How To Replace a Solitare Setting

After years of wear, a ring’s setting can become weak and will need to be replaced to protect the stone. In this case, we will focus on a solitaire ring and the work necessary to replace the solitaire’s setting.

Step 1

Before you can replace the setting, you must first remove the stone from the current setting. Depending on how worn the setting is, you may be able to pry the prongs open with just a fine knife blade. If not, you can also use the tip of a flat graver, prong pulling pliers, or a combination of these tools. Only pull back enough prongs to allow for the stone to be released from the setting. Place the stone in a safe place and then clean the ring in preparation for the rest of the repair.

Step 2

Now you need to remove the old setting. You can accomplish this by un soldering it. Hold the ring in a third hand, fire coat the ring and set it on your bench with the setting up. Flux both seams where the setting meets the shank, and use a neutral flame to warm the ring. Grab the setting with a pair of tweezers when you get close to reaching the solder’s melting point. Keep heat on the ring until the solder flows. Once the solder is flowing, lift the setting out of the ring with your tweezers and quench the shank.

Step 3

Pickle and clean the shank, and recycle the old setting. Now you need to get a new setting for the ring. Find a setting that matches the cut of the stone and the previous setting, unless otherwise directed by the owner of the ring. The metal of the new setting should be the same as the shank. Check the new setting for size by placing the stone on top of the setting. Once you find one that matches the stone and the ring, you are ready to continue the repair.

Step 4

You may have to modify the opening in the shank to fit the new setting. You can accomplish this by filing the ends of the shank to match the contour of the setting, and by adjusting the size of the gap in the shank. As you work, continually check the fit of the setting in the shank: it’s always easier to remove material than to add more, so don’t over file. When the setting fits the shank correctly, the bottom of the setting should protrude slightly into the finger hole of the ring.

Step 5

While there are several ways to hold the setting and shank together to allow you to attach them, the best tool for this is a head-and-shank tweezers. Rest the setting against the flat side of the tweezers and line the shank up with the curve of the shank end of the tweezers. The tweezers will hold the setting and shank together while you examine the alignment of the setting and shank. Once you are satisfied with the positioning of the setting, fire coat the ring. Then flux the seams and add a small square of solder to each side of the setting on the inside of the shank, with the thin edge touching the setting.

Step 6

Slowly heat the ring and as you near the solder’s melting point, focus the heat on the seams. Once the solder flows, the heat will draw the solder through the seams, creating a secure bond. When the solder has flowed completely through the seam, remove the heat and quench the ring. Pickle and rinse the ring before continuing.
 

Step 7

With a half-round ring file, remove the bit of the setting that rests inside the shank. File the setting down until it is flush with the interior of the shank. Do not over file the setting as that will thin the shank. If it’s necessary, you should size the ring now before continuing with Step 8.

Step 8

Use abrasive paper to remove the file marks on the interior of the shank. Start with a coarse grit and work your way to the finer grit papers. The finer you sand, the less polishing you will have to do next.

Step 9

Use a ball bur, or setting bur, to remove the sharp corner that has formed on the inside of the setting. Twist the bur by hand to countersink the opening. Polish all the surfaces of the ring completely with your polishing compound of choice. Don’t forget to polish the interior of the setting also.

Step 10

You may have to adjust the setting slightly to accept the stone. To do this you can use a regular pair of chain nose pliers and adjust the prongs one-by-one until their angles yield the right size opening for the stone to sit where you want it to. Keep all the angles equal and symmetrical.

Step 11

With sticky wax, pick up the stone and set it in the setting to check your work. The stone should make equal contact with all the prongs. If the stone is too low, you can raise it by bringing the prongs closer together again. If it is too high in the setting, you can lower it by pulling the prongs farther apart. Keep in mind that after you set the stone, it will rest about .5 mm lower than it does now.

Step 12

File the tops of the prongs until they are all level and even. Be sure to leave them long enough to give you extra leverage when pushing them over the stone. Now you need to choose a setting bur that is the same size or slightly smaller than the stone. Lubricate the bur and using a low speed begin to cut the seats in the prongs. Don’t let the bur twist the prongs or grind away too much metal. Check the fit frequently with the stone. For a correct fit the tips of the prong should be about three-quarters of the way above the girdle of the stone, almost to the height of the table. You can set the stone more deeply if you want, but it should be at least at this height.

