Hot setting wax risks with Emerald?

Jewelry Discussion
21 
I have a suggestion, If you are not use to setting emeralds in the
first place, one this size is not the ideal "practicing" stone.
Leave it to someone with more experience and you'll save a ton of
$$$$$. I've been setting stones for 25 yrs. and have never used
anything like you are describing.

This is a difficult topic to advice because consequences could be
grave, and probability of good outcome is not high. Setting of large
stones is always risky, regardless whether you have 6 month or 60
years experience.

That said, let me offer few suggestions that may improve the odds a
bit.

It is premature to talk of how to hold the stone, before you know
what are you dealing with. The first step is to appraise the stone.
You must know your financial exposure, so you know how to establish
price for the service. Appraiser should also provide you with
gemological description of the stone. You would be especially
interested in large defects and where they are. If your client does
not want to pay for appraisal, give the stone back and find something
else to do.

Assuming appraisal is done and stone does not have any surprises,
you can start making plans of how to do it. Rigidly holding stone of
that size is a mistake. Holding stone simply with your left hand is
the safest way to do it. If you make a mistake and tool would slip,
the impact would not as severe. Left hand also provides feedback to
how much force you actually using. ( of course things are reversed
for
left-handed )

Paint the stone all over with nail polish before you begin. It is a
small measure of safety in case you drop the stone, and it tames
reflections. Also, line up your tray with something soft.

The bezel should be made out of 22 kt gold and must be of thin gage.
Stone must fit perfectly and setting must be polished to mirror
finish on the inside. This is important step. Stone should not fit
before the polishing, only after. The danger is when you try to fit
to soon and stone gets stuck. That is where experience pays off.

When you turn the bezel, watch closely the nail polish film. It is
your indicator when metal comes into contact with the stone.

Above all, take your time.

Leonid Surpin

22 
Paint the stone all over with nail polish before you begin. It is
a small measure of safety in case you drop the stone, and it tames
reflections.

Don’t do this to an emerald! Talk about being scared, this is the
scariest advice I’ve heard in years! Nail polish is acetone based and
will require acetone or other solvent to remove. Emeralds are almost
always oil treated and getting one anywhere near acetone is a great
way to remove the oil. The nail polish may give you a small measure
of safety in case of dropping (lining your bench pan with a soft
towel and keeping tools away from anywhere the stone may fall would
be a much better preventive measure) but when removed with solvent or
acetone it almost certainly will tame reflections - the ones the
stone was cut to produce!

Please, don’t get nail polish or solvent anywhere near an emerald!
You may not hear that sickening click, but you very likely will hear
(or say) the “Oh #%@*!” that usually follows it.

Dave

23 
Don't do this to an emerald! Talk about being scared, this is the
scariest advice I've heard in years! Nail polish is acetone based
and will require acetone or other solvent to remove. Emeralds are
almost always oil treated and getting one anywhere near acetone is
a great way to remove the oil.

It is very important to read and understand everything in the post,
instead of picking parts to disagree with. The first step was
gemological appraisal and understanding what the stone is and what
isn’t. If stone cannot be covered with nail polish, it shouldn’t be
worked on at all.

Leonid Surpin

24 
Don't do this to an emerald!

I have to agree that nail polishing an emerald is not good practice,
not just for the obvious and potentially catastrophic reason David
stated. Think also about this…even if you acetoned it with no nasty
surprises, you’ve still likely got a coating of lacquer(nail polish)
between the girdle and its seat. Maybe you can get it out with a
vigorous ultrasonic in acetone but do you really want to tempt fate
that way? What’s possible to happen?..1) you get all the lacquer out
and find the stone is loose because you’ve just removed the ‘filler’
under the girdle. 2) you just can’t get it all out, over time the
lacquer shrinks and the stone loosens and at some point the owner may
have it serviced elsewhere only to be told, “Madame, it looks like
someone has glued your $20,000 emerald in, who set this for you?”

I don’t know about anyone else but I try my damnedest not to ever
give the opportunity for another jeweler to knock my work.

25 
Think also about this...even if you acetoned it with no nasty
surprises, you've still likely got a coating of lacquer(nail
polish) between the girdle and its seat.

I am a bit surprised, but from the comments to my suggestion of using
nail polish to protect the stones, I can conclude that to some this
is an unfamiliar technique.

To clarify some points:

First it must be realized that application of any techniques requires
thinking. If instructions call for use of a hammer, it does not mean
taking a sledge and smashing it, so think before any actions are
taken.

About acetone ( hammer in our case ):

use regular nail polish and not some space age wonder, which can
withstand nuclear blast.

before applying lacquer, cover stone with thin coat of perfume oil.
Body oil used for massage is what I use. Let it dry a bit and apply
lacquer. When you done, you can simply wipe it off. Whatever remains,
an alcohol will finish the job. If acetone has to be used, do not
saturate a pad, so it drips. It should be semi-dry. The only loss of
color in this case would be if stone was given a color coating, but
that should be determined prior to anything else.

the protective layer is applied for the duration of the fitting
phase. Once stone is fitted and ready to be secured, the layer is
removed, so there is no lacquer between the girdle of a stone.

It must be remembered all the time that it is not possible to give
exhausting description of anything in a post. So think before you
act!

Leonid Surpin

26 
Don't do this to an emerald!

Not really that bad. I always spray a coating of lacquer over any
expensive stone, other than diamond, that I am working on-- including
emeralds.

Then I just give it a wipe with a cloth soaked in acetone or
thinners before I start setting.

It does no harm to any filler that the stone might have in it. The
lacquer prevents any scratches on the stone from loose buffstick
grit and the like.

Nothing screws up my day like a fat scratch across a table, then
having to re polish it.

Making more work where there was none in the first place. My
absolute pet hate.

Much better to spray the stone first.

http://www.meevis.com
http://hansmeevis.blogspot.com

27

For me it’s only my mistake until some one else sees it.

Deep holes, burnt bridges, scorched earth, and a few other
techniques best not discussed in public

jeffD

PS: Nail polish and emeralds are a really bad mix. Is there
something slightly less than a Darwin just for jewellers?