A little bit of advice please

[Mila Jewellery]

I want to learn how to set stones so I thought I would start with something fairly big and not too expensive!! I spotted this dichroic glass cab - my pics don't do it justice, it's really pretty. Anyway, I want to make it into a pendant, rubover setting ideally with an open back but wanted a few pointers on the best way of doing this, or any other suggestions for setting it.

[geti-titanium]

Crikey! I think I would start with a nice 3mm round cz

[Rustic Charm]

My very first was a teardrop faceted stone put me off for ages!! lol, moved on to cabs find them much easier and getting better but still have some really bad days and think why oh why do i wanna do this!!! x

[geti-titanium]

LOL a cab would be easier Alan,

No Jason, no! Drill a hole, pop in cz, fold edge over cz - now that's easy! First one I ever did took me 2 days - (many moons ago!)

[geti-titanium]

you need all the equipment and it's expensive,

Pendant motor, ball drill, burnishing tool made from worn out ball drill and wooden handle to hold burnisher.

Drill the hole using the ball drill so that the stone sits a little below the surface of the metal. The stone locks into the radius of the metal and holds it whilst you roll the edge over. I tend to avoid those diamond shaped burrs as I find the stones tend to flip out as soon as you touch them. Job done - move on to next piece.

[Emerald]

Vitoria have you seen the Bezel wire they sell in cooksons, havent used it myself but that may be a good place to start and then to hold the stone to stop it dropping out the bottom solder an inner ring, although i am sure there will be someone with a brighter idea xx

[geti-titanium]

You make it sound easier than it is Alan. LOL

To be honest I sweated buckets doing my first ones and they took ages to get right, most of the problems were cured when I swapped over to using a ball drill instead of a setting burr. As you say it can be fiddly to get the stone level but, once you get that right, it's plain sailing. - well when you've done a couple of hundred anyway

[Emerald]

the poor girl asked cabochon setting not you two trying to out do each other with who can do it better and with what tool!

[Emerald]

must admit i use a ball aswell, well i did i think they are a bit rusty to

[geti-titanium]

And I don't know how to set a cabochon anyway