Step 13

Cutting the seats will leave a rough bur on each prong. Use a fine needle file to remove these burs and ensure that there are no rough corners that may damage the stone. You can now insert the stone into the setting. Be sure that the stone sits level in the setting. Holding the ring in a ring clamp will hold it steady and secure and allow you to work on the prongs. With a prong pusher, close the prongs methodically. First partially close one prong and then move to the prong opposite and partially close it. Always work in pairs of opposites, but do not push the prongs all the way down against the stone.

Step 14

Once all the prongs are mostly closed, check your work. Now complete the process of pushing the prongs down. Continue to work in pairs of opposites and push the prongs so that the entire prong makes contact with the stone’s crown facets. Hold the ring up to the light: no light should be visible between the stone and the prong.

Step 15

If the prongs are too long, and cover too much of the stone trim them with a file. Be sure that the prongs are smooth and round so they don’t catch on anything. Use a cup bur to systematically round each of the prongs. The prongs should all be exactly the same, cover as little of the stone as possible, and be heavy enough to withstand wear where they do cover the stone.

Step 16

Polish the prongs, and clean the ring one last time. The stone should be level and secure in its new setting.

 How to Open and Close a Silver Bezel Setting

Since silver is such a good conductor of heat, when repairing a piece of silver jewelry with heat, it is often easiest and safest to remove any heat sensitive stones. In this article we’ll look at how to remove a stone from a bezel setting and then reset it.

Step 1

Before opening the bezel setting, examine the stone and the setting with your jeweler’s loupe. See if there are any openings or small gaps between the stone and the bezel. If there are, that is where you should focus your efforts to open the setting. If not, look for a place where there seems to be a little extra space where you can slide a scalpel or thin blade and use it to carefully and gently pull the bezel away from the stone. Silver is a soft metal, so this shouldn’t be too difficult.

Step 2

Once you have created a slightly larger gap between the bezel setting and the stone with a blade, it is best to switch tools to continue the process. The best tool to use for removing the stone from the bezel is a polished bezel lifter. Place the tip of the bezel lifter into the gap you just created or widened in the bezel setting. The flat side should rest lightly against the stone and the domed side should be pushing against the inside of the bezel. Rock the bezel lifter against your thumb, not the stone! Carefully push the tool outward, sliding it along the edge of the bezel as you work. This will force the bezel out enough for you to be able to remove the stone.

Step 3

With a piece of sticky wax, remove the stone from the setting. Note any irregular shaping of the stone and mark the bottom of the stone so you will be able to reset it exactly how it was before. Make a similar mark in the bezel so you can match the stone to the setting.

Step 4

Complete the necessary repairs on the piece of jewelry. Clean and restore the finish. Now you are ready to reset the stone. Use sticky wax to pick up the stone, be sure that it is correctly oriented by lining up the mark on the stone with the mark in the setting and then place the stone in the setting.

Step 5

The best tool to use to close a bezel is a roller. A roller allows you to precisely control where you are applying pressure, it smoothes and presses the metal against the stone simultaneously. Position the roller against the top edge of the bezel so that it doesn’t touch the stone. Then, roll the edge over the bezel to create a tight fits. First close the ends of the bezel and then close the sides of the bezel.

Step 6

Polish the piece again, just enough to bring out the finish.

 How to Repair a Silver Ring Shank

Working with silver can be a tricky task since the metal heats easily and conducts heat quickly. When you need to repair silver rings, you should take care to protect any gemstones in the setting and be sure to pay close attention to how much heat you apply to the repair. In the article, we’ll go through what you need to do to successfully repair a silver ring shank.
 

Step 1

First take stock of how badly the ring shank is damaged. This could be anything from a break in the shank to the damage caused by an encounter with a garbage disposal. Then, note the size that the ring should be. Once you have done that you are ready to go about re-rounding the shank as best as possible using a half-round pliers.
 

Step 2

At this point in the repair process, as long as the two ends of the shank are in perfect alignment with each other, it is not necessary for the ring to be completely round again. Once you have completed the soldering process you will be able to finish rounding the ring.
 

Step 3

 Hold the seam where the two ends of the shank meet up to the light. Inspect it to be sure that no sliver of light can be seen through the seam. Use a flat file to correct the seam if you can see any light through the seam. The seam needs to be absolutely perfect for the repair to continue smoothly.
 

