Infinity bracelet over 2000 diamonds set

This was a beast. How long would this take you to set this many diamonds?

Sizes used

1.1mm
1.2mm
1.3mm
1.4mm
1.5mm
1.6mm

I will answer how long the actual time took below.

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Twenty-four to thirty ‘setting hours’! The ‘assembly time’ wasn’t included!

“Gerry, on my busy, iPhone”

Beautiful. I can wait to make pieces like that one day.

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All it takes is a few decades of experience. The hand-dexterity and full understanding just what your two or three gravers can do for you!
Knowing “how to modify those three gravers”!
Remembering first , that all of your metal-cutting must be done long before that first diamond is to be set.
What I do first, is to prepare each bead with a little ‘seat’ just where that diamond girdle will touch!
This information in my email separates the masterful diamond setters, from the “prong-pushers” that I see every day.;(

I use an Onglette graver #1 to prepare all lines around any diamond on every plate or ‘link’. This is just before my ‘Modified’ Onglette #2 starts the Bright-Cutting, need I say anything more? (I will not use any Flat graver!)
This bracelet is not a $2.00 a diamond setting fee! My logo on this project is worth remembering!
“Speed, cost and quality… pick two!”
I am not concerned if I can do this bracelet, my main concern is how much time do I have allotted to me…days or weeks?

“Gerry, on my busy, iPhone”

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Understood. Very well stated.

I’m a new stone setter.

Took me waaaaaaay too long to set these diamonds. 2 weeks. 10+ hour days. This was already casted and polished before it got to me, my job to just set the diamonds and then give it back.
I used hart burs and beading tools to set. Pretty much it.

Learned from someone who had been strictly stone setting hip hop jewelry for the past 3 years. (Mainly prong setting, pave settings) this is another roller coaster long story by itself but lets just say my instruction was cut short and we don’t get along anymore.

The more experienced stone setters told me it would take them about 2-3 full days to set this.

Also prongs and seats were already precasted. I did use a hart bur to have the diamonds seat even better.

Im self teaching, and haven’t yet had a chance to start practicing setting. Ive got a #4 Onglette, a #4 knife, and a #52 round graver on the way. Ive got diamond wheel flex shaft attachments to hone the gravers along with 1000 cubic zirconia to practice. Hopefully I can get good enough to add that skill to my manufacturing.

this is, on all levels, a WOW! as a jeweler, I have never been attracted to this overall, encrusted type of project either design wise or technically. BUT, would I wear this? Darn tootin’ I would!! it’s dead classy! I wouldn’t take it off. Whoever gets to wear this: lucky duck!

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