Competent benchman to set stone

[chictomato]

Hi there!

I have my stone and I have my mount.

BUT THERE ISN''T A COMPETENT BENCHMAN TO PUT THEM TOGETHER!

This is kinda frustrating. I have to emphasize that I am a very fussy person when it comes to this. Well, you spend quite some time and not to mention$$$ looking for the perfect gem with the perfect cut and the perfect mount(at least in your eyes) Then you will reach the final stage to set it and to enjoy it.

But it is a total disaster when you louped the freshly-mounted stone and realized that there are chips and scratches, especially around the area where the prongs sit (trust me, I been thru this bad experience while setting Gene'' concave peridot, its really disappointing and I do not wanna go thru that agin!). Now I have a couple of stone awaiting to be set. Do you mind sharing who are the better benchman that you go to and have not let you down so far? Thanks in advance, I really need some assistance here

 

[chrono]

CT,
Aren’t you on a different continent? How will sharing our benchperson recommendation in the US or UK be of any help?

 

[chictomato]

Date: 5/5/2010 8:33:31 AM
Author: Chrono
CT,
Aren’t you on a different continent? How will sharing our benchperson recommendation in the US or UK be of any help?

I am from Singapore. I do not mind having to send the stones over to US or UK for setting only

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 5/5/2010 3:27:59 AM
Author:chictomato

But it is a total disaster when you louped the freshly-mounted stone and realized that there are chips and scratches, especially around the area where the prongs sit

Chips and scratches in the stone or the prongs ? Setting softer stones is often a large problem for some setters since they are more accustomed to setting diamonds, which are nearly bulletproof. Even with sapphire you have to be careful which tools you choose to shape the prong tips or trim bezels, since you can scratch or ding things up really fast with the wrong tools. Scratches on the metalwork are inevitable in some areas, particularly if you are looking on interior surfaces with a 10X magnifier. Scratches on outer surfaces are less acceptable, since they are easier to get to and can be seen without magnification.

One other word of advice....do NOT use a loupe to inspect metalwork. Loupes are usually 10 power and most craftspeople are using 2.5 or 3 power magnification when doing metalwork. If you are looking closer than the jeweler does when they are working on your things, then you will always "see" problems. If you insist on using a loupe, then make sure to tell the jeweler what you are doing and expect a higher cost to have your pieces finished to that degree of "perfection". This is not meant to be critical of your expectations, but merely to let you know that perceived quality levels depend strongly on how closely you are going to be looking AND what you are spending, as well as whether the person doing the work knows you are expecting. I''m a little sensitive about this, as the most critical comments I have ever received were on pieces which were very low value in which the buyer felt that they should have received Rolls Royce quality when they had paid for a bicycle.

 

[chictomato]

Date: 5/5/2010 1:41:52 PM
Author: Michael_E

Date: 5/5/2010 3:27:59 AM

Author:chictomato


But it is a total disaster when you louped the freshly-mounted stone and realized that there are chips and scratches, especially around the area where the prongs sit

Chips and scratches in the stone or the prongs ? Setting softer stones is often a large problem for some setters since they are more accustomed to setting diamonds, which are nearly bulletproof. Even with sapphire you have to be careful which tools you choose to shape the prong tips or trim bezels, since you can scratch or ding things up really fast with the wrong tools. Scratches on the metalwork are inevitable in some areas, particularly if you are looking on interior surfaces with a 10X magnifier. Scratches on outer surfaces are less acceptable, since they are easier to get to and can be seen without magnification.


One other word of advice....do NOT use a loupe to inspect metalwork. Loupes are usually 10 power and most craftspeople are using 2.5 or 3 power magnification when doing metalwork. If you are looking closer than the jeweler does when they are working on your things, then you will always 'see' problems. If you insist on using a loupe, then make sure to tell the jeweler what you are doing and expect a higher cost to have your pieces finished to that degree of 'perfection'. This is not meant to be critical of your expectations, but merely to let you know that perceived quality levels depend strongly on how closely you are going to be looking AND what you are spending, as well as whether the person doing the work knows you are expecting. I'm a little sensitive about this, as the most critical comments I have ever received were on pieces which were very low value in which the buyer felt that they should have received Rolls Royce quality when they had paid for a bicycle.

Hi Michael thanks for the reply!

Nope, I am not referring to scratches on metalwork, that is not a concern to me I am actually referring to scratches on the stone itself.Do you provide mounting services?

tks
eta: Ok I think you do just saw your site, shall PM you now