Stock setting question

[Dreamer_D]

As some of you know, I am considering a stock three stone setting from Stuller, bought through my local jeweler.

My stones are 7.65mm and (2x) 4.6mm.

From what I can glean, the setting is available for 7.8mm center with 4.8mm sides OR 7.4mm center with 4.4 sides. It seems that the center stone size is customizable so could be ordered for my size center.

My question is whether it is appropriate to attempt to sent 4.6mm side stones into baskets made for diamonds 0.2mm smaller/larger. If it seems appropriate to do so, is it better to go with a smaller or larger basket than the stones?

 

[Dreamer_D]

PS: I know I should ask this question of my jewler, but I want to ask you all too

The local jeweler seems to think one of these options will work, and has said they will check which is best with the setter, but I would like other opinions to help me decide whether to trust them or not

Thus far I am getting less trusting. I asked a question about the Stuller mount shank measurements and they have said they are having a hard time getting ahold of Stuller, it is now going on three days with no answer. Makes me leery. I have been spoiled by PS vendors

 

[shimmer]

My guess is that it would be easier to set the stones in the larger setting than the smaller. Also, it once took GOG over a week to get info from stuller for me

 

[Dreamer_D]

My guess is that it would be easier to set the stones in the larger setting than the smaller. Also, it once took GOG over a week to get info from stuller for me

OK, good to know about the slow communication times even with GOG! Thanks!

Bigger does seem better, but I would hate for the basket cross bars to show face up around the diamond girdles, do you know what I mean?

***

I found some relevant threads to my question, so I will post them here for future interested parties:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/setting-tolerances.150623/?hilit=stuller

 

[yssie]

If it's a conical type of setting I'm thinking a bigger diamond might sit higher in the prongs of the smaller size - whereas w/ the bigger size the diamonds might have to sit so deep and that the basket is visible surrounding the diamond like a halo of sorts from straight on view. Or maybe not!

 

[Michael_E]

My question is whether it is appropriate to attempt to sent 4.6mm side stones into baskets made for diamonds 0.2mm smaller/larger. If it seems appropriate to do so, is it better to go with a smaller or larger basket than the stones?

Hi Dreamer_D,
.2mm smaller or larger is easily accomodated with nearly any setting with suffiicient prong thickness and some taper between the prongs. You can set the stone deeper into the setting with a smaller stone, or cut smaller seats to keep the height up. Most prongs can also be bent a bit to accomodate size variations and so a .2mm variation should be easy for any bench person to do. When you get up around plus or minus .5mm then things can get a little dicey or require some modifications. I think that you'll be fine with with a setting made in the US or Europe from one of the better casting houses.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Dreamer, all I can comment on is that my 7.6mm stone was awfully tight in a mounting that was clearly for a 1.5 ct. (7.4mm) stone. I wouldn't go in that direction if it was for me.

 

[Dreamer_D]

My question is whether it is appropriate to attempt to sent 4.6mm side stones into baskets made for diamonds 0.2mm smaller/larger. If it seems appropriate to do so, is it better to go with a smaller or larger basket than the stones?

Hi Dreamer_D,
.2mm smaller or larger is easily accomodated with nearly any setting with suffiicient prong thickness and some taper between the prongs. You can set the stone deeper into the setting with a smaller stone, or cut smaller seats to keep the height up. Most prongs can also be bent a bit to accomodate size variations and so a .2mm variation should be easy for any bench person to do. When you get up around plus or minus .5mm then things can get a little dicey or require some modifications. I think that you'll be fine with with a setting made in the US or Europe from one of the better casting houses.

Thanks Micheal!

If it were you, would you go with the mounting that was slightly too large or slightly too small?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Dreamer, all I can comment on is that my 7.6mm stone was awfully tight in a mounting that was clearly for a 1.5 ct. (7.4mm) stone. I wouldn't go in that direction if it was for me.

That would be my intuition too.

 

[rubybeth]

This question gets asked a lot in the Colored Stones forum since people are buying gemstones of varying dimensions and then trying to put them into eBay settings. My instinct would be to go with the larger setting... kind of like wedding dresses, easier to tighten it up than let it out?

 

[Circe]

I think diamonds are the opposite of people, in this regard: they look better when a setting is a tad tight then they do when it's loose. A woman might look more elegant in a slouchy sweater than a too-tight tube top, but IMO a diamond looks better mounted a fraction of a mm. higher than it would in a setting where the basket showed.

 

[D&T]

I would go with the 7.8mm setting. I have bought semi mounts that said it was to fit up to a 7mm stone, and my 6.4mm stone fit much better than a 7.2mm (tight squeeze)

 

[Fly Girl]

My jeweler has ordered multiple stock settings for me to look at in the past. Once you look at them in person, the answer is generally pretty obvious as to which look is best.