Setting an opal

[caroleallen]

I've been asked to bezel set a small (about 5mm, I think) teardrop shaped opal which does not have a flat bottom. My question is, would it stand up to being ground flat with my Jooltool? If not, how would you set it?

[Dennis]

Definitely risky Carole, not least because it might fly away . Much safer to lay out for a cheap set of these and do it by hand with plenty of water. To save small stones catching on the holes you can run them up one side, or along the cross pieces.

Not a waste, because they are also good for straightening and finishing metal edges. Dennis.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Spot-19...arpening+steel

[caroleallen]

Thanks very much Dennis.

I've just seen the stone and it is very rounded indeed. The customer has asked me to set it into its setting using resin and then push the bezel over the top. His reasoning being that an opal doublet already has resin on the back anyway. I see his point and hopefully it will look fine. Problem is that now I know he paid £250 for it!

[enigma]

Yikes! £250 of lovely fragile opal!

I carve opals sometimes using my pendant motor which works fine on a slow speed so I would think if you take it steady you should be ok just grinding a flat back. No idea whether the Jool tool would be a good option for that though.

[caroleallen]

I'd be terrified to try grinding it now Sarah. I think I'll go with the resin option.

[LydiaNiz]

Hi Carole,
Are you making the setting? Wondering if it's possible to take away from the seat of the setting rather than from the opal? I've done open backed bezel setting for a doublet teardrop opal which worked quite well, and let a good amount of light through too (it was a jelly opal). I've ground down good opal before with no ill effects, but equally I've had one's shear in half when just setting them (and thought there was no problem!). What sort of opal is it?

I'd be terrified to try grinding it now Sarah. I think I'll go with the resin option.

[Dennis]

Problem is that now I know he paid £250 for it!

That's a hefty price for a 5mm opal, even if he bought it retail. I take it that it is not a doublet, or he's been had.

Setting it in resin might well change its optical properties for the worse. Raised on a wire bearer, it could still have a flat back. Dennis.

[caroleallen]

It's black on the back Dennis, so I don't think it will make any difference to the optical properties. Does that make it a doublet?

I think I'd still worry about it if I made a wire bearer.

[Patstone]

I have one that is white on the back, I thought it was a fake.