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caroleallen
23-01-2015, 04:13 PM
I've been asked to bezel set a small (about 5mm, I think) teardrop shaped opal which does not have a flat bottom. My question is, would it stand up to being ground flat with my Jooltool? If not, how would you set it?

Dennis
23-01-2015, 04:43 PM
Definitely risky Carole, not least because it might fly away . Much safer to lay out for a cheap set of these and do it by hand with plenty of water. To save small stones catching on the holes you can run them up one side, or along the cross pieces.

Not a waste, because they are also good for straightening and finishing metal edges. Dennis.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Spot-19275-Diamond-Sharpening/dp/B000LPDNLW/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1422030919&sr=1-7&keywords=diamond+sharpening+steel

caroleallen
23-01-2015, 05:25 PM
Thanks very much Dennis.

I've just seen the stone and it is very rounded indeed. The customer has asked me to set it into its setting using resin and then push the bezel over the top. His reasoning being that an opal doublet already has resin on the back anyway. I see his point and hopefully it will look fine. Problem is that now I know he paid £250 for it!

enigma
23-01-2015, 05:32 PM
Yikes! £250 of lovely fragile opal! =:-O

I carve opals sometimes using my pendant motor which works fine on a slow speed so I would think if you take it steady you should be ok just grinding a flat back. No idea whether the Jool tool would be a good option for that though.

caroleallen
23-01-2015, 05:40 PM
I'd be terrified to try grinding it now Sarah. I think I'll go with the resin option.

LydiaNiz
23-01-2015, 06:13 PM
Hi Carole,
Are you making the setting? Wondering if it's possible to take away from the seat of the setting rather than from the opal? I've done open backed bezel setting for a doublet teardrop opal which worked quite well, and let a good amount of light through too (it was a jelly opal). I've ground down good opal before with no ill effects, but equally I've had one's shear in half when just setting them (and thought there was no problem!). What sort of opal is it?


I'd be terrified to try grinding it now Sarah. I think I'll go with the resin option.

caroleallen
23-01-2015, 06:24 PM
That would have been a good idea but I've offered to engrave the back now, so I don't think he would be happy. It's a bright blue Australian opal.

LydiaNiz
23-01-2015, 06:42 PM
Ooh. I would love to see it when you're done - hope it behaves itself x

enigma
23-01-2015, 07:40 PM
Another who would love to see it when you finish Carole :)
Wise choice I think!

josef1
23-01-2015, 08:16 PM
I would avoid grinding it if you can opals are funny things,I like the idea of cutting the setting to match the radius on the stone, I did a similar custom one, only it was claw set ,the back was made to fit the stone.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJZT5S9g_R0&list=UU8PYq3lRFdXS9wxepg9BNKQ& index=2

caroleallen
23-01-2015, 09:15 PM
That's beautiful Josef.

Mine will just be a very plain pendant and apart from the stone being beautiful, it won't be anything special at all.

josef1
23-01-2015, 09:57 PM
Im sure it will be.

Dennis
23-01-2015, 10:02 PM
Problem is that now I know he paid £250 for it!

That's a hefty price for a 5mm opal, even if he bought it retail. I take it that it is not a doublet, or he's been had.

Setting it in resin might well change its optical properties for the worse. Raised on a wire bearer, it could still have a flat back. Dennis.

caroleallen
23-01-2015, 10:44 PM
It's black on the back Dennis, so I don't think it will make any difference to the optical properties. Does that make it a doublet?

I think I'd still worry about it if I made a wire bearer.

Patstone
24-01-2015, 07:02 AM
I have one that is white on the back, I thought it was a fake.

Goldsmith
24-01-2015, 09:57 AM
Carole, A while back I set a similar non flat backed shaped stones in a flat backed bezel settings, for modelling I sometimes use Super Sculpey modeling wax. I made the setting to suit the stone and then rolled a piece of Super Skulpey into a wire shape length, squeezed it round the interior bezel area, then pushed the stone in so that it shaped the wax and was was sitting square, removed the stone and then heated the whole thing gently which hardens the Super Skulpey and gave me a secure bed to sit the stones on while rubbing over the bezels. If you haven't tried it yet I am sure you would find many uses for Skulpey; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Super-Sculpey-1lb-454g-Beige/dp/B0026C1T8C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422093337&sr=8-1&keywords=super+sculpey

James

Wallace
24-01-2015, 02:44 PM
that is interesting to read James,

do you not find the that Sculpey fractures over time?

Lovely ring Josef - in awe and feel so unskilled!

Carole, do you remember that Tony would chamfer some stones with some of these http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/EZELAP_DIAMOND_FILES.html ?

caroleallen
24-01-2015, 04:21 PM
Thank you James. I will have a look at that.

