Thanks very much Carin and Chris
Somebody has just ordered a ring with 6 inset diamonds so I guess thats me up till 3 am practising with the CZs and copper for the newt week
Thanks very much Carin and Chris
Somebody has just ordered a ring with 6 inset diamonds so I guess thats me up till 3 am practising with the CZs and copper for the newt week
Diamond cut seems to be the cut-of-the-moment Chris, fetching a premium price.....have you noticed this too....I had no idea that this cut made the stone more difficult to set?!
I'm planning a stone setting course early next year, just waiting confirmation of dates......though I get most of my work professionally set, I would like to improve my setting skills for simpler techniques and gain a greater understanding of the setter's perspective.
Where are you going Sarah??
Im enrolled on the course at In The Studio Tabby , in November.
I would get my stones professionally set but it would take too long to sort out each time I think as I don't know anybody in France so would have to send to the UK then back to me to add the braid etc.
I definitely would if I knew somebody local and could just pop in, the amount of time its taking me atm I would be on 10 times the price of a professional job if I charged by the hour
Thanks for clarifying Chris!!
That's where I am waiting for dates for next year Sarah......I would have gone to the November course, but I am already committed to fairs.....what a shame!! (Will be interested to hear how you find it)
Oh thats a shame Tabby!
I will let you know how it goes, hopefully it will be good.
I had real difficulty flush setting for months whereas now it's twigged into place so to speak.
I tend to stick with fairly small stones no bigger than about 3.5mm. Be very precise with measurements, drill slowly and accurately with a well lubricated drill bit / s, followed by a ball burr and finally a stone setting burr of the appropriate size for the stone.
Then carefully use a homemade beading tool ( I cut a nail down, set it in a handle, then tapered to a point and highly polished it ). Then slowly but firmly start burnishing over at points of the compass, then at 360 degrees. Finally change to a more acute angle and repeat.
This and other techniques, as I'm constantly finding, require lots of hours of practice.. And cockups in my case!
Hope this helps,
Nick
Thanks very much Nick
The last two were 3mm and went much better although Im still not entirely happy with my end result-the stones are secure and its neat enough to the eye but I can see under the microscope its not perfect.
Hoping the hands on help next month will sort it, I think its to do with the angle Im holding the burnisher.
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