I cannot believe that anyone who sets a $50,000 stone would use glue. If you want to stick something behind lapis or turquoise or some other relatively inexpensive stone, that's fine. But glue is not a PERMANENT solution to setting and to set an expensive and fragile stone using glue that will some day get washed away and then the stone will flop around in its setting and BREAK because of it is totally unprofessional. No one who considers themselves a professional jeweler should ever use glue on stones in this kind of price range.
Youāve missed the point of whatās being done and why. And youād
better believe itās common enough with large fragile stones. These
are not beginner or poorly skilled setters, either. Just very careful
ones. Properly chosen glues donāt wash away, and these are not used
for bond strength in any case. The metal is tightened down quite
enough to completly hold the stone forever. But sometimes there is
still just a trace of movement to the stone. If the setter is not
completely sure that he/she can be totally safe in tightening the
metal the rest of the way without risk to the stone, then the option
to use a trace (and I really DO mean the smallest possible amount) of
glue is used. The glue is then just a tiny amount of filler between
the metal and the stone, presumably taking up that last little bit of
space where, perhaps, the stone and seat donāt quite match as well as
they might. Great care is taken not to get the glue much beyond the
girdle area, and when done right, itās completely invisible and
undetectable, except when you go to remove the stone from the mounting
later. This, in fact, is how I know itās as common as it is, as we
often are making new mountings for costly gems whoās owners are now
tired of the mounting, for several of the high line jewelry shops
whoās custom work we do. When you cut away the old bezel or prongs,
then you find the trace of glue. Itās seldom used for actual
strength, only to take up the very last little bit of slack. Doing
this prevents the possibility of accidentally pushing just a little
too much metal in that last tightening step. yes, I know that a good
stone setter should never have a problem making this evaluation, and
not pushing too hard. But the REALLY good stone setters also know
when to be cautious.
Iāve known quite a number of setters of exceptional skill. Iām not
trying to pretend Iām one of them. Iām pretty good as a setter, but
when we get in quarter million dollar emeralds to set, you better
believe itās Leo, on the other side of the room, whoās gonna set em.
Not me. And heāll probably take all day to study the piece and the
stone, get the seat exactly perfect, and the stone completely properly
set. Heās a patient and careful man. takes no chances, and takes
pride in his work. Iāve never seen him break a stone that he had not
already warned the company owner could not be safely set. He, and the
other really good setters I know will strongly avoid using glue when
possible, but all of them will also not feel some great shame at the
need when the situation arises where to take an unnecessary risk with
the stone instead is the other choice. Folks, the choice to use or
not use glue should not be a āchip on your shoulderā sort of thing,
or based on some great pride in your skill, or in the haughty view
that those who use certain techniques and materials are of lesser
skill etc. These are engineering choices, based on the needs of the
piece, the needs of the materials including the stone and the
mounting. Modern glues used correctly can be exceptionally strong and
durable. Aircraft skins and wings owe their great strength,
flexibility, and fatigue resistance to adhesives, which are far
stronger and more durable than the old rivetted style of manufacture.
Properly used in the right situations, they can offer similar
benefits to us. Incorrectly used, glues just make a mess of course,
and can cause damage to fine jewelry. There are many instances where
glues are used incorrectly, out of a lack of skill, or laziness, or
sloppy manufacturing, and stones being glued where there are better,
more secure ways to do it. But to state catagorically that they should
never be used, or that there should never be an appropriate situation
for their use, is simply being narrowminded, and letting some ādogmaā
get in the way of rational and careful craftsmanship. You donāt need
them often. But when you need them, they can give you a better result
than fighting against the need to use them.
Peter Rowe