No one has even bothered to bright cutting?

I just looked through a very fine quality jewellery web-site and saw
something that caught my setting-eye. No one has even bothered to
bright-cut inside of the ‘full bezels’?

I won’t mention anyone’s name anywhere. But these high-named
creators don’t remove any extra furrows of metal from around the
stone. Wonder why? I do this even for my 2.5 mm stones for
"Gypsy/Flush Setting".

I teach this process all the time, it’s so essential in finishing
jewellery. The ‘shock & awe’ after they see what I do to these
little oval 8x6 mm stones is mind-blowing.

All I use is a simple Onglette, Number #2 graver, but then modified
& shaped to cut only on the ‘Right-Side’. I never anymore use my
graver #39 or #40 Flat.

Gerry Lewy

You would be amazed at some setting jobs I’ve seen master jewelers
do.

Everyone gets lazy and sometimes rushed. Hard to say. They might not
be finishing the work also.

Hello Gerry, Would you be willing to share the complete process
(including bezel thickness) for this, with photos, too, if possible?

Thanks,
Linda Kaye-Moses

We use a right onglette. Occasionally a small flat. It depends on
the stone and metal involved.

If it’s a very fragile stone I like to take my bezels or v caps down
90% to the stone surface, bright cut and then take it down the rest
of the way.

Have fun and make lots of jewelry.

Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com

For a complete graver-cutting, & shaping process. I have an essay
just on this bright-cutting method. It is a worth reading essay.

I bring it out of hibernation to those on Orchid who wish to read
it. It also has some good-to-see diagrams.

Remember Brad Simon? He put my essay into his “Bench” magazine some
years ago, with it will be some worthwhile extra diagrams.

During the next few days, I’m going to be teaching this same topic,
in my setting classes. I’m going to photograph the many steps while
I’m doing this particular demo.

"Those who don’t “Bright-Cut” should, those who do, good for you!"
Our own “Jo Haemer” also Bright-Cuts. Good for her.

I’m teaching two schools this month, & both of them will see how
bezel setting should be finished. Very busy month, I don’t teach, I
share!

Gerry Lewy

Hi

I don’t Bright Cut around cab’s I use files to bring the metal to
horizontal to the base of the cab.

WIth faceted stones I bright cut, some times it is good, some times
well.

I am going to buy the graver Gerry mentioned. And some pics would be
invaluable.

For me this would be the best gift ever from ORCHID.

I have found bright cutting gem stones bezels one of the hardest
skills.

I have other ways to finish the faceted stone bezels, but lets see
the masters show us the right way.

Richard

Just scored a used graver max for a not unreasonable price. I’m
excited to get it. Been lookin for a while. Have one at work and
learned a lot lately about engraving. I learned bright cutting from
an old video of Don Glazer.

Awesome. Everything else looks like crap after doing a good job of
bright cutting and setting

I would love to read it as I am trying to learn all I can about
setting I was not taught anything more than how to burnish a cab
into a bezel no instruction at all in my paid lessons on proper
seating or cutting at all. I am going to be saving up for a setting
class from an orchid teacher, but it will take awhile as not only do
I need class money, but travel expenses as well. I evidently am in
the black hole of arts of any kind also called Pittsburgh, PA lol I
see classes west coast and NYC sometimes NC. All are far from my
black (andgold) hole but I love this area.

Teri

seating or cutting at all. I am going to be saving up for a
setting class from an orchid teacher, but it will take awhile as
not only do I need class money, but travel expenses as well. I
evidently am in the black hole of arts of any kind also called
Pittsburgh, PA lol 

You could try Chris Darway, Darway Designs, just west of
Philadelphia.

Lorraine

Gerald, I would like to read your essay on “bright cutting”. Can you
repost?

Thanks,
Lesley

Philadelphia is 8 hours away but thanks if I am going to travel that
far I may as well go to NYC

Teri plus I hate Phillie.

I evidently am in the black hole of arts of any kind also called
Pittsburgh, PA lol I see classes west coast and NYC sometimes NC.
All are far from my black (andgold) hole but I love this area. 

Pittsburgh? An arts black hole? There’s all kinds of workshops &
classes at the Center for Contemporary Craft, down in the Strip
District. Not all of them are metals or jewelry, but a fair number of
them are & they’ve got a good metal studio.

Then there’s Touchstone, which is what I describe as an art camp for
adults (like Penland or Haystack). It’s a bit east of Pittsburgh-
moreso than I realized the first time I drove down from Erie- but I
took a great workshop there on stone setting a few years back. It
with Wayne Werner, a professional jeweler out of Baltimore. At least
two of the other students were from the Burgh, & they talked about
taking classes somewhere in Pittsburgh itself, although I don’t
remember who with.

Sharon,
artist, metalsmith, chaos magnet

It is a black hole if no one knows they are there but ty for the
link. All I ever see advertised is crafty crafts and gallery shows
and I am wary of any instructors in the area since I paid thousands
to one for apparently very poor training. would that I had that
money back since I see one of his classes is only 200 dollars now I
just need to save and sign up

Teri (and get a safe way to the strip.

Teri, If you have already paid this instructor thousands and
received poor training, then why would you save up for one of his
classes?