All levels of ability
Delicate gems need special treatment and an extra-special setting. Many beautiful stones can not be fired in place, so when you wish to overlap the stone with details you add an additional challenge to the design of your piece. My solution is to set the gem from the back. It may sound as if you have to design the whole piece backward, but this is not the case. Not only that, but you can even make a reversible pendant if you so desire and it is much easier than you might imagine!
We will discuss a successful design to enhance the stone, bezel setting, tube bails, tube set gems, flush set gems, buds, snake charming, finishing techniques, and more. This is like my Bezel Setting Like a Pro Class on steroids!
You need a 15 – 25 mm flat stone or faceted stone with a flat table or front surface. Beware of stones having a deep pavilion or back as they may not sit flat on the body. Other fire-in-place gems are optional.
Materials List: PMC 3 or Low fire Art Clay, Art Clay Paste Type® (Brand-specific), Glycerin, Fine silver bezel wire the height of the stone, Texture plate, Extruder, and tube adapter, Carving tool or mini Dockyard® tools, Mascara brush (optional), 4 - 6 mm fire in place gem, Gem bur the size of the stone, Rotary tool, Eve® Rubber polishing wheels and knife-edge for Silver, blue (medium), pink (fine) for rotary tool, 3M Radial Bristle Brushes 400 grit to fine for rotary tool, 3M radial bristle discs coarse to fine for silver to fit your rotary tool, Bezel rocker or burnisher, Basic Tool Kit, Torch or Kiln. 25 g size restriction with torch use.
Romancing the Stone: Reverse Stone Setting Tutorial by Holly Gage
Lessons are in a PDF format are for students who need no teacher guidance with the lesson. You do, however, have an option to purchase a 1 hour question and answer session by appointment.
To purchase a private session in addition to the self guided lesson, select the "A Private Session with Holly Gage." separately. You can select how many sessions you would like. Sessions are live on the Go to Meeting platform. This option is for seeking answers to questions and have an interest in seeing Holly Gage perform select demonstrations.
©2021 Gage Designs. All rights reserved. This lesson and information within are protected under copyright law. Sharing or reproduction in whole or part are prohibited.Each tutorial suggests what Metal Clay to use, but you can use the clay you choose with these guidelines in mind since clay preference is an individual choice.
I tend to use Metal Clay with a good melting surface, which means adding water to eliminate imperfections on the greenware surface makes an excellent "self slip" that you can move around with a brush or healing tool to smooth the surface. Many of the lessons use this technique.
Since PMC Sterling is discontinued, the handmade 960 (1/2 PMC Sterling and 1/2 Art Clay Silver) you see in some lessons can be replaced with another strong clay with good carving properties — 950, 960, Sterling Clays that carve smoothly without chipping.