[Jewelry making - Article 00814] - Re: [Orchid] Prong setting a diamond

[Stanley Bright]

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Hi Laura

    Two ways (that I can think of off the top of my head) to do this. One
    way is to use a setting bur roughly 70% the size of your stone to
    make a seat. Depth being just a but mire than the distance from the
    table of your stone to the girdle. This would allow you sufficient
    prong length to "bend" the tips onto the crown of the stone. Make
    sure you leave 50% minimum prong thickness after you cut the seats.
    This method seems to "feel" safer in terms of holding the stone. The
    second way is to make seats using a bearing cutting bur. Again 50%
    max depth, 70% bur size. You'll need to be carefull to cut the seats
    even to each other. Go down just a little deeper than the distance
    from the table of your stone to the girdle. I like this way better
    as the finished job results in nice round prong tips and you havent
    even cleaned up with a cupping bur yet! The way to tighten this type
    of setting is to slowly squeeze two prongs together, then rotate the
    ring 180 degrees and squeeze the other two together. Next turn the
    ring 90 degrees and squeeze the two prongs together again bringing
    the prongs back in line. Rotate the ring 180 degrees again and
    squeeze. Youu should have a fairly tight stone at this point. If
    not, repeat the steps. You must make sure that your seats are cut at
    proper angles to the crown and pavillion of the stone for a tight,
    rock-free fit. The other reason I like this type of setting better
    is that while you are moving the prongs closer and closer to the
    stone, you are also work hardening the metal, thereby making the
    prongs harder to pull off the stone. 

Stanley Bright
aandmjewelers.com
Baltimore, MD
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