[Jewelry making - Article 01169] - Re: [Orchid] How to Tighten Princess Cut Diamonds?

[Gerald]

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Hi Gang!

    I just gotta chime in here and 'set' the course straight. You just
    cannot adjust any simple claw head made for a round stone and insert
    a Pincess stone...period! 

    If you wish to break the stone in this process go ahead..its like
    saying you're going to put a lawnmower engine into a Rolls-Royce
    body..."but it still runs"..but the two don't match up! Get my
    drift!.:>) What's the difference in price of these two heads?..about
    a few thousand dollars! 

    If you look at the THICKNESS of the two heads or even the claws, you
    will see one determining factor..Princess stones need and REQUIRE 50%
    WIDER metal space..what for? so you can make certain angled cuts with
    your bur ON EACH CORNER.You don't have that luxury with a simpler
    thinner claw. 

    The following process is needed. or there will be "Princess
    diamond-dust" at the bottom of your bench tray. I do not jest here! 

    So you wanna just drill a little pilot hole? Well you got lots more
    to do that that, trust me..once your corner holes are drilled to a
    depth of 33% INTO the gold, you MUST then get your bud-bur and make
    two side cuts from that hole, and horizontally to the left or right
    of that hole. This is where the the two side girdles will sit, or
    rest. I prefer a bud bur of only #006. 

    Then another grooving process with your same bud-bur from that hole
    vertically downwards so the corner of the stone is not damaged when
    it is sitting!..What I teach is that I bevel each of the lateral
    grooves downward so the stone is not sitting on ANY sharp 'seat'...IF
    YOU DON'T FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE PROCEDURES, you are then going to be
    looking for a 'diamond re-polisher'. 

    So you've finished the grooving aspect of this process. Loosely
    place the stone and using a 10x loupe making darn sure the diamond is
    in the correct seating position of the claw/prongs. 

    SLOWLY bring in the claws so they touch the corners of the
    Princess...do not hammer them in, don't even tighten the two
    'opposing' claws at once..squeezing occurs here and also breakage. 

    As my good friend David Hoffman suggests, avoid the solder practice
    like the plague. When the liquid solder hardens it leaves absolutely
    no room for the stone to rest..total gold to stone. and there is also
    shrinkage and a final "#$%%^&" woops! I personally love to set
    princess stones. 

    The only reason for this "Pilot" hole in the center of a claw, is to
    protect the corner of the stone. This is only that the stone will
    not touch gold during the setting process and afterwards in the new
    resting place..you can apply minimum side pressure, but NEVER to the
    corner. 

    There should be a little space inside the claw between the stone and
    the gold..Once this has been achieved, the rest is lots easy on your
    nerves, and you can go ahead a file to your taste. 

Gerry!
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