Interesting (and affordable) stone for a tension setting?

[peacechick]

I thought it was about time I started a thread of my own I've had this badly chipped amethyst silver ring for a while and not done anything with it. I never liked the amethyst (too pale for me) but I really liked the faux tension setting it was in.

Inspired by all the projects going on here, I decided to launch my own mini-project and contacted a local custom jeweler about resetting the ring. I'm going to work with them to source the stone rather than buying one myself.

So my top choice is a spinel. I've kind of fallen in love since hanging out here. But see, the old amethyst was a 8mm round... I don't know if I want to spend that much right now... So I am also considering other options.

For a tension style ring, I feel like it would be fun to have something visually striking rather than necessarily focus on brilliance. I am thinking a glowy faceted chalcedony or chrysoprase would look stunning. I am also considering rose quartz. Any other ideas? Would kyanite be suitable?

P.S. This will be a RHR ring and not for everyday

 

[FrekeChild]

Re: Interesting (and affordable) stone for a tension setting

So wait, you want a replacement stone for that setting?

Well, what's your budget and what's your favorite color?

 

[peacechick]

Re: Interesting (and affordable) stone for a tension setting

Thanks for the reply Frekechild. I'm thinking of a modest $200. With that kind of budget, i'm not picky about color, just want a nice cut. After doing some research, I'm thinking a hessonite/rubellite garnet or a tourmaline is possible. I'm loving orange right now so I crave a spess but it's probably beyond my budget. I think I'm at that awkward stage where my taste has evolved beyond citrines, aquamarines and peridots but my budget hasn't yet oh well, I'll start small and go from there.

I know there are great preloved stones for sale In loupetroop well within budget but I'm going to source within Canada for now so not to deal with import tax. Thanks for the help! I'll have a picture here when I'm done

 

[bcavitt]

Re: Interesting (and affordable) stone for a tension setting

Please don't think you have a true tension setting. It is more than likely a channel setting. What follows is quoted from Steven Kretchmer's website:

With a Tension-Set™ by Kretchmer, the strength of the entire setting itself secures the stone in place by a compression force of 12,000 pounds per square inch, not just with wires as in prong settings. This type of mounting also exposes the gemstone to more light, and brings out the brilliance and colors that are often hidden by prongs or bezels.

Tension-Set™ jewelry is especially comfortable to wear, and has no prongs that scratch or catch on clothing. It is fundamentally stronger and more durable than traditional settings, and is built to endure everyday use more successfully. Impacted by unusual force, a prong-mounted stone can shift and loosen when the prongs bend, but a Tension-Set™ stone is held by pressure, secured into the seat by specially heat- treated precious metal alloys, and needs no routine tightening or maintenance.

Kretchmer Tension Settings are the only patented tension settings in the world.

I don't think that even a sapphire could hold up to the compression force used in a true tension setting.

Bryan Cavitt
Images Jewelers

 

[peacechick]

Re: Interesting stone for faux tension setting?

Whoops, I do know it's not a true tension setting. I said faux tension setting in my post but I see I should have put it in my title. This one uses half bezels to keep the stone in place I think.

Don't think I can afford a true tension setting made by a master I think only a diamond or sapphire is strong enough for one.

Edited to add: it looks like I can't change the thread name so sorry about that.

 

[kiwiflea]

Re: Interesting (and affordable) stone for a tension setting

Did you choose a stone for this setting? I think any of those would be really nice but I would choose rose quartz - pink and silver are pretty together. Maybe moonstone, fire opal?

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Re: Interesting (and affordable) stone for a tension setting

Not kyanite. It has a hardness of 7 on one plane but only 4.5 on the second. It has perfect cleavage on one plane, imperfect on the other. It is brittle. It is quite delicate for a ring (I would use one on a pendant, though, as long as I removed it for bed every night).

 

[chrono]

Re: Interesting (and affordable) stone for a tension setting

8 mm round put you close to the 2 ct mark. If going for something pale, your options are greater for your budget but if you want something strongly coloured, it is more of a challenge. I am unsure if I've seen all that many faceted chalcedony and chrysoprase. Rose quartz is a consideration although soft and likely to chip/abrade in a ring. A kyanite is totally out if faceted. A faceted opal will be interesting as well although in such an open setting, it will be difficult to see the PoC.

 

[peacechick]

Re: Interesting (and affordable) stone for a tension setting

Thanks everyone for your feedback! So to update you all, I've kinda gotten derailed on this project. I wasn't thrilled with either the quote for the resetting from the jeweler or my options for the stones which were a bit limited. So I've put that project on the back-burner for now, took my budget for that and instead...

Bought two sparklies! Here are a pretty orange spess and a pink spinel that I am now looking for settings for. The spess is an adorable shade of Fanta orange. The spinel has some issues, but it is a shade of pink that I like a lot, and it looks better than it photographs.

I still intend to fix that silver ring one day, but I'm going to have to think about it some more. Maybe I'll get a silversmith to add to it and turn it into something different.

 

[peacechick]

Re: Interesting (and affordable) stone for a tension setting

Thought I'd close this thread by uploading the rings I set my stones in. They're just affordable silver settings, but it was fun and definitely makes me want to get a custom ring the next time.

 

[elizaloo]

Re: Interesting (and affordable) stone for a tension setting

Very pretty - love the pink ring!

 

[kenny]

Re: Interesting (and affordable) stone for a tension setting

Here is a link about tension settings.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/engagement-rings/tension-setting-styles

I believe only diamond and sapphire can withstand the pressure of a tension setting.

That amethyst ring in the first post of this thread is not a tension setting.
Tension settings have no metal under diamond that bridges the gap.

Tension settings from Niessing, Gelin Abaci, and Steven Kretchmer in gold or platinum start around $2,000.
We have also gotten tension settings from Boonerings in titanium and they start around $400 IIRC.

Niessing also offers stainless steel tension settings, but I don't know about pricing.