CHAPTER X stone setting (continued) Gipsy or flush—Roman—Rubbed over or band setting—Cramp setting— Pin setting for pearl—Drop stones, etc. 

The Gipsy or Flush setting, Fig. 87. In this setting the metal comes smoothly right up to the stone, without any claws or grains, the stone looking as though it had grown in the metal. 

Drill and open out this setting as described above for the thread setting. Make sure that the stone fits very accu rately. But it must not be sunk too deeply. Take a half-round file, and to the depth of about -^ inch, file down the surface of your work, leaving untouched, however, a little ring of the metal just round the hole you have been at work upon. The inner edge of this little circular bank of metal, which forms the side of the hole, is, of course, vertical. The outer edge slopes away, and the bank may be ^ inch wide at the bottom, Fig. 88. To set the stone, press it Avell home against the board pin, or with the pushing tool. Then with hammer and a matt-ended punch drive the metal in the circular bank gradually towards and on to the stone. In the case of pearls and the softer stones considerable care must be taken not to chip them. The punch used has a rough surface, as it is less likely to slip than a smooth ended tool. Now burnish the metal right up to the stone. By the time that the metal has closed doAvn on its edge, the little circular ridge of metal left round the stone by your filing Avill have disappeared, and the surface of your work is fairly level. It should noAV be filed true and quite level right up to the stone, leaving no visible evidence of the manner in Avhich the gem has been fastened in.  If you care to do so, you may with the punch drive the metal down On to the edge of the stone immediately the hole has been opened out, leaving the filing until aftenvards. In this case the metal round the edge of the stone will be sunk by the punching to a loAver level than that further away, see Fig. 90. This is put right Avhen you file all the surface level. 

A seal stone is set in much the same way. When the stone comes from the lapidary its corner B, Fig. 91, is generally quite sharp. With a corundum file grind off the extreme corner so as to form a neAV edge, less than ^ inch wide, Fig. 92. Pierce out with the saw the hole in the ring, if it is for a ring. Then Avith the outer side of the bullsticker bevel off the edge of the hole to the outline of the stone, and cut the bearer. When the stone begins to go into the recess you are cutting, it will either jam or rock on some projecting part. If it gets firmly jammed in, push the wax stick firmly on to the stone, then give the stick a sharp blow with the handle of a file. This will generally bring the stone out. To find out how it rests, mix a little crocus and oil, and put a very thin film of it on the underside of the stone. Then press the stone into the setting. The crocus Avill shoAv exactly Avhere it touches. Go on cutting until the stone fits firmly on to its bearer. Then with a round scorper cut a channel or gutter C, Fig. 93, on the surface of the metal, all round the hole and quite close up to it. To set the stone, take a mandrel Avith a blunt point and rub hard with this tool in the gutter C, until the ridge of metal between the gutter and the hole for the stone is driven over the edge of the stone, or drive the intervening ridge down with the matted punch. Work with the mandrel until the side of the tool is rubbing against the stone itself. The metal will by this time have completely closed over the little edge made by the corundum stick, and will hold the stone firmly. Rub the metal carefully down just against the stone. With a round scorper true up any inequalities. Polish with slate stone, with crocus, and finally Avith a dogAvood stick androuge. This setting is known by the name of  Roman." 

The " rubbed over " or " band " setting. This can be used for stones of almost any shape, but is more suitable for cabochon cut than faceted stones, for the unevenness of the latter makes the edge of the setting irregular. It is one of the simplest settings to make. Take a piece of sheet silver, size 4 or 5, and cut off a strip a little wider than the height you Avish the setting to be. Bend it round, Fig. 96, and cut off sufficient to barely reach round the stone. The ring or " bezel " made from the strip can always be stretched a little by sliding it on a triblet and giving it a few taps with the hammer, but only by cutting a piece out can it conveniently be made smaller. It is therefore better to cut the band too short than too long. Tie the ring together with fine binding wire. Solder andfile up the join. Make the ring true on the triblet and see that the stone will slip into it. Level the top and bottom with a few strokes on the rubstone. Then, if the setting has not to be fastened on to a larger piece of work, back it with a thin piece of whatever metal you are to use for the back of the setting. Cut a piece rather larger than the ring, and tie the two together with Avire. But if the ring shows any inclina tion to get out of shape, or if it is for an irregularly shaped stone it is better to proceed in the following manner. Put the stone in the ring and place both on the backing. Then with a graver drive up a number of tiny curls of metal against the ring. The graver cuts need not be more than ^ inch long, but the little curls of metal driven up by them Avill effectually prevent the ring from tAvisting out of shape during the soldering. Remove the stone, and tie the ringandbackingtogether. Boraxthejointandput paillons ofsolderonthebackplate whereitprojects beyondthering. Then eolder. If you are to decorate the setting by a ring of twisted or other wire, do it now. Next boil out in pickle. Afterwards cut off all superfluous metal, using the shears right up against the ring, or the wires if there are any; and file up tidily. If, however, the setting is to be open at the back, either solder in a bearer for the stone to rest on, or back it as already described and cut out with the piercing-saw as much of the back plate as possible, leaving only a very narrow edge for the stone to rest upon. File up the opening neatly. 

When a number of settings of about the same size have to be made it is easier to take a piece of tube of the correct diameter, and cut it into suitable lengths, instead of turning up each band separately. In setting stones or other, objects which may be irregular in shape at the back, it is sometimes convenient to make the bearer from a ring 
of wire or a short piece of tubing made to fit the back of the jewel. 

