[Jewelry making - Article 00042] - Re: [Orchid] Findings for student stone setters?

[Peter W . Rowe]

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>     Can anyone help me find some silver or basemetal findings for
>     students in a stone setting course? I am looking for some 4 prong
>     rings with places for baguttes on the side, also some princess
>     heads and maybe a pearshape. Rio is pretty limited and stuller and
>     hoover have very little other than gold. I guess I could always
>     have them fabricate the heads frome base metal, there is nothing
>     like spending 5 hour on 5 cents worth of metal.

    Last time I tought a class needing such, I purchased some "live"
    settings in gold, or made up a couple samples myself. rubber molded
    these, then spent an afternoon injecting waxes and cast up a whole big
    batch in bronze and silver for the class. All in all, I spent a day at
    it, but that provided all the parts needed for the whole class. The
    models I made were deliberately crude, so the kids would also get some
    training in things like cleaning up a casting, filing things straight
    and to specified dimensions, etc, in addition to just setting work. 

    Also recall one cool model I saw used like this in one class.
    Consisted of a sort of cube shaped frame work, with each face
    presenting a different type of setting problem. Flat plate for single
    stone bead set plate, drilled in a single row for a bead set row,
    marked but not drilled for multirow pave work, four prongs on one
    side, channels to be set on another, etc. The things were perhaps 3/8
    or 1/4 inch across, and were cast in bronze or something. Just an
    idea. Do it once, make two or three rubber molds for speedy
    injecting, and let the students help with injecting and spruing,
    etc... 

cheers

Peter

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