This essay that I just posted, describes in detail the many problems in setting two straight, 4 x 2 mm’s Baguettes (end to end) in a ‘half-domed wedding band’. This essay starts with the actual drilling for the allotted ‘length and width’ for these stones. The rules are many, but the finishing is what you are looking for!
Long, 4 x 2 mm’s Baguettes in a wedding band setting!
I want to show how some companies are using just a basic ring and remodeling that band into something fantastic.
First of all, let me say at the opening of this essay this technique is NOT FOR THE BEGINNER!!!
I will give this exercise on this "Difficulty Scale" rating a definite 15, out of 10!
In the following essay, I’m using a semi-round band and setting two long baguettes into it . This will be an interesting process, it will look easy, but this is where the absolute challenging process starts!
I will state at the start, that this is not for the beginner. The jeweller/setter should have an estimated 2-3 years of continual use of dealing with many bur shapes and their sizes. Not too mention WHICH BUR to use and WHEN!
Great care must be taken in deciding how to plan the very next procedure & following many steps afterwards. I have done this kind of setting before and this can be very rewarding or a great failure!
Remembering, there are NO SHORT CUTS in Diamond Setting!
Let’s just look at this photograph on a variety of little errors . If you look at the Ruby Cabochon tube-setting and directly below it are three specially created " Faceted Emeralds ". Their corners are not touching any metal and therefore " leaving many empty spaces ".
What is now happening is, there are little amounts of metal not hold the many stones securely in place. The stones are staying in…but just barely!
Someone, or some people haven’t planned the ‘faceting’ correctly, agree?
I drilled these holes as a start, but understanding that there will be much more drilling in the minutes ahead. I’m carefully estimating how long the baguette setting area will be!
I’m now examining the stones on how they might look together ‘end-to end’.
Will I have enough ring width to ‘play’ with and are these two stones able to be set with no problems.
The girdle width on both of them will give me many problems . I’m no second-guessing if these stones can even be used?
On these blue sapphires I notice that they are too wide at the Girdle facets. I decided that I’m not going to use them! This is the most important decision that I can make now! If I continue, I might just ruin the ring and the whole setting process…goodbye!
Sometimes I buy these stones just for the width & length , as in 2 x 4 mm’s. But upon a closer examination, I’ll keep them for other purposes, not for now!
Lets compare the two sets of stones, they both have the very same measurements, but the “blue set” has to go! The faceting process was just ‘mediocre’, at best!
The Amethyst stone set are more suitable for this exercise. The facets above the Girdle are almost uniform! I will make allowances during the carving & bearing steps.
Look at the “blue set” of stones; the ‘upper Girdle facets’ are not even passable. Imagine if I had to set these, I’d be having untold labour wasting problems!
Results of my thorough examination; I changed my mind, I like these Amethyst stones best!
I’m now measuring the new ‘total length’ of the two stones ‘end-to-end’ @ 4.0 mm’s each.
I’ll scribe on the metal the length of both together. The selected stones will be now put aside in case of getting damaged.
I ink-marked the exact length and width of the stones, to the metal, this is too important to avoid!
I’m slowly and very methodically gauging how the stone openings are to take place. In this picture you see that I used a graver point to locate and core out the 4-corners.
Now comes the delicate metal cutting and using only a fine #006 round bur and I’m now starting to cut the ‘bearing grooves’.
I’m starting to prepare the inside of ‘the new home’ for these stones. I must allow for the depth of these stones. I prefer to dig deeper and allowing for the Culets.
The depth of the stones must carefully gauged and examined at all times during this procedure!!!
I’m avoiding to cut the ‘opening’ any wider that the stones width. If I did, I’d be having a very difficult time in trying to ‘push or hammer’ over the metal.
In preparation for the lower level for the Pavilion of the stones, I need to visualize just how they will finally sit!
I need a ‘reflective surface’ as I need these stones to sparkle in their. I’m now going to use my Flat #40 graver to smooth the surface, and make it shine. Using a round or bud bur can’t do this properly.
Already I can see how the stones ‘might’ sit. I need now to use a round bur #007 and make an drilling indentation at the corners of the opening, for the stones “two corners” to now sit!
You can see in this photograph that the corners of the stones are sitting snug in their ‘new home’!
With this ‘coring out’ for the stones, I must make sure that the stones will fit and not overlap.
B ut what happens if the stones overlap? At least I found out NOW, that the opening is too short in length and not when the actual setting has started…WHEW!
I will make every effort and extend the length of the opening…AGAIN!
Is this frustrating? YES, to a point, but time is not wasted, 'I call this time being saved".
I will at many times try and assess how the stones will be fitting …take out one, or both stones and do this repeatedly, until I’m totally certain that I’m ready for the hammering process.
I marked as to where the first hammering will now start. The hammering is basically to ‘move’ the metal towards the stone.This process is not to ‘push’ the metal down onto the stone.
You can see that the hammering hasn’t come close to the edge, I have no intention to have the hammer-anvil come close as it might hit and damage the facets. This is too important not to mention!
I’ve now hammered all the way around the two stones. Examining at each stage, if my reciprocating hammer has come too close to the edges, or not.
I will reduce the hammer-pressure to the ‘four’ outside corners. The ‘corners’ can and might break if the downward, hitting-pressure is too great!
The ‘hammering process’ has now been truly successful.
In using your “Snap-On”, Medium grade" emery wheel, please be so very careful in not touching the two stones. This is the most delicate part of the cleaning process…!!!
I see some deep hammering marks, these are not nice to see. These problems were caused by leaving the ‘Reciprocating Hammer’ in one spot too long!!
The metal was "squeezed on the stone" and not just pushed over …major cleaning problems here!
I would use my “Pumice Wheel” of #180 grit, to further smooth the metal…everywhere!
Don’t leave you polishing (cloth) wheels to do this for you. It isn’t really going to happen!!
Please use your Flat #40 (highly polished) graver to clean the inside of the channel wall.
But, "DO NOT USE ANY TRIANGULAR FILE HERE!" If you do, you will for sure scratch the soft & delicate facets of the stones.
Here is my Pumice Wheel #180 grit doing what its supposed to do. …that is to clean & remove any defects after setting!
Here is the #1,000 grit Pumice wheel polishing the metal prior to the cloth-wheel finishing!
Now this is what “cleaning” is all about. Cleaning, but not touching the stones.
