Day 20 Setting Emeralds and Other Deep Stones

Setting Emeralds and Other Deep Stones

Hello again and welcome back. Since we spent a few days on the V-Bezel Pendant, I thought I would finish off the week with a couple of articles on stone setting and gemstones in general. Today I will give you a quick demonstration on cutting seats for different shaped stones. When we set the Amethyst in the pendant yesterday, we noticed that the shape of the stone was not like a diamond, but the girdle was thick and the “belly” of the stone was rather “fat”. This is common for colored gemstones and especially common for genuine stones like emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and amethysts. (many others as well). Special care must be taken to cut seats for these stones.

Using a normal 45 degree hart bur will work wonderful for diamonds, cz’s, and other created stones, but the seats in prongs will have to be “tailored” to fit other stones. (The seat is the shape of the cut into the prong or channel wall where the stone will rest)

Here is a couple of images to demonstrate what I am trying to explain.

The first image is not a good fit, the second is what we are aiming for.

I usually start with a 45 Degree Hart Bur to cut the seat, then modify the bottom of the seat with a Ball Bur or a small Cylinder Bur. The seat is cut the same whether it is in a prong, channel wall, bezel, etc. What you are really trying to do is make as much contact area as possible between the stone and the metal, this will protect the stone better, create less pressure points on the stone so it has less chance of breaking, and make the stone tighter.

Quick lesson today, but I hope you find it beneficial.

Have a good day! Now go “Dazzle” the word.

Doug