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Setting star-shaped faceted stones

#1

Greetings, all.

I have a couple of questions for the group.

First is, I have some star-shaped faceted stones in a couple of
different sizes. I haven’t had much luck finding settings for them.
Does anyone know where I might find some? I’d rather not have to
fabricate them all individually if I don’t have to. Preferably, I’d
like ones that have the prongs at the center rather than at the
points mostly because having the prongs on the points tends to round
off the points but right now, I don’t even know if such a thing
exists.

[Edit] Message split [/Edit]

Any ideas for either?

Sharon,
Artist, Metalsmith, Chaos Magnet

#2

Sharon- We recently had to make a pair of earring with star shaped
fancy sapphires. It was a royal pain in the keester. There were five
in each earring and they were about 5mm in diameter.

We made a master model of one and then made a mold and cast them.
They had one tiny prong on the end of each one. We prefer to hand
fabricate crowns, but in this case we wanted to save time. Be sure
to account for shrinkage when making a master mold of your crowns.

Have fun and make lots of jewelry.

Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com

#3 
First is, I have some star-shaped faceted stones

Do you mean they have a concave girdle outline, or are they like the
classic “Texas Lone Star”?

Al Balmer
Pine City, NY

#4

Well Sharon,

I’m faced with the same quandary. My star-shapes have six points and
therefore six inside angles. I am looking at creating or (hopefully
purchasing) a six-pronged head to catch those inside angles.
Somehow, though there must be more to a design that will properly
suspend the stones for earrings and a pendant. And that is where I am
stuck.

Letting the gray matter cogitate, Judy in Kansas, where it’s time to
make strawberry jam and it has been a cooler later spring than
normal. of course, WHAT IS normale?

#5 
My star-shapes have six points and therefore six inside angles. I
am looking at creating or (hopefully purchasing) a six-pronged head
to catch those inside angles.

That would be fine for earrings and pendants as you mention later in
your post. Perhaps purchasing or fabricating a prong setting (to set
at the inner corners) and then soldering on a specially designed
bale (for a pendant) or wire hook (for earrings) may work, by
attaching them at the base, behind the points. Stud earrings could
be fairly easily done. You’d want to make something more protective
for a ring or bracelet though, or those points are going to chip
off.

Helen
UK

#6

For a quick “cheat” buy some stamped or cast star shaped earring or
pendant mounts and add “v” shaped (simply a folded piece of metal
that you can form outward from the base) or take 14-16 g. triangle
wire ( or whatever mm size is appropriate for the mm of the stones
that you can work harden enough to hold them) and using a krause bur,
or whatever you like grind a groove on the inside of the triangle,
then finish the top of the wires as you please and polish as you want
the piece finished so that you then simply bend it into place before
cutting the bearing as for prongs or make cradles at 3 points of the
star out of tubing cut in half. none of my suppliers carry anything
(other than 1 that sells something like a “snap-set” piece of
junk)…If you are a metal clay enthusiast and the stones can take
casting in place or firing in place, make a setting out of clay (it
can be had in 14 kt green and rose gold now too) and cook 'em!..rer