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camalidesign
11-10-2016, 10:37 AM
Hi guys,

Hoping for some pointers/advice. I have a green smooth sapphire cab set into a simple silver ring (part of a stacking set, pictured), but I have a customer who loves this stone and needs it to be 3 sizes smaller...

Firstly, does anyone know of anyone that would be able to supply me a stone like this? It's a 6mm smooth green sapphire, not quite as vibrant as in the picture, but still a nice bright green. The supplier I got it from don't have any more in stock.

Alternatively, I should be OK to just cut the shank, immerse the setting in thermo paste and solder it shut again? Any tips/ideas?

Cheers,
Carin

9475

enigma
11-10-2016, 12:26 PM
I wouldn't want to risk it personally, I would either remove and reset it or get somebody with a PUK laser to do it.

Dennis
11-10-2016, 02:13 PM
I would extract the stone intact, as that is the most precious item and there are two ways:

1. Insert the point of a craft knife gently between stone and bezel. Go round and round five or six times until a gap opens, enough to extract the stone with BluTack, or heavy duty sticky tape. If you are patient this will eventually work and preserve the bezel.

2. Cut the bezel horizontally at the base of the stone, until the stone shows. Then lever the bezel up with a knife and cut it with side cutters to release the stone. Make a new bezel cup.

Or do as Sara suggests. Dennis.

metalsmith
11-10-2016, 07:40 PM
ward gemstones has a couple

camalidesign
11-10-2016, 08:24 PM
Thanks all, I guess I will take it out and reset or re-do the setting, depending on how I get on with taking it out.

Wards only have a few smaller ones, but thanks for looking! :D

Ta!
Carin

ps_bond
11-10-2016, 08:38 PM
Silver's a tad easier to weld than high-carbon steel, thankfully... :)

china
12-10-2016, 06:05 AM
Personally three sizes is pushing the limits of re-sizing, I would just remake it, ( or make another one )

ps_bond
12-10-2016, 06:10 AM
You reckon? I've got a set ring here which I'm taking from an R to an L... Bit of a swine, but doable.

camalidesign
12-10-2016, 09:21 AM
It's a simple 2.5 mm round shank so I could just cut out a little piece and re-solder it, 3 sizes should be absolutely fine to re-size! But as I will possibly have to remake the bezel anyway, I might just make a new shank and use the old one for something else...

Carin

china
12-10-2016, 01:10 PM
I have never downsized, 3 sizes as yet, I was always told by my mentor that 3 sizes about the limit

Aurarius
12-10-2016, 04:52 PM
I have never downsized, 3 sizes as yet, I was always told by my mentor that 3 sizes about the limit
It depends entirely on what's going on around the shank elsewhere than at the point you plan on cutting out to downsize. Here nothing's going on at all once the setting has been removed, so we could go down to an A (or smaller) if necessary.

china
13-10-2016, 06:36 AM
If the setting is remove that is a completely different ball game, if the setting is removed you may as well just remake it.

LydiaNiz
13-10-2016, 07:58 AM
I'd remove the stone before resizing (Dennis method) or ring Wards for another one and remake.

Aurarius
13-10-2016, 01:01 PM
if the setting is removed you may as well just remake it.

I'm not sure why it'd be preferable to remake it under these circumstances. Once the setting has been removed you'll have a shank with a flat spot and blob of solder opposite the join. You can take it down three sizes at the join, clean up the flat spot with a buff stick, solder on a new bezel and insert the original stone. Buying a new stone and/or having a leftover shank seem unnecessary expense to me.

enigma
13-10-2016, 02:23 PM
I just tried Dennis' method to remove an amethyst and it went well so definitely worth a try and if it fails just refer to plan B and remake the setting.
(Thank you Dennis!)

camalidesign
13-10-2016, 08:51 PM
Oh dear, I seemed to have caused quite a bit of disagreement on what to do! :D

I am going to try to take the stone out and if that works and the setting is intact then I can just re-size the ring and re-set the stone. If however I screw up the setting and have to make a new one I might just leave the shank for another project and make a fresh one for the new bezel. It's only a silver shank so not a lot of money in there and I will no doubt set another stone into it and sell it.

The stone was bought ages ago and it wasn't expensive, hence me wanting to try and solder with it in place initially. The stones Wards have on their site are much more at much smaller sizes, so I don't think I would be able to find a stone that fits within the budget of this ring.

I will let you know how I get on when I get around to it!

Carin

china
14-10-2016, 05:03 AM
My argument is that once you remove the stone then remove the setting/bezel then you have pretty well started again, so just keep that ring and make a new one