Tiffany Style Wire Prongs

Lesson: Tiffany Style Prongs

Most commercial settings have a shoulder cut into the master which indicates where they think the stone will/should be set. Hold the stone up against the side of the setting to see where you want to set it. For prefab setting this will usually line up with the shoulder, but for handmade settings there is no shoulder. If the prongs are too long, cut off the excess then proceed.

When the stone is set, the girdle will take up 50% of the prong thickness.

Layout:

• Use plastic/nylon lined pliers to straighten the prongs without damaging or scratching them.
• Move the prongs to where they should be when they are set. When you lay the stone on top of the prongs, the girdle should cover 50% of the prong.
• You must have the prongs in their final position when cutting the notches otherwise the angles will not line up when you go to set the stone.
• Double check alignment of prongs, and adjust if needed.
• Take cup bur and round off the prong tips.
• Cupping the prongs at the beginning of the setting leaves less finishing for you at the end, and reduces the danger of messing the piece up after the stone is set.

Cutting the seat:

• To cut the notches at the correct height, you want to extend the curve of the tips around into a complete sphere in your mind.
• Divide this sphere into thirds, and cut into the bottom third.
• You can tip the cup bur onto the inside face of the prong when you are rounding off the tips, and that will mark the bottom of the sphere for you.
• You want to cut into the bottom third so that you have enough material when the stone is set.
• Using a hart bur, cut a notch into the prong about 20% of the way through.
• Make sure to use a light touch.
• Cut the prong that is facing up, and rotate the GRS so that you are always cutting in the same position.
• Cut so that the bur rotates away from you. This way if it slips it will hit the bench pin and not your prong.
• Use your thumb along the shaft of the bur to guide it.
• Tip the bur back to deepen the pavilion angle by cutting with the bottom part of the bur.

Setting the stone:

• Bring the prongs out so that the stone fits into the setting.
• You can bring the prongs out with a dapping punch or pliers.
• Place the stone in the setting. It should be resting in the notches.
• Pull the prongs closed with the pliers- lever them into place.
• Always work with opposite prongs while doing this.
• Then vector tighten the prongs fully.
• To vector tighten:
• Squeeze 2 adjacent prongs together.
• Repeat with the other 2 prongs.
• Straighten the prongs by squeezing 2 prongs together, one from each set above.
• This only works if there isn’t a spacer or gallery bar in between the prongs.

Basket Settings

Lesson: Basket Settings

Basket settings are commonly used for faceted stones that you would like to seat higher on a piece than prongs allow or for larger faceted stones as the basket offers more structure and security.

• Form a piece of wire to sit under your stone. The edges of the wire should meet the edge of your stone. This is the seat for the stone
• Form another wire shape smaller than the first.
• Solder each shape closed.
• Using your round needle file, file grooves on each ring to orient the prongs for soldering.
• Cut 1 piece of wire (long) for every 2 prongs you want.
• Form prong wires into U shapes.
• Using third hands and pumice rocks hold the U shapes in an X pattern.
• Slide the smaller ring inside the wires and orient so that the grooves match up with the wires.
• Solder smaller ring to wires.
• Slip larger ring inside the wires and hold with a third hand.
• Solder larger ring to wires.
• Clip off the bottom of the U shapes and file the ends of the wires to meet flush with the bottom ring.

• Do any other soldering.

To set:

• Place stone in the setting, and mark where each prong meets the girdle.
• Clip off the prongs and round the ends with a cup bur
• Use a hart bur to cut a groove about 20% through each prong at your mark.
• Use nylon-jaw pliers or the prong pusher to push the prongs over the stone.
• They will bend where you have the grooves.
• The stone should be secure in the setting with no movement.

Other soldering options for basket settings:

• Place large ring on soldering board.
• Place U shapes tips down and push into soldering board until the grooves meet the wires.
• Solder ring to wires.
• Slip smaller ring into setting and hold with third hand.
• Solder smaller ring to wires.
• Clip off bottom of U shapes and follow above steps.
• You can also use a soldering aid clay or casting investment to hold all of the pieces in place and do all of your soldering at once.

Class board 2/23

Sheet Prongs

Prong settings are good for gemstones-especially rough or faceted stones, irregular shaped objects, thick stones, and any stone or item where you want to see as much of it as possible. Traditionally used for setting diamonds and stone where the sparkle or fire of the stone is important as prongs allow the maximum amount of light to reach the stone.

Lesson: Sheet Prongs- good for flat backed gemstones, drusy stones, glass or objects

• Similar to cutting out a bail tab, cut out the shape for your stone to sit on and tabs for each prong you want to have.
• Consider cutting out a pattern in the area that will be underneath that accents the design of the piece or a quality of the stone/object.
• Anneal the piece.
• Do any soldering to connect setting to a larger piece or jewelry or band.

To set:

• Bend each tab up approx 90 degrees.
• Place stone in setting.
• Using burnisher or chasing tool, push the prong tabs over the stone.
• The stone should be secure in the setting with no movement.

Wire Prongs with Gallery

Lesson: Wire Prongs with Gallery- good for cabochons, faceted stones, stones you want lifted off the surface and set with prongs rather than a bezel, but the bottom part protected like a bezel.    

• Create a seat for the stone to sit on top of- just like the inside part of a seated bezel. The stone should sit evenly on top of the seat and the outer edge of the seat should be even with the outer edge of the stone.
• Mark where you want the prongs to go on the seat.
• Use your round needle file, flexshaft, or graver to carve a shallow channel up your seat. This will help anchor the wire while soldering
• Cut wire and form into a U shape.
• Fit U over the seat so that the 2 arms of the U form the prongs.
• Solder wire into place
• Clip off excess wire, file, sand.
• Do any additional soldering at this point.

To set:

• For a cabochon, clip off prongs to appropriate height. Use a cup bur to round off the ends. Push into place with a prong pusher.
• For a faceted stone, mark where the prongs touch the girdle. Clip off the prongs to correct height and use a cup bur to round off the ends. Using a hart bur, cut a groove about 20-30% of the way through each prong where your mark is.
• Use prong pusher or nylon-jaw pliers to push tips of prongs over stone.

Class board 2/16

Project 2

Project 2

Create a piece that has at least one prong set stone. You may also use any other settings we have gone over and any other skills you know.

For inspiration, think about light. Prongs are designed to let as much light as possible contact the stone and bounce around in the facets. How can you use light in other ways in your piece- choice of materials? Colors? Surfaces? Challenge yourself to interpret light in a piece of jewelry. If you get stuck, think about forms of light- sun, rays of light, electric, fire, etc.

For next week- Have 10 designs or maquettes of pieces as well as the stone(s) you are planning to use. Sketch to scale- especially when working with stones- this helps the layout and fabrication tremendously/

Important Dates:

Designs due February 16.

Project due beginning of class March 23.