[Jewelry making - Article 00768] - Re: [Orchid] Frustrated with final designs

[Peter B. Steiner]

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Hi Janie,

    The answer is contained in your question.  You wrote: 

>        When I hang a pendant around my neck, the stones don't catch the
>     light as well as they do lying flat on my workdesk. 

    You're right!  They don't!  :-) 

    The optical properties of a cabochon are very different from those
    of a faceted stone.  When you bezel set a translucent cab, you
    drastically reduce the amount of light which enters through the side
    of the stone.  That's why your Almandine appears darker in a setting
    than it does on your workbench. 

>        Any tips on designing with the stones so they catch the light
>     when worn? I don't want to put a hole behind them. I tried that
>     with amethyst and it made no difference. 

    One option is to use prongs (as few as possible) instead of a bezel.
    (Yes, I know that involves more work! <grin>)  A prong setting will
    allow light to enter your cab from the side.  Side-lighting is an
    important consideration when setting translucent or transparent
    cabochons; whereas it's nearly meaningless when setting faceted
    stones.  If your design requires a bezel setting, try to cover as
    little of the stone as possible. 

    Another good option is to purchase cabs with polished backs. 
    (Polishing the back of a translucent cab increases the quantity of
    light which is reflected up toward the dome - thus making the cab
    appear brighter.  Cutting a convex surface on the back of a cab will
    also improve light return; though it makes the cab considerably more
    difficult to set.)  

>        I have quit using amethyst cabochons for this reason. Is it
>     necessary to always use lighter colored stones? 

    Color saturation won't cause the problem you described, unless the
    coloring agent in the stone has rendered it nearly opaque.  :-) 

    I hope this is of some use to you, Janie! 

Best Regards,
Pete

Peter B. Steiner
Buffalo, NY, USA 

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