My goodness Wallace, you've got a good memory! I don't remember him saying that but I probably wasn't concentrating.

caroleallen
24-01-2015, 04:22 PM
Super Sculpey looks a lot like Milliput and I have that already.

ps_bond
24-01-2015, 05:03 PM
Super Sculpey is a PVC-based hardening "clay", as opposed to an epoxy putty.

Wallace
24-01-2015, 07:01 PM
Super Sculpey is a PVC-based hardening "clay", as opposed to an epoxy putty. I have some of that - it is very nice to play with - brings back memories of when I used to work in a day service that supported vulnerable people.



My goodness Wallace, you've got a good memory! I don't remember him saying that but I probably wasn't concentrating. lol - bane of my life! My late husband used to quickly end any arguments. lol.

enigma
24-01-2015, 11:40 PM
Beautiful ring Josef!

Am I being dim, is James saying you leave the sculpey in?

metalsmith
25-01-2015, 07:37 AM
@Josef1, that is a beautiful ring indeed!

However opals are prepared by grinding. The only reasons to be too careful about grinding the back a little flatter would be
1) the price of the stone / its ability to be replaced i.e. sentimental value
2) doublets / triplets etc (if the stone is manufactured) would be ruined

josef1
25-01-2015, 04:24 PM
@Josef1, that is a beautiful ring indeed!

However opals are prepared by grinding. The only reasons to be too careful about grinding the back a little flatter would be
1) the price of the stone / its ability to be replaced i.e. sentimental value
2) doublets / triplets etc (if the stone is manufactured) would be ruined

Thanks I like rose gold with opals, I didn't say you couldn't, I just personally thought It should be avoided, your making the item anyway so make it fit the stone especially if its customers goods.

medusa
28-01-2015, 06:17 PM
I had a fairly successful grind of the opal rough I bought in the summer, but if it is a doublet, then I'd be wary of grinding, going by discussions on the opal forum.

china
18-02-2015, 11:59 AM
I know this a old thread and I may me too late. I would strongly suggest that you do not attempt to grind a doublet, I think it would not be successful, why not bake a basket setting and claw set it

caroleallen
18-02-2015, 12:18 PM
I know this a old thread and I may me too late. I would strongly suggest that you do not attempt to grind a doublet, I think it would not be successful, why not bake a basket setting and claw set it

Thanks for replying. The customer specifically wants it bezel set. I've still not set it yet, though I've made the piece and sent it for hallmarking.

My problem at the moment is that I've had a succession of retinal tears over the last few weeks which meant 3 lots of laser surgery, followed last week by cryosurgery. I'm now left with very blurry vision for a few weeks and I'm not confident to do the setting. I'm hoping my customer will wait for a bit.

Dennis
18-02-2015, 01:13 PM
Sorry to hear about that Carole. I wish you a speedy recovery and hope you are not feeling too down Dennis.

mizgeorge
18-02-2015, 02:36 PM
Oh Carole - that all sounds very unpleasant. I dread anything happening to my eyes :( Hope it all heals up as it should and you can take the opportunity to get a bit of a rest.

caroleallen
18-02-2015, 04:08 PM
Thanks George and Dennis. We all think we'd like a good excuse to do nothing, yet when it happens, we can't wait to get back to work.

china
19-02-2015, 06:13 AM
Hope you recover soon, one thing here in oz we don't send our items away we stamp the ourself, strickly speaking we don't have hall marks in the true sense although every one reffers to them as hallmarks

ShinyLauren
19-02-2015, 08:55 AM
Hope you're feeling better soon Carole - must be so frustrating not being able to work!

LydiaNiz
19-02-2015, 12:52 PM
Hope you're on the mend now Carole - not nice at all. x

Wallace
19-02-2015, 01:19 PM
Ooh, that sounds like it has been a testy experience. Hope you get back to things asap. X

Petal
19-02-2015, 07:28 PM
Its taken much longer, but at least you caught it in time. Its horrible not being able to work on things, but at least it forces you to have some rest Carole. Even though I know you'll be desperate to get back to work, think of it as designing and/or thinking time. [][]

caroleallen
19-02-2015, 09:07 PM
Thanks everyone. Only a few more days before checkup and then hopefully it will be business as usual.

Tabby66
19-02-2015, 09:11 PM
That's good to hear Carole, fingers crossed xx

Gemsetterchris
20-02-2015, 08:18 AM
Speedy recovery Carole :Y:

In the meantime..make sure your customer is aware that the risk of setting is theirs not yours.
Hopefully it all goes to plan, but it`s impossible to be 100% certain.

Given that the stone is probably unique & doesn`t have an exact replacement adds to the problem :-p

If setters had to take responsibility for unseen potential problems, they would have to charge way more than whatever stones cost to replace rather than just a few quid.

DODavid
14-10-2015, 02:27 AM
Wow, beautiful custom opal setting =o