[Jewelry making - Article 01067] - Re: [Orchid] Casting with stones

[Gerald]

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    I may be treading some peoples toes and if they dont approve of some
    of my facts, they can correct me via email ...but here goes the
    method I use and teach when I set  stones in wax! 

    I only set stones such as Ruby, Sapphires, Diamonds (any with
    minimal inclusions) "Thou shalt not set or use any other kind of
    stones"..The harder they are on the Mohs scale, the better...! Do not
    wax set with stones less than 9.0. What I initially do is with a
    simple round bur, size of the widest part of the pavilion hand rotate
    the bur, so the stone will sit on the wax that is touching this
    pavillion. 

    Let the stone sit "ON", not "in" the wax impression. I use a blue
    wax that is similar to plastic. That is, when you press the stone in,
    the wax expands and allows the stone to feel its own level and then
    the wax will return to its original position. 

    I also use a rheostat-heating model makers tool tip with a little
    curved blade and then heat up the stone only enough to settle the
    stone into the wax. The "sinking heated stone" will form a little
    edge (Meniscus Curve) around the girdle of the stone, ...the stone
    will now displace some wax and "then this wax" when casted, will then
    "hold" the stone....I have been asking casters around this city about
    the temperature of the gold with stones in....they say drop the
    temps. only 100-150 F. MAX.!!! 

    DO NOT RAPID-COOL AFTER CASTING, let the hot flask cool on cement
    floor, or put it immediately back into the cooling furnace...I have
    seen so many stones break and once, 10 carats of diamonds shatter
    when the rapid cooling was attempted, a real ugly and expensive
    sight. enjoy, enjoy!..I hope this helped you..Gerry! 


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