Can a cab fit into a mount for a faceted stone?

[Indylady]

Just wondering...or do they need their own mounts?

 

[Michael_E]

No, not as those settings come from the factory. Of course you can force the issue by soldering in a base ring right where you want the cab to sit. This ends up looking like a third rail on a basket setting and will keep the cab in place and not allow it to tilt and fall out. This sort of approach works best with very high domed cabs which are made from durable materials. For lower domed cabs it''s better to use bezels or crenelated settings as in this setting from Stuller. Of course there''s nothing stopping a person from chopping the top off an appropriate setting and soldering a bezel or crenelated setting to that. If you did it with some flair by bending the existing prongs in an outward curve, maybe adding a few to give it some fill in and fluting the bezel I think it could look very attractive, (or at least unusual).

 

[chrono]

Most cabochons will not work; modification will be needed and by the time it is done, the cost will probably be equal to getting a mount that is made for a cabochon anyway.