Setting Question From a Newbie

[Kimmera]

Hi all!

I am a longtime lurker here but this is my first post...I just won an Ebay auction for a really pretty neon chrysoberyl and I am hoping to have it set into a ring. The dimensions are 7.2 X 6...it is an oval but looks more like a 'roval' to my eye. I am on a very limited budget and am looking at stock silver settings. My question is, what size setting would this stone fit into? Should I look for an 8 X 6 oval, or might a 7 mm round setting work, with a little adjustment on the prongs?

I appreciate any expertise you can give me. I have learned a lot from you all and I am excited to start my colored stone journey! Thanks a bunch!

 

[Michael_E]

Should I look for an 8 X 6 oval, or might a 7 mm round setting work, with a little adjustment on the prongs?

I would use the 7mm round setting. Silver is quite a bit easier to bend than gold and so giving the setting a bit of an oval shape should be easy,(depending on the shape of the shank it's attached to). Even if you don't make the setting shape a little oval, giving the prongs a little bend in or out a bit should work fine, just make sure to buy the setting with the heaviest prongs possible. I'd even go so far as to suggest using a bezel setting since silver prongs are notoriously easy to bend. If you're having someone do this for you I'd suggest just having them build a bezel from scratch. It's easy to do, takes about ten minutes, and they can then solder that right into whatever style shank appeals to you. Ask them about your options, there are more than you'd think.

 

[Kimmera]

Thanks so much for your response. I will probably go the DIY route with an inexpensive silver setting until I find something better. It's not a huge size...1.6 carats, so I may decide on a pendant instead after I get it. Your work is beautiful, BTW!