 Setting
Gemstones in Tiffany Rings
In this web page we will provide the instructions for
setting a gemstone in a Tiffany style four prong setting. This is a
gemstone setting that dates back to the introduction of this setting in
the late 1800's by Mr. Tiffany, a famous New York jeweler. This is a
jewelry making project that is entirely suitable for beginners.
Setting a gemstone in a Tiffany type ring is very easy and
is a project that it entirely suitable for beginners. What you
require is a Tiffany snap in setting like our
item 3262 for 8mm
gemstones or item 3263
for 6mm gemstones and the appropriate 8mm or 6mm round gemstone.
These settings make a size 7 ring suitable for most adult females. The steps involved in setting the gemstone are described in the following
 paragraphs.
Step 1: Place the "table" or flat side of your gemstone on a
table or cutting board as shown at left.
You can view the terminology
for the parts of a gemstone here.
Step 2: Position the ring finding with the 4 prong setting on
top of the gemstone as shown at right. Grasp the ring firmly in your
thumb and forefinger of your dominant hand.
 Step
3: Push down on the ring finding until all four prongs of the
setting snap into position. Once all 4 prongs are tightly gripping
the gemstone, you are essentially done.
Step 4: Visually inspect all four prongs of
the setting. The groove in the setting should be tightly gripping
the girdle of the gemstone. In almost all cases, using the Tiffany
 setting
we sell you won't have to make any adjustments. Step 5:
With a Tiffany type of setting the process of tightening the stone in the
setting is slightly different than with the Swirl 6 prong setting we
discussed in the prior page. With a Tiffany type of setting you
tighten the setting by squeezing one pair of prongs together as shown at
right. Then you squeeze the opposite pair of prongs together.
You finish the tightening process by squeezing the prongs in the opposite
orientation. If you squeezed prongs 1 and 2 then 3 and 4 together in
the first step of tightening, you would squeeze prongs 1 and 4 then 2 and
3 together. This will bring all four prongs back into their original
symmetrical shape.
\ Potential Problems: Each end of the four
prongs in this setting should have a lip used to hold the stone in
place. With many cast ring findings, the stone setter will need to
cut this lip into the finding. With the Tiffany setting that we
sell, the lip has been pre-cut or cast into the shape. Sometimes,
the inside of that lip may need to be filed with a jeweler's file so
that it can better hold the stone in place. On rare occasions, you
may find that the metal forming the lip (at the very tip of the prong)
needs to be bent inward so that it can hook on the edge of the stone.
You may also find on rare occasions that one or more of the prongs in
this setting need to be bent slightly inward using your chain nose or
bent chain nose pliers so that the opening in the setting is very
slightly smaller than the size of the stone in step 2 above. Most
settings won't require these adjustments, but it is possible that you
may find a setting that does require these adjustments. Remember
these should be very small adjustments -- just a little filing or a
little bending at a time.
Please note that these instructions work for the Tiffany
ring settings that we sell in our WigJig store. A standard Tiffany
setting may not work following these instructions for the simple reason
that the standard setting often does not have the notch pre-cut into each of the
four prongs. For setting a standard Tiffany setting, you will need
to cut the four notches, one in each prong. Setting a gemstone in a
standard Tiffany setting is definitely not a beginners project.
Parts Required:
In the following web page we will describe setting a
gemstone in a Filigree type of setting. |