[Jewelry making - Article 00606] - Re: [Orchid] Setting square cabs

[Matthew Crawford]

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Rockey,

>     It's the corners that I need help on, naturally. 

    As with any square stone (or anything with a point/corner), faceted
    or cab, best to remove any metal which would come into direct contact
    with the corners. The corners have the highest potential for
    breakage, so avoiding direct pressure is essential. 

    For a cab, if the bezel is heavy enough that you have to hammer-set
    the stone, use a small round or inverted-cone bur (1mm) and cut a
    "trench" out of the corner, stopping just below the top of the bezel,
    such that when the stone is inserted, no contact is made at the
    corner. By doing this, when you actually punch the metal down over
    the stone, no pressure is directly applied to the corner, even when
    you are moving metal at the corner. 

    For a thin bezel, which may be rolled over using a burnisher, file
    over the top edge of the bezel a hair at the corners, rounding them
    off slightly. This will help eliminate any crimping of the bezel when
    it is pushed over, as there will be less metal trying to occupy the
    same physical space. Play with the amount to be filed off as
    heights/radii change from stone to stone, so you'll have a feel for
    what works best with different profiles. 

Matthew Crawford
www.MatthewDesigns.com
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