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To all the metalsmiths who may be intimidated by tube setting a
stone in stone:
A simple solution. Buy (or make) the proper tube setting and
find a friendly local lapidary (that's what we're here for).
Talk it over with him/her. Let the lapidary know what you want
it to look like after it's finished. I have done the drilling end
of this process many times for local gold and silver smiths.
I've done it in plates of onyx (many times), synthetic ruby,
lapis and a few other types of stone. I've also done it once or
twice in thicker pieces where you don't drill all the way
through. I've drilled for round and square settings. I haven't
had a dissatisfied customer yet. The key is teamwork and
communication (and getting the hole *exactly* the right size). If
you can't find a good local person or you want to do it
yourself, there have been a few posts explaining the process.
Just keep in mind that it can be a slow and boring (pun intended)
job. Always remember, when cutting with diamond drills and burs:
Diamond *cuts*, it doesn't grind. Use little or no pressure,
with copious amounts of coolant/lube and your bit or bur will
last a long time. If you get impatient and give too much
pressure, it will cut faster for a short time, but wear out
*very* quickly and then not cut very well at all. One of my local
clients (goldsmith) set a diamond in the side of an obsidian
sphere for a customer. He used a standard tube set with fairly
thick walls. I drilled a hole a little shorter than the tube
set, with the bottom being a hair larger in diameter than the
top. On the bottom of the tube set, he used a large (vee)
setting bur to make the setting beveled from the inside. He
then used a burnishing tool to ever so slightly flare out the
outer, sharp edge of the setting (not too much, or it won't fit
in the drilled hole). Then he put the setting into the hole and
gave it a few light but sharp hits with a (chasing?) hammer.
(We were both holding our breath at this point - The sphere was
one of the best I have ever done.) This caused the already
flared out and beveled bottom of the setting to flare out even
more and fill out the bottom of the hole. It seemed to work
quite well. He then set the diamond in the usual fashion (I
think that process is explained in the tips from the jeweler's
bench at Ganoksin.com). Don't know how well this would hold up
in a jewelry setting over time. Also, I wouldn't recommend it in
any stone that isn't pretty tough stuff.
I hope this is understandable - as has been said before, it's
tough to explain some things without pictures or drawings.
Hope this helps someone,
Mark Williams,
Stone Broke Custom Lapidary
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