[Jewelry making - Article 00923] - Re: [Orchid] Frustrated with final designs

[coralnut]

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    All, Been watchin this thread for a week now and yet no one has given
    the right answer (at least I haven't noticed it...apologize if I
    missed it) for why there is a hole under diamonds, other faceted
    stones and even many cabs when set. 

    The hole is there for three reasons in my opinion. 1) to provide a
    way to clean the stone all over...including the culet, 2) to provide
    relief for the culet...so it will not rest on the metal and thus, if
    bumped etc, it cannot be broken and 3) the stone is set up above the
    bearing and above a bottom hole so its beauty (i.e. color) can be
    seen. 

    Re setting cabbed stones in an open back....there has to be a reason
    to set it that way. Either the back has its own beauty that should be
    shown, the setter wants to conserve weight when setting a large stone
    or a smaller stone in a heavy piece, the stone needs an open back to
    provide some translucency to display design (i.e. dendritic or iris
    agate, etc) or perhaps the stone is beautifully cut (cabbed or
    faceted) but the color is a bit dark.  In the latter case there is no
    need to try to provide openings for brilliancy or scintilation as
    there will be none. Such stones are cut purely for their intrinsic
    color and sometimes an opening will help the color but more often
    than not it will not.  I feel foiling such a stone is a waste of time
    and effort and a good setting. I simply would not set it, unless
    there is some other point of beauty one is trying to enhance.  Even
    then, foiling is a bad answer. KP is correct here... all the light
    seen coming from a faceted stone (i.e. brilliance) originally entered
    through the table. In the case of many colored stones (either faceted
    or cabed) there is little or no light return as it is all absorbed in
    the stone, hence it will be quite dark. Pyrope garnets are notorious
    for this as are tourmaline and even many sapphires, etc. My opinion. 

    Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL where simple
    elegance IS fine jewelry! dcdietz AT attbi.com

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