Hello folks!!
I hope all is well with everyone.
I have a lovely pinkish sugarloaf spinel approximately 3 carats in weight, about 8mm×8mm. Here’s a photo.
Instead of setting it the traditional way, with the pointy tip facing upwards, I was wondering if it’s possible to set it upside down in order to have the square base facing up.
I would like to end up with a signet ring type of ring with the square side facing up, very roughly like the picture below.
Below is a signet style ring that’s set with a cushion diamond with the pointy side being inside the setting and facing down.
Would setting a sugarloaf spinel upside down in a signet ring be possible?
Are there any risks or errors I should be aware of?
Would the setting be secure and durable?
I apologise in advance for all the questions. I just your help that’s all 
Thanks so much for your help!!
Ali
Hi,
my brain is thinking…
your signet example looks like a flush/ gypsy setting, where the stone surface is relatively flush with the stone…rather than a defined, raised bezel wall…(or conversely, the bezel is kinda the whole top of the ring, which blends into the ring…is this what you are aiming for?
your sugarloaf top (the bottom in your case) appears ever so slightly domed…which will help i think…gives you a bit of an angle to capture the stone…
you can create a setting, where you fit the stone down into the recess/ seat, and then push/ compress the top edge of the hole down onto the stone…
then blend/ sand/ finish the top of the ring into the rest of the ring…
in theory, for setting the stone, you just need to capture the stone by pushing metal over its edge(s)…technically only like 3-4 points of contact are neccessary…
then, what the ring/ setting looks like after, is determined by what you do with what is left after capturing the stone…
if that makes sense…
one design consideration is that the culet depth will determine how high the stone sits above your fingers, so you might want to visualize that aspect, and plan your other proportions accordingly…ie: the top length/ width…to achieve visual balance…
perhaps consider more of a volumunous dome ring version of a signet…less angular…like a class ring…that might lend itself to the soft pillow nature of the upside down sugarloaf…
perhap search the web for: “square cabochon dome ring” and “class ring” (click on “images”) for visual construction inspiration…
julie
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Dear Christy and Julie,
Many thanks for your replies!!!
I’m considering a gypsy type setting that would have the stone sit flush with the setting, perhaps with an additional bezel collar securing the stone in place.
I should state that unlike most members of the forum, I am not a jeweller or goldsmith. Not even an amateur one. I have two gorgeous stones that I’ve always want to set in a ring. One of those stones is already in the process of being set. This sugarloaf is the other stone.
I’ve seen many big cushion or Asscher cut diamonds fitted in large signet ring settings where the pointy part of the stone is at the bottom inside the setting. So there shouldn’t be an issue.
I just wanted to double check with you guys, the experts. And since an inverted sugarloaf is very similar in shape to a classic cushion cut diamond, I don’t think there should be a problem.
I’m guessing the trickiest part would be to figure out the correct height for that part of the setting that will house the stone. It shouldn’t be too shallow or else the stone will end up in constant contact with my finger.
There’s also the question of how high or how low the table (for lack of a better term) should be on which the stone will sit inside the setting. I’m imagining that there would be a hole cut in the centre of that table through which the pointy end of the sugarloaf will be visible. My question is should that table be closer to the top of the stone (exposing more of the stone inside the setting) or as low as possible whereby the stone would be almost completely enclosed within the setting with only the very tip of the sugarloaf appearing on the underside of the setting?
I apologise for the heavily worded comments I post. I just want to make it as clear as possible without any confusion.
Thanks so much to all!!!
