids:

Diamond: Not affected. These stones can be cleaned with "Boracic Acid".

CZ: The effects are the same as the Diamond.

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Definition of "Clarity Grades". (see G.I.A. supplied grades)

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When either stone is inverted, what will be seen? (see attached diagram)

Diamond: All of the light will be reflected back to the observer.

CZ: The stone will appear to be transparent. What will also be seen as a "Halo" of reflected light bouncing back through the "Crown Facets".

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Where does the light travel through each of the stones? (see attached diagrams)

Diamond: Reflected light is bounced back to the viewer, hence the diamond has a "Sparkle" that the CZ doesn't even come close to.

CZ: The light is dispersed in all directions and then gets 'lost'.

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What are the available sizes?

Diamond: I've recently set diamonds measuring 0.075 mms or .03 points. The largest stone can be as ( ? carats) depending on what "Mother Nature" has created for 'us'.

CZ: My honest guess is 1mm or whatever the customer wants. 

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Where are these two stones mined, or created?

Diamond: Diamonds are 'found' ONLY in the earth named "Blue Pipe". These 'pipes' are found in Northern Canada, South Africa, Australia and Russia. These diamonds are now 'lab-created' under extremely high pressure & temperatures.

 If you wish to research further, I suggest GOOGLE "Lab-Created Diamonds".

CZ: These cubic zirconia are all lab-created, aka "artificially made". 

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What shapes do these stones come in?

Diamond: Rectangular, Round, Marquise, Oval, Square and Pear-Shape. (Did I miss anything?)

CZ: These 'lab-created' stones come in the same shapes as the Diamond.

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Prices for these stones? (Let's use a size of 1.00 carat.)

Diamond: As a fair price for an F-G colour and VS-2 quality, this is also depending on the "country of origin" quotations at $12,000.00.

CZ: Would you believe $30.00 for the same size as quoted above?

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Do these stones contain 'Inclusions'?

In every diamond, there will be crystalline defects or inclusions. The only diamond without any defects are named  "Flawless" or "Internally Flawless"  These stones are very high in their pricing as they are extremely rare.

CZ: All cubic zirconias are free of any natural growth defects. To examine any CZ there won't be any tell-tale aberrations, these are all lab-created.

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What is a "Carat" or "Karat"? The word Carat is derived from "Carob seed" as a unit of measurement used only for Diamonds. Karat is used only for Gold.

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FYI: Diamonds will always retain their colour, CZ on the other hand will tend to lose their overall lustre. Therefore 'continual cleaning' is required.

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Will a Diamond get scratched after decades of continual use? The answer is NO!

CZ: will eventually get scratched why? The "Moh's Scale of Strength" is only 8.0 as mentioned, they are just a softer stone.

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Will you see any 'polishing marks' on either stone?

 As "My Father", (z"l) was a "Diamond Polisher, by profession in Belgium. He always told me that every diamond polisher will leave little lines on the facets during their 'polishing processes'. These days machines do much of the polishing instead of my hand. This is necessary for the small 0.01-point stones, can you really imagine hand-polishing 425 of those little 0.075mm diamonds I had a few months ago?

CZ: These irregular polishing marks will not be evident.

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What is "Triple-EX" or "EX - EX - EX"?

"Excellent cut" All of the polishing of the Facets is equally proportioned to each other all around the 57 facets of the diamond.

"Excellent colour" The stone has no colour.

"Excellent quality" All of the angles of that stone meet G.I.A. standards.

 Let me state that CZ does not have any of these "Triple-EX" designations.

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"IMPORTANT DIAMOND VOCABULARY" 

(My reference booklet was used in conjunction with the official "Gemological Institute of America" issued "Diamond Issued Vocabulary")

 I want to inform you, and everyone of all of the subtle nuances of Diamonds.