Step 4

As you get ready to solder the seam in the shank it is important to take into account any gems in the ring that may be heat sensitive. Since silver is an excellent heat conductor, you must be sure to take all necessary precautions to protect the gems. You can bury the top of the ring in wet refractory wadding, place the top of the ring in a dish of water, or bury the top of the ring in wet sand. Whichever method you choose, be sure that the heat-sensitive area is completely enclosed and as much of the shank is showing as possible. Once the gems have been properly protected, flux the seam and place a bit of easy or medium solder on top.
 

Step 5

Since silver is such a conductive metal, soldering the ring will be difficult. To avoid as many complications as possible, use as little material in your heat shield as possible and work as quickly as possible. Use a very hot, focused, flame and be ready to spread the solder as soon as it flows. Once you have spread the solder and the seam has been filled, remove the flame and quickly cool the shank and wadding.
 

Step 6

Once you are ready to pickle the ring, DO NOT place the gem in the acid. Keep the shank in the liquid, while holding the setting out of the liquid. After a minute, remove the shank from the pickle, rinse and dry it, and then inspect the seam to be sure it has been correctly sealed. You will now be ready to work on reshaping the ring. The heating process will have softened the silver some and it will be much easier to re-round the ring. Slide the ring onto a fixed mandrel and using a brass punch, begin to round the ring. Use a chasing hammer to force the raised parts back into place.
 

Step 7

Check the size of the ring. If the ring is a bit too small, you will want to stretch the shank. Use a mallet to force the ring up the mandrel. Use a fine needle file or coarse abrasive paper to remove any deep nicks or scratches. Also, check the setting to be sure everything is still secure. Tighten any stones that need tightening. Finely sand the shank, buff, clean, polish the ring and then clean it again.

 How to Replace a Half-Shank

Sometimes, when a ring gets old, the shank wears down and begins to thin. When that happens the best way to repair the ring is to replace the shank itself. And this is how you can accomplish that:

Step 1

When you have determined that you need to replace a half shank on a ring, you will need to order or make a new half shank to replace the old one. Measure the current shank to be certain of the size, thickness, and width you need in a new shank. Order a half shank that matches the karat weight and color of the metal the ring is made of.
 

Step 2

Next, mark the portion of the shank that you intend to remove from the ring. Now, using your jeweler’s saw, remove the portion of the shank that you marked. File the edges of the shank flat. Then lay the new half shank next to the ring and mark where they meet, be sure to leave an extra millimeter at each end to allow for the creation of dovetail joints.
 

Step 3

To create dovetail joints, on each edge of the half shank file a 90 degree V-shaped slot. The best tool to use for this is a square needle file. Next, you will take the ring itself and, on the edges of the existing shank, file arrow shapes that will match the V-shaped slots in the half shank. Adjust these edges until the ring and half shank fit together perfectly.
 

Step 4

You are now ready to prepare the ring for soldering. Use the method of your choice to hold the halves of the ring together so that you are free to use both hand. Fire coat both halves of the ring and then flux only one seam. To keep from shocking any stones in the ring, warm the ring slowly. You can then apply a small piece of solder to the seam. Direct the heat to pull the solder through the seam. You now have a chance to correct any mistakes made on this seam before moving to the second seam.

Step 5

Flux the second seam and apply a small piece of solder. Once the solder has been applied you can adjust the flame to draw the solder through the seam. When the solder has flowed, you can examine the ring for any mistakes and correct them. Let the ring cool.
 

Step 6

Place the ring in the pickle to remove the fire coating. Then rinse and dry the ring. Check the roundness and size of the ring. File the interior so the inside of the shank is smooth all the way around. The pieces should conform to each other perfectly, if not, file and shape them so they do.

Step 7

Now, buff the ring and clean it. Once it has been buffed, you can polish it with rouge. The ring will need to be cleaned again after that, but after the second cleaning the ring should be restored to its original luster.

 How to Solder Rings Together

It’s fairly common for women, once they’ve gotten married to want to have their wedding and engagement bands soldered together to create one complete ring. In this article, we’ll explain just how easy it is to solder two rings together.
 

Step 1

Before you can solder the band and engagement rings together, you must make sure that both rings match each other evenly. Once the match has been established, use an inside ring tweezers to hold both rings together from the inside while you work on soldering them together.
 

Step 2

Fire coat the rings and attach the ring tweezers to your bench so that the setting is pointing downward and you are free to use both hands. Flux the area where you want the solder to flow (the point where the two shanks touch at the center of the back of the shank). Add a bit of easy solder to the seam created where the two rings touch at the back of the shank.

