What Gauge to use in Tube Setting?

Jewelry Discussion
1

Greetings to the Orchid community,

I am proceeding into uncharted waters and I need to know what gauge
of gold to use for a tube setting. The stones are faceted 20x15
ovals-

Thanks in advance for any advise/help.
sharon

2

Sharon,

I am proceeding into uncharted waters and I need to know what
gauge of gold to use for a tube setting. The stones are faceted
20x15 ovals-

Are you going to cut a seat into the tube, or insert a bearing in
the tube on which the stone will seat? Will these be rings, pendants,
??? Durability will be an issue to consider…

For cutting a seat, I’d not go less than 18ga wall thickness, so
that you can split the thickness, having a seat of 0.5mm, and another
half mm to roll over the crown. If it’s a ring, I’d go even thicker.
For inserting a seat, you could get away with 24ga, as the wall
thickness only has to hold the stone down against the seat. Again,
only a minimum here.

I tend to err on the side of caution and durability, so if cost of
materials is not a huge issue, I’d go as heavy as the design will
allow (visually).

Most commercially produced bezels I see for ovals are in the range
of 16-14ga thick, and have a seat cut out of them already (so the
material remaining at the top, above the seat, is 20-18ga).

Matthew Crawford
www.MatthewDesigns.com

3

Hi - thank you for your response -

These will be earrings and I am still working on the design, but I
plan to use a bearing.

I see that 9K gold is offered - what are the characteristics of this
guage? Does it still look like gold?

Thanks.
sharon

4

9K gold is probably Thai and in the US cannot be legally called
gold. Yes, it looks like gold, but very light yellow gold. Avoid it
if you can.

Brian Corll
Vassar Gems

5 
I am proceeding into uncharted waters and I need to know what gauge
of gold to use for a tube setting. The stones are faceted 20x15
ovals-

Sharon, (and anyone else who might be of help} I thought I was
getting the hang of tube setting pretty well, when I got it into my
head that I’d like to to set some oval peridot for earrings. I bought
the stones----and now I’m stumped.

*The oval of my sterling tubing is not the same dimensions as the
oval of the stones.

*I can not find a tool that will allow me to stretch & reshape the
tube to the right dimensions.

*As far as I know, there is no way to drill an oval hole!

Sure, I can buy some commercially manufactured oval basket settings
and just drop the stones right in, but that is not at all what I had
in mind.

If any one can point me to a tutorial or written description of how
to set oval stones, I’d appreciate the help.

Sincerely,
Marya

6

Marya

Had the same problem once, I was mounting a cab and was a little
short on the bezel. I had read in a book, (I don’t remember which
one) that you can stretch a bezel by rolling it between a ring
mandrel and a flat metal surface, like an anvil, it worked. For
something small like yours, you might try a nail instead.

Also, try the article written by Leslee Frumin in March.

and this one from Charles Lewton-Brain
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/settube.htm

Good luck
Terry