Fitting stones to settings

[Kelli]

If I were to purchase a setting from ebay (or wherever) that was for a round 5 mm stone, could I put a 5mm square or cushion in it? Also, how far can I go from 5mm up or down, as most gemstones don''t come cut to those exact measurements. These also come in different sizes, the 5mm was just an example. Here is a picture of the kind of settings I''m talkng about. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130237802845&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DWatching

I would love to purchase a few small and inexpensive gemstones to put in inexpensive settings but don''t know if they''ll fit. Thanks for your help!

 

[gladyskristen]

I think how much allowance there is for variance in stone shape/size depends a lot on the type of setting. For a setting like that one in the link, you probably can tweak it quite a bit to fit a stone near the size specified. With that said, I won''t get that setting, cos the prongs look like they''re not properly aligned in the supersize image.

 

[neatfreak]

Only a jeweler can tell you with the specified stone and setting. But know that much of the issue with gemstones vs. diamonds is the depth. Also most gemstones aren't calibrated, so their sizing isn't that of a normal calibrated size in a ring, which is something else to be aware of.

And it depends on the setting whether it will work for another shape. Again, best to get a jeweler's opinion on the specific setting and stone.