You call yourself jewellers and teachers?
I have emailed Sabra offline about this and am happy to give her my
limited advice after 30 years of setting cabs. I have set thousands
with out problems.
Why make solid backed settings? Good in some cases but an open
backed bezel, square wire for the seat saves metal and looks more
professional, IMHO. Sometimes solid backed bezels are used to fake
the quality of stones such as opals with potch on the back or
doublets or triplets pretending to be solids.
I knew a Japanese lady who sometimes used solid backed bezel
settings. I asked her why she was doing that. She showed me the back.
She had pierced an exquisite bird into the back of the setting for a
piece of turquoise. The stone made her think of the sky.
Traditionally she said the pierced back mirrored the 'feeling" of the
stone. Exquisite.
The replies to Sabra’s question has annoyed me more than anything I
have read on this post.
I have been on this webring on and off for years.
If the bezel can be filed down, start with a 0 file and be careful.
If bezel cannot be filed down, e.g. bail is too high. Simple make a
jumpring with square wire that fits into the edge of the bezel. File
down if needed or add another one. Till you get to the height you
need.
Brian if your post is for real. If you can not teach the students to
do it properly retire now and do the trade a favour. The students
haven’t failed you have as a teacher.
Diane yes the inner seat or sanding down is sound technique.
John and Jo-Ann just because SOME Native American Jewellery is no
more than tourist rubbish you make crap too. Lesser priced should not
mean low quality work.
Judy in Kansas silver filings may be? Coil of wire or sanding good
technique.
OK Karen how do you account for the plastic in your fineness mark,
just lazy. Plastic degrades. Filing to the right height is good
technique.
Leonid you are absolutely correct and I have told Sabra this exact
point.
A good start Lisa but then sawdust or cardboard.
I can't count how many American Indian turquoise jewelry repairs I
have opened up to find either cardboard or sawdust.
Yep you had to repair low grade jewellery so you say copy this? No
way!
Vicki how professional? - totally not!! Don’t be lazy, do it
properly.
Paf wood dust? Please don’t teach anyone how to make this crap.
Pedro more work than a wire seat but very good technique and
quality.
This is NOT a criticism of Pedro. If the cab is slightly curved at
the bottom edge as some are, the square wire jumpring would give
extra stability for setting.
It's your work, your pride and your way to show people how you make
jewelry.
Absolutely correct Pedro.
Yes how would the EX customer feel that a professional, LOL, used
cardboard?
Russ just because some people use low grade techniques, you think it
is right?
Sam you think this is good advice. I think it is an admission of
lack of skill.
Thomas you admit you can not make bezels the right height so you use
glue. No way. It would be quicker to use Pedro’s method and better
quality or square wire.
Willis I assume the washer is of the parent metal. Good technique,
no problem.
So we have two schools of thought here. Do it cheap and crap or do
it properly.
Make the effort to do it properly or it will come back to bite you.
Make crap and destroy you reputation.
Now I have annoyed a quite a few people, I wait for your
justifications that you are lazy and make rubbish.
Richard