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Thread: Stone setting

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
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    Shropshire
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    Default Stone setting

    Hi all
    This is my first post on here and i'm new to jewellery making so be gentle.
    I want to make a ring like a wedding band with stones set into it, what is the best way to fit and secure the stones?
    Any help or advice would be great.
    Thanks
    Lee

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
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    Stone setting is relatively a simple idea,but to get it right is difficult. It's just making metal bend around something.
    The simplest way would be to measure your stones diameter and drill a hole a tiny fraction bigger.The stone should sit in the hole 1/4 millimeter below the surface of the metal. You then need to push metal around the stone,gradually tightening it in place,paying attention to how flush the stone is to the surface.
    You can make a tool to push the metal with a nail banged into a handle and then cut the head off,file the head flat and then bang it with the file,to make a slight texture to stop the tool slipping.

    If you got a set of setting burs it would make it a lot easier,as these cut a hole the correct shape for the stone. I've never seen a setter in the UK use them though?They seem to use frazer of diffrent shapes.

    There are a few other ways,but slightly more complicated and much greater risk of stabbing yourself. I had to change a watch battery once while trying to hide the fact that my hand was bleeding.Don't let that put you off though.I'm crap at setting.

  3. #3
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    Default

    Hi
    Thanks for the reply, how would that work on a flat band type ring ? if i push metal around the stone surely it will distort the flat ring surface.
    Lee

  4. #4
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    Jul 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by leemorris View Post
    Hi
    Thanks for the reply, how would that work on a flat band type ring ? if i push metal around the stone surely it will distort the flat ring surface.
    Lee
    Yes it will slightly,but not so you would notice,and once it was polished even more so.You are moving the metal less than half a millimeter to hold the stone in place and in a very small area.There are a few variations on this type of setting,but it would be hard to explain. I only did my own setting to get out of trouble,if a stone had fallen out of a customers ring after sizing.I used to do 'while you wait' jewelley repairs.If i had hand made I would send it to the setter.
    I used to have videos on the subject,but they have gone on an old PC that went kaput.
    Maybe someone out there knows of some online vids? It would be hard to get it right without seeing the idea for a refence to practice with first.

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Dear lee,
    Quote from Shaun: ’Measure your stone’s diameter and drill a hole a tiny fraction bigger'.
    I'm not sure Shaun does not mean Smaller, because then you can insert one beak of a tapered snipe nosed plier and rotate a few times until you have raised a slight metal ridge. The stone should sit in the funnel you have made with its girdle just below the ridge you have created. Then with a small smooth pusher work the metal over with the least damage possible to save on cleaning up. Lastly run around the margins of your metal with a tiny ball ended burnisher, which you can make out of a broken burr. All this is assuming we are talking about a faceted stone and that the metal is thick enough. Practice on Copper with cheap CZ stones first.
    How’s that, Shaun, Do we make a good team or not? Kind regards to both of you, Dennis.
    Last edited by Dennis; 18-09-2010 at 09:11 PM.

  6. #6
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    Thanks for the reply
    seems to make sense now, i'll give it a try.
    Cheers
    Lee

  7. #7
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    I think Dennis' idea is better than the way I was shown.I never actually used the method in a real life situation,only in class and practicing for a little while before gave up.
    I've learned quite few things in the short time I've been on here.

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