STONE SETTING WITHOUT PRONGS:

BEAD SETTING & FLUSH SETTING

About this course

This live 3-day online course will focus on two distinct stone setting processes – the first being bead setting and the third being flush setting and the second day reserved for student needs in an open-format, with the addition of my short “Street Gemology” course.

Starting with bead setting, the first session will guide students on how to expertly hold and use each unique tool, on top of learning the process for this delicate stone setting technique, which allows for the inclusion of smaller, less expensive stones to act as highlights on nearly any design surface.

Street Gemology is designed to guide students when buying stones – whether at gem shows or from individuals. Know what to look for, what are the pitfalls, how to make proper valuations, and more.  I have decades of experience to share in this area—this is a short block of time well-spent.

The last session will cover flush setting small stones in to the surface of your design.  This is my favorite setting as it allows the surface of your work to be unblemished other than the surface of your piece and the stone itself.  Very simple to look at, but I save this for last as it is the more difficult of the settings.

DETAILS

When: Oct. 8-10, 2021 Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 12 Noon – 3 pm
Where:
Virtual Class – Zoom
Capacity: Up to 15 students
Tuition: $240

CLASS REQUIREMENTS

This class is for intermediate or higher level students that have basic skills and have their own workspace set up already.

MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES

The following supplies will be used for course demonstrations and objectives. A suggested item and/or vendor has been provided below for reference. Click the vendor name (in red) to be redirected to a page where you can find the item. The quantities needed for each item are listed first. If ordering, please be aware that some items may come in larger quantities than needed for this class. We recommend not opening an item’s packaging until the day of the workshop. Student participation during or in-between class sessions is strongly encouraged but not required – observers are welcome.

Students should come to class with 2 completed satin finish ring bands if they wish to complete workshop objectives:

  • 2 x 14g ring bands – flat profile – 6mm wide – copper is fine
  • 6 x 2.5mm CZ (Rio Grande)
  • 1 x 5.0mm CZ (Rio Grande)
  • 1 x 18g sterling strip – 5mm wide x 15.5mm long (Rio Grande)
  • small amount of easy and hard solder (Rio Grande)

A soldering setup:

  • 1 x fireproof torch area – steel baking sheet will work (Amazon)
  • 1 x Solderite™ pad or fire bricks (Rio Grande)
  • 1 x torch – Smith mini or Silversmith (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)
  • 1 x #0 or #1 torch tip – if getting Silversmith (Rio Grande)
  • 1 x soldering tweezers (Rio Grande)
  • 1 x soldering pick (Rio Grande)
  • 1 x 3rd arm (Rio Grande)
  • 1 x paste flux (Rio Grande)
  • 1 x copper tongs – for pickle (Rio Grande)
  • silver solder – hard, medium, easy (Rio Grande)
  • pickle – for non-ferrous metals (Rio Grande)
  • crock pot or tempered glass container – for pickle (Amazon)
  • tempered glass container or sink – for quenching and rinsing
  • small brush – for flux

Hand tools:

Forming tools:

You will need a flat ended punch for hammer setting. The instructor will demo how to make one using a 4″ x 1/8″-1/4″ piece of tools steel square stock, files, and a torch to heat treat the steel, so you can make your own or purchase one.

  • 1 x flat ended punch or W1 tool steel (Otto Frei or McMaster)
  • files for using on steel
Students should bring

In addition to the above items, you will want to have the following items available:

  • hard work surface
  • fan and open window – or ventilation system
  • safety glasses
  • pencil, Sharpie, notebook
  • rags/towels

ABOUT OPEN MIC

I am a teacher, and I teach with student’s microphones OPEN.  My many years of experience in the classroom have led me to prefer an interactive experience much like a live classroom, where students benefit from one another’s questions and problems as much as their own. With mics off, it might just as well be YouTube, and I think this gives you more.  

REQUIRED SKILLS

Skill level: Intermediate +