Advice for raw ruby ring setting please!

Hi. I'm learning so much from 'snooping around' this forum that I thought it was high time I joined!

I would really appreciate some advice and hope this is the right place to post this. I've been asked to make a new setting for a raw ruby. It's an elongated marquise 30mm x 14mm and is faceted all over - top, bottom and sides - and it is also curved. It is currently in a 6-prong basket setting but I've been asked to do a plain silver rub over. Whilst I love a challenge....

In view of its size, would it make sense to make different size bezels within each other to support the stone? Or would it be better to use a thickish bearer wire inside the main bezel? Or should I give up now and run screaming into the hills.

Or none of the above. Any advice would be truly appreciated!

Abi

Dear Abi,
Here is a scanned in print, which I hope shows something similar to yours. If you make a tapering collet there is no need for a bearer.
I made this by cutting out two pieces of stiff curved paper and when I had them right, copying in 0.8 fine silver sheet. Then I soldered one end, pinched the other end together and soldered that. Kind regards, Dennis.

Hi Abi,would be good to see a pic of the stone.
It sound that they want it kept simple, if i understand correct. My method would be to make a silver ring that fits around the stone slightly wider of the distance from the culet (pointy bit) to the girdle(where the angle changes direction). The extra has to include the curve of the ring size and slightly over the girdle for cutting a seat for the stone and pushing over.

One thing I'd mention that might be relevant to this job .An expression I've used before on the forum before is taking the hot potato. Are you sure it's a ruby and not something else. I used to do a lot of repairs,the customer would say they had an 18ct gold 1ct diamond ring for sizing(trying to give you the hot potato),I'd tell anyone taking the job in to confirm it was.If you write the packet out with 18ct 1ct diamond ring(you've taken the hot potato) and something goes wrong,then that's what you have to replace.But if you write on the packet 9ct QVC Dimonique(the ones with CZ stamped inside?)(you've given the customer their potato back) and something goes wrong then it's a lot less stress.
We need some drawings :)
Oh yeah Dennis that's a lovely ring,if i ever do jobbing again I might use that method.

I'm new to all this and having a bit of difficulty replying and uploading an image! Please bear with me.

Thank you Dennis and Shaun750 for replying so quickly and for the good advice. That ring is stunning and I'll be really pleased with myself if I can produce something even half as good. Hopefully you'll be able to see the not very good pic of the stone. I think a similar setting would work really well, even if it's not a real ruby (thanks for that advice!).

Another question if I may - would you always recommend fine rather than sterling silver for a stone/setting like this. I'm a bit worried about the wear the ring might be subjected to.

Thanks again
Abi

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Really enjoyed the Hot Potato advice, Shaun. Get that wrong and you'd have some sleepless nights. Dennis.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dennis

Really enjoyed the Hot Potato advice, Shaun. Get that wrong and you'd have some sleepless nights. Dennis.

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Wow dennis! You gave me a flash back mentioning sleepless nights.Maybe not sleepless,but stressing until the customer came in.It wasn't always my fault(post going missing and break ins!!),but I carried the can.I'd say 90% of the time is was never as bad as I thought(the reaction of the customer) After a few years I learned to push the worry out of my mind,until the customer came in.The only trouble was I used to have a bloke who worked for me who would stress about stuff and it would kind of jump onto me!! I had to tell him off a few times.If i was working for someone else I wouldn't worry about it.That was how i learned to do jewellery repairs.My boss would give me a job to do, I hadn't a clue how to do.Those were the days of gate bracelets. I'd have it in pieces and have to put it all back again.The only reason I manged to fix it in the end,was at the back of my mind it wasn't my problem if it was ruined.I always seemed to get them together in the end,which was a 'chucked in the deep end kind of lesson.

Abi from the pic I'd say it is a Ruby,not a great one ,but still a ruby. Dennis' idea seems ideal for it.I thought it was oval?? I'd say sterling silver for the setting.Are you OK with setting.I was hit and miss with setting and only did it in a emergency repair.I did a course when my shop closed,but don't practice,so who knows?.I used to take them or post to a setter in hatton garden,he could do in two minutes ,what would take me 1/2 and hour,and it was never as good.
Make sure you charge enough and go for it.

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm no setting expert. Snail's pace but fairly competent. I'll take my time and let you know how I get on.

Thank you both again for the advice.
Abi

QUOTE - would you always recommend fine rather than sterling silver for a stone/setting like this. I'm a bit worried about the wear the ring might be subjected to.

Well Abi, these big rings will only be worn for best, so I can see no reason not to use fine silver, particularly if you can texture it to disguise future marks. By bevelling the edge you should be able to push it over the stone easily. With sterling you would probably need a hammer and punch, or send it to a setter. If you plan to do this yourself, why don’t you buy a big CZ for practice, they only cost two or three pounds. No need to make the shank, just make the mount in copper and solder it to a flat bit. By the way, don’t stress the points or they will crumble. Let us know how you get on, Dennis.

Hmmm.

Can I offer a lateral track?

There is little talk of fashion here and old stick-in-the-muds like me could do with a hand in this respect. I have noticed a tendency to treat these imperfect (!) stones as 'crystals' rather than gems and set them in heavy, gothic or neo-gothic style. Crystals are big at the moment and I wonder if you got any feeling about your client's view of the stone?

A careful, strong-handed, new setter might find a heavy, 8mm D bezel (and shank) a forgiving medium that meets gothic styling.... Even quite deep marks in a 4mm thick bezel are 'rustic' rather than wrong! What was that quote... "Never mind the quality, feel the width!"?

Do any of you have sites to look at to judge the fashion in bespoke jewellery? I'm attracted to the novel but I guess that what actually sells is in the opposite direction...