Hello, can anybody offer tips/tutorial on how to back clear
gemstones so they have a high mirror shine/reflective back?
I appreciate your help!
The way I do it is add a very thin (.3 mm) sheet of silver into the
setting below the cabochon gemstone. Keep the blue film on the
silver until the very last minute or polish the gold to a high
finish if you are using that metal. This works well and has a nice
reflective finish.
First, know that backing a natural stone with a reflective foil is
considered cheating these days.
That said, you’ll find the formulae and techniques for making and
setting foils for colored stones in Cellini’s writings on
goldsmithing.
The Treatises of Benvenuto Cellini on Goldsmithing and Sculpture.
Published by Dover Publications, 1966
While currently out of print there are still used copies floating
around. Try searching Abebooks.com
Elliot Nesterman
Hello Katie,
If this is a cab to be set in a silver bezel, one option is to use
some mylar under the stone. Mylar does not tarnish and reflects
well. Got this tip some years ago right here on Orchid!
Judy in Kansas where “it never rains, but it pours” was all to true
this week. So grateful that we experienced no tornados!!
What about a closed back prong or dome setting in silver or white
gold, instead? If your stone is cut well (I’m assuming it’s faceted),
the setting should enhance the stone without needing the foil.