Step 3

Heat the rings gradually, and then focus the heat of the flame on the inside of the two shanks. This will draw the solder down through the seam and effectively create a bond between the two rings. If necessary, add more solder to the seam.

Step 4

Check your work and make sure that the solder has flowed evenly through the seam. Allow the rings to cool naturally and then pickle, rinse, and dry the ring.

Step 5

To finish the ring, use your saw to redefine the seam between the two shanks and then use your barrette needle file and your triangle file to recreate the contour of each shank. Then polish and clean to return the ring to its original luster.
  

 How to Tighten a Loose Bezel Setting

One of the most common methods for finishing a bezel setting can also result in problems down the road. Using a polished steel burnisher does not allow you to the setting down to close it completely, so the stone often becomes loose over time. In this article you will learn how you can properly close a bezel, thus tightening the stone in it’s setting.

Step 1

Secure the piece using your preferred method. It is important that you are free to use both hands, and the piece of jewelry is secured so that it won’t move during the repair. Position it so it will be in a good position for you to be able to hammer the bezel closed using a setting punch that allows you to direct the force downward.

Step 2

With one hand hold the setting punch up against the edge of the bezel setting. Brace your fingers against the punch and the piece to prevent the punch from slipping and marring the surface of the stone. In your other hand, hold the chasing hammer. You will use the hammer to drive the setting closed and the punch will direct the force exactly where want it.

Step 3

Once everything has been positioned exactly where you want it, place the tip of the punch directly on the top edge of the bezel. The longer side of the punch’s head should lie next to the stone, but should NOT touch it. Angle the punch so that when force is applied, it will force the setting down and in to tightly hold the stone in place. The best angle for this is on of about 75 or 80 degrees.

Step 4

Strike the top of the punch with the chasing hammer. Use small taps, not heavy blows; this will afford you greater control over the force that you are exerting on the setting. As you tap on the punch with the hammer, slowly move the punch along the edge of the bezel. This will allow you to fold the metal in a wave like motion. Keep the angle as consistent as possible to create a flat surface at the top of the bezel. Work all the way around the stone until the whole bezel is fitted tightly against the stone.

Step 5

To clean the bezel, you should use a fine, safe-edge square needle file to remove any punch marks. The safe edge of the file should be just barely touching the stone. Keep a consistent angle while you file the top of the bezel setting.

Step 6

Polish the piece to finish it.  

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Jewelry design is the art or profession of creating, crafting, fabricating, or renderingdesigns for jewelry. This is an ancient practice of the goldsmith or metalworker that evolved to a billion-dollar industry with the odyssey from ancient cultures into the machine age. Jewelry design falls under the category of what is commonly known as "functional art," being art that can be worn or used.
Before an article of jewelry is created, design concepts are rendered followed by detailedtechnical drawings generated by a jewelry designer, a professional who is trained in the architectural and functional knowledge of fabrication techniques, composition, wearability and market trends.
Traditional hand-drawing and drafting methods are still utilized in designing jewelry particularly at the conceptual stage, but a shift is taking place to computer-aided design programs likeRhinoceros 3D and Matrix.
Once conceptual/ideation is complete, the design is rendered and fabricated using the necessary materials for proper adaptation to the function of the object. For example, 24Kgold was used in ancient jewelry design because it was more accessible than silver as source material. Before the 1st century many civilizations also incorporated beads into jewelry. Once the discovery of gemstones andgem cutting became more readily available, the art of jewelry ornamentation and design shifted. The earliest documented gemstone cut was done by Theophilus Presbyter (c. 1070 - 1125), who practiced and developed many applied arts and was a known goldsmith. Later, during the 14th Century, medievallapidary technology evolved to includecabochons and cameos.
Early Jewelry design commissions were often constituted by nobility or the church to honor an event or as wearable ornamentation. Within the structure of early methods, enameling andrepoussé became standard methods for creating ornamental wares to demonstrate wealth, position, or power. These early techniques created a specific complex design element that later would forge the baroquemovement in jewelry design.


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It’s a big part of why Matrix out-performs anything else on the market. Creating a great design – not just a good one – is the result of an eye for design coupled with the ability to explore and refine. Every surface needs to be just right. If these details are not easily realized or are too time-consuming, the design is kept from reaching its full potential. But Matrix 6 does it all – creativity, speed, and precision – by providing tools and methods that jewelers, and only jewelers, need.