To set the stone. If it requires any foil or backing first put this in the setting, then press the stone well home. See that the top edge of the setting projects ^ inch, or less, above the shoulder of the stone all round, Fig. 94. The top of the rim is now to be pressed over the edge of the stone. This can be commenced with the brass pushing tool and completed with the pointed mandrel. Take care to rub over an equal amount all round, so as to form a little flat edge close round the stone. Then with a small warding pillar file, with its smooth edge towards the stone, file round the setting to make the little edge quite true, Fig. 95. The work is now ready for polishing. Another way of closing the band setting is that of running a roulette round the rim. This crushes down the edge sufficiently to hold the stone in. Yet another way is that in Avhich a pushing tool, the point of which is rounded from side to side, is used to press portions only of the rim of the setting against the stone, see Fig. 97. In setting a stone thus, it is well to press in a portion of the rim, say, at the two sides of the stone in immediate succession, then at the two ends in succession, and afterwards at the intermediate positions. A flat scorper is then used to true up the wavy top of the rim. 

In old work band settings were often made quite tall and conical, a ring of wire soldered insidenear the top acted as bearer for the stone. 

'' Cramp " setting. This is a variation on the rubbed over setting, and is much used for fragile objects. Turn up a thin band to fit round the stone and join it. Fit a bearer within upon which the stone can rest. The band must be wide enough to project about TV inch above the girdle of the stone. Parts of the border are now filed away, leaving claws or " cramps " standing up at intervals round the setting. First with the dividers scratch a fine parallel to the top of the setting to mark the lower limit of the claws. Then file away sections of the rim above the scratched line, taking care to leave the cramps strong enough. The spaces between the claws may be filed to a knife-edge on top, Fig. 98, or they may be serrated. In another form of cramp setting the top edge is nicked at intervals with a three-square file, leaving projecting teeth like those on a saw, Fig. 99. To set the stone it is only necessary to press over each cramp or tooth Avith the setting tool. 

An enamel, a cameo or other object upon which you may prefer not to risk the effect of any pressure, can sometimes be set from the back of the Avork thus, Fig. 102 : Take a strip of metal long enough to go round the edge of the enamel, and considerably deeper than its thickness. Make from it a ring or collet into which the enamel will fit, and curl its top edge inwards, above the enamel. Make a second ring which Avill fit tightly into the first. This second ring is to keep the enamel in its place beloAv, for it will act as a bearer. It may be fastened firmly by short pins passing through both rings, or by means of soft solder. The back of the enamel may be covered with a piece of thin sheet metal, or used as a frame for a glass, as in a locket. 

A pearl (not a half-pearl) is usually drilled half-way through from the back. A pin, notched and roughened, is soldered on to the setting to correspond Avith the hole in the pearl. The latter is then cemented on to the pin with shellac, mastic, diamond cement or some other adhesive. A screAved pin fitting into a ta.pped hole in. the pearl makes a better job, but great care must be taken not to split the pearl. One side of the screwshould be filed flat, for it gives a little clearance in cutting. A split pin is sometimes used instead, Fig. 100. The hole in the pearl is drilled as before and then widened out inside. The pin is made from two pieces of half-round wire, or a round pin is split lengthways with the saw. A small wedge is next made to fit betAveen the two halves of the pin. The wedge must be shorter than the split in the pin, and it must not be so thick at its wider end as to force the two halves of the pin further apart than the Avidened-out hole in the pearl Avill permit. To set the pearl it is only necessary to place the point of the wedge between the two halves of the pin, apply the cement, and finally to press the pearl home. The Avedge will force the two halves of the pin apart inside the pearl, making it im possible for the latter to beafterwards Avithdrawn, Fig. 101.

To set a drop stone, Fig. 103. A groove is cut by the lapi dary round the upper end of the stone Into this groove a small ring is fitted, projecting very little above the surface ofthestone,Figs. 104and105. Amountorcapisnowmade to fit over the ring and upper part of the stone, Fig. 106. The inner surface of this cap is coated with soft solder— " pewtered." When the cap is placed in position very little heat applied to it is sufficient to firmly unite cap and ring, Fig. 107. A bead or ball pendant is generally drilled half-way through from the top. A roughened wire projects from the cap and is fastened into the hole in the stone with cement. 

To set a coin as a pendant, Fig. 109. Make a ring of wire rather larger in diameter than the coin. At intervals round its circumference solder on small clips, projecting each side ofthering. Whenthecoinisputintotheringtheclipscan be pressed against it on either side. Another way is to solder short lengths of wire across the ring above mentioned. Each end of these short pieces is afterAvards curved back Avith the pliers to rest against the coin and keep it in place, Fig. 109
 
In old work pearls were very often drilled right through and fastened by a fine wire which ended in a tiny coil or bead against the stone. 

In the Treasury of St. Mark's at Venice is a Byzantine book-cover decorated with gold filigree, jewels and enamels. It has many oblong stones set in cells of beaded wire with a half-ring of plain wire soldered at each end of the cell. These half-rings are bent sideAvays over the ends of the stones, and hold them firmly in place. Whenever four stones meet, as in Fig. Ill, the four bent half-rings give the effect of a rosette. On the Cross of Cong, in the National Museum, Dublin, are some settings made from two rows of twisted Avire surmounted by a single zigzag Avire, as shoAvn in Fig. 
108. The projecting parts of the top wire are bent over the jewel. 

Diamonds are set in silver or platinum, for these metals do not interfere with the colour of the stones as gold would. Silver mounts are, however, backed Avith gold—a stronger metal. The openings through the settings under the stones are squared out behind with the piercing-saw; the dividing lines between adjacent stones being filed away underneath Avith a smooth three-square file. The filing is continued until there is only a fine edge of the mount or setting left. But of course due regard must be paid to strength. So, in a cluster, alternate holes would be left perhaps Avith a circular opening underneath. With large pieces of work the craftsman Avould leave thicker bars here and there, arranging them so as to form a pattern.