First claw settings...

[Dennis]

We all go on learning for ever. It's the party season and I'm sure they'll draw comment. Dennis

[Gemsetterchris]

What you can see is important to look neat.
The "business end" of the claw ( the part holding the stone ) is the tricky bit..cutting so that there are no gaps ect.

[Aurarius]

The "business end" of the claw ( the part holding the stone ) is the tricky bit..cutting so that there are no gaps ect.

One thing in claw setting that I find is underemphasized in the manuals is consideration of the final angle of closure the seat will have when the claw is pushed down in its final position on to the stone. The fact that girdles on different stones are different thicknesses, their crown and pavilion angles vary, claws don't always bear against girdles straight on, and the claws themselves make different angles to the vertical depending on the nature of the setting, all determine the ideal shape of the seat that should be cut and what tool is best designed to cut it.

From what I can see on finished items I've looked closely at (including mine!), quite often the shape and angle of the seats don't correspond very well with the edge profile of the stone against which they've been pushed. I get the feeling some setters have a tendency to use the same kind of burr (i.e. either ball burr, hart burr or setting burr) for cutting all claw seats, when sometimes only one of these kinds of burr is optimally suited to the job in hand.

[Gemsetterchris]

That was a well thought out post.

You could include those considerations for all styles & add different metals/minerals to it for good measure.
Lots to learn & forever a challenge.

There are a multitude of reasons why a lot of things are less than perfect when studied closely, time & money feature high on the list.
It's a lot easier to go with the "that'll do" approach & unfortunately a lot of people do just that even if capable of better, though not necessarily by choice.

Same goes for most things we buy & there are lots of levels of what "that'll do" actually means to different people...

[enigma]

Time is a big issue for me I have to admit.
Im slow at stone setting anyway so almost always go over what I can charge on an hourly rate for it.
I don't mind up to a point as I know its all good practise and I need the practise but there does come a point where I have to say "that will do" which will obviously be far less perfect than one would expect from an experienced stone setter.
I wish I had been able to do a course on making the settings rather than just setting them as thats actually the hardest bit in my mind and I stupidly thought that would be covered in a 'stone setting' course.

[johnmoto]

Hi Aurarius the most important thing is to drill the claw properly, first choose a ball fraze same thickness as the
Stones girdle then drill horizontally Half way through the claw then carefully run the drill down so you are tapering
The claw down so when done properly it will follow the contour of the stone , then put your stone in it should fit
snug then push claw over until it will not go any further, if you have drilled claw properly the claw will stop at 45degre
angle this will keep all the stones even and level.

diamondsetting4u.com
Instagram. diamondsetting4u

[johnmoto]

Time is a big issue for me I have to admit.
Im slow at stone setting anyway so almost always go over what I can charge on an hourly rate for it.
I don't mind up to a point as I know its all good practise and I need the practise but there does come a point where I have to say "that will do" which will obviously be far less perfect than one would expect from an experienced stone setter.
I wish I had been able to do a course on making the settings rather than just setting them as thats actually the hardest bit in my mind and I stupidly thought that would be covered in a 'stone setting' course.

It takes a long time to learn fully 5year apprenticeship but it does help a lot if you are given the right tips in the
First place will make a big difference, when I have taught people even some small pointers has made a big difference
To them. I don't no were you are I am in upminster Essex (upminster jewellery workshop) your quite welcome to
Come down if you want to be shown how to set something.

[Gemsetterchris]

Time is a big issue for me I have to admit.
Im slow at stone setting anyway so almost always go over what I can charge on an hourly rate for it.
I don't mind up to a point as I know its all good practise and I need the practise but there does come a point where I have to say "that will do" which will obviously be far less perfect than one would expect from an experienced stone setter.
I wish I had been able to do a course on making the settings rather than just setting them as thats actually the hardest bit in my mind and I stupidly thought that would be covered in a 'stone setting' course.

You have to take as long as you need in the beginning, obviously you can`t charge for lack of speed yet but it`ll come in time.
The other thing is, if your mount is badly made it`ll make the setting that much harder & turning a sows ear into a silk purse is tricky at best.

You could get a few ready made collets for practice setting or use them as a guide while making your own.

[Gemsetterchris]

Just to add to John`s tip, sometimes with short stubby claws you`ll find pushing them anywhere is not going to work..this can be quite a problem with some earrings & pendants especially.
It`s then a case of slotting in stones snuggly so that a minimum of tightening can be done otherwise you run the risk of deforming the whole job or having to weaken the claws too much.

Claws that push over nicely but spring back to their original position are abit of a pain too!

[enigma]

It takes a long time to learn fully 5year apprenticeship but it does help a lot if you are given the right tips in the
First place will make a big difference, when I have taught people even some small pointers has made a big difference
To them. I don't no were you are I am in upminster Essex (upminster jewellery workshop) your quite welcome to
Come down if you want to be shown how to set something.

John thats very kind thank you!
Im actually in France soon to be moving to Portugal but when I do get back over to the UK I will give you a shout and try and arrange something, I sure need the help!