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Over two years in the making, Matrix Version 6 represents Gemvision's most extensive upgrade yet. Matrix 6 offers a new way of designing jewelry no other software even comes close to. Utilizing years of input from the best CAD modelers in the industry as well as our own development team, Matrix provides users with the fastest way to replicate existing designs while allowing that process to take many creative paths.

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History Built In
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History allows you to change, update and edit a model. This editing method has been used in other CAD products primarily created for mechanical engineering as a “History Tree”. Matrix 6 has no such “Tree”. Instead, our History is contained within the parts you build and is only one click away. This means making design changes is not only easier, it’s specially tailored to the design demands of jewelers making something beautiful.

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Powerful Gem Tools
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Matrix 6 offers the largest array of tools for laying out and adjusting gems. Control over scale, rotation, and movement are put into one easy set of tools. And the sophisticated new Pave tool allows beautiful flowing patterns over the most demanding surfaces.

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Many of the tools in Matrix feature our exclusive “Style Sheet” functionality. This means that items like heads and settings, that you build on a regular basis, can be instantly recalled and applied to a new piece. For example, if you create a “channel setting style” with a particular end shape and taper, Style Sheets store those parameters so you can apply that to another design in the future. And History works hand in hand with Style Sheets so the gems you use for that channel setting actually “remember” how the channel was made and changes are just clicks away. This means you can complete the channel-setting task and explore a new look for the channel in the same design session.

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While gathering input from existing users, we found they were asking for tools that were already part of the program. So why is it that even advanced users didn’t know where to find these tools? Simple: people become accustomed to using any software in a certain way, performing even new tasks using familiar methods even if it takes them longer to do so! We have therefore provided the F6 key as a way to access all the tools that are relevant to the task you are performing. This translates to fast “look up” of the tools you use most often, as well as insight into tools that might save you time or offer further design options you were looking for.

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Each surface you build needs to be perfect, it’s essential to great design. Having this kind of control used to require a huge time investment and if you got it right the first time, it was great - but if not, it was back to step one. Matrix 6 changes all that with the an advanced level of surface modeling using tools even beginners find easy! And with History, you can now make changes to even complex surfaces on the fly - meaning your design ideas can be realized in just in seconds...not hours.

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* Interactive Builder Controls - Interactive Builder Controls provide real-time design changes on-screen in immediate response to user input.
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* Matrix Art - This fully-featured height field from bitmap modeling program is integrated into Matrix.
* Gem Reporter - Real time total weight is displayed on-screen in the new Gem Reporter.
* Custom Gem Builder - The Custom Gem Builder adds custom shapes to the interactive gem library.
* Blend Targets - Makes creation of complex, free-flowing surfaces faster and more user-friendly.
* Eternity Ring Builder - Quickly and easily build the perfect Eternity Ring with full control over every aspect of the gems and the band.
* Ring Resizing Builder - This powerful tool allows you to create any ring size from one master ring while minimizing distortion and preserving gem placement.
* Knot Builder - Celtic knots and braids continue to be popular in all types of jewelry so Matrix includes a Knot Builder to easily generate complex interweave knots from just a few mouse clicks.
* Pattern Builder - The new Pattern Builder creates a customized kaleidoscope of patterns using any two objects or sets of objects the user inputs into the builder.
* Signet Ring Builders - Virtually endless signet ring designs are possible with every shape and size.
* Project Manager - 3D projects get large when creating complex models and variations but the Project Manager keeps it all organized.

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New V-Ray Render Engine Built In - 2008 MJSA Innovation Award Winner!
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Matrix 6 delivers with a render engine that generates a great looking image in 30 seconds to make the sale as well as generates ultra realistic images at high resolutions for advertising and more. An exclusive version of the powerful V-Ray rendering engine is built right into the software with our own interface and materials library tailored to making jewelry look great. Check out these samples...


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New Animation Builder
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This new tool automatically strings rendered images together to make an animated movie for advertising and demonstrations. Include a watermark or picture in picture and
even fade your movie in and out to add a professional touch. Check out these samples...


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New Matrix Viewer
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This new and highly interactive 3D viewer allows customers to view and interact with your 3D models outside of the Matrix Software. This tool will add a new dimension to the approval process, and also provide a unique feature to your website.

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New Sparkle..................
Add glamour and life to any render with the new Sparkle builder. Send your new animated render (with sparkle’s included!) to your client via email or use it on your website.