Polishing inside of prong

[Sparkling Diamond Eyes]

Has anyone heard of or have polished the inside of their prongs for a mirror-like effect for their diamond or gemstone? I heard it makes more sense for colored stones but wondering if it helps in any way with a K-colored diamond. If so please post photos!!! Thank you

 

[Karl_K]

What shape and how well cut?

 

[Sparkling Diamond Eyes]

I have a 1.20ct round OEC diamond.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

The worse the cut the more advantage.
It works well for many colored gems because they have more window effect.
It works for fancy yellow diamonds with a yellow cup because about 1/3rd of the light in well cut fancies leaks out the back.

 

[Wink]

A great custom made ring comes with the inside of the head, not just the prongs, already polished prior to setting the gem. Since many rings are made with CAD and and then waxes are created, the better houses cast in two or more pieces and then polish each piece, inside and out, before assembling the jewel.

Perhaps @Victor Canera, or one of the other companies that work with hand drawn pieces, could come to this thread and talk about their process with polish. I would be very surprised if their pieces are not polished inside and out prior to the mounting of the gems.

Most buyers are not aware of the amount of time it takes to bestow a truly top quality polish. A top of the line piece may easily require ten to fifteen hours of polish to provide the breathtaking mirror like finish desired for the presentation to the final recipient.

I felt it was important for me to teach my clients NOT to touch the final ring until it was presented to the person for whom it was made. I was criticized more than once for wearing my "horrible" looking gloves during the videos I made for our clients. I wore them because no one in my staff ever touched a clients ring prior to delivery with bare hands.

Wink

 

[kb1gra]

A great custom made ring comes with the inside of the head, not just the prongs, already polished prior to setting the gem. Since many rings are made with CAD and and then waxes are created, the better houses cast in two or more pieces and then polish each piece, inside and out, before assembling the jewel.

Perhaps @Victor Canera, or one of the other companies that work with hand drawn pieces, could come to this thread and talk about their process with polish. I would be very surprised if their pieces are not polished inside and out prior to the mounting of the gems.

Most buyers are not aware of the amount of time it takes to bestow a truly top quality polish. A top of the line piece may easily require ten to fifteen hours of polish to provide the breathtaking mirror like finish desired for the presentation to the final recipient.

I felt it was important for me to teach my clients NOT to touch the final ring until it was presented to the person for whom it was made. I was criticized more than once for wearing my "horrible" looking gloves during the videos I made for our clients. I wore them because no one in my staff ever touched a clients ring prior to delivery with bare hands.

Wink

I have to say getting my Wink video, with gloves and gushing narration, was a special part of my purchase

 

[MillieLou]

Is your stone already set?

I wonder if any of the experts could chime in on whether unsetting and re-setting a stone weakens the prongs or causes any other issue? @Wink @Garry H (Cut Nut)

If unset I would certainly be asking if it could be polished inside before setting.

 

[Sparkling Diamond Eyes]

My stone has not been set yet, it will be set in a 6 prong platinum. It is an OEC diamond VSI, color grade K. I asked to have the prongs polished on the inside. Wondering if it can make a difference in light refraction since it'll have 6 prongs around it.

 

[Sparkling Diamond Eyes]

The worse the cut the more advantage.
It works well for many colored gems because they have more window effect.
It works for fancy yellow diamonds with a yellow cup because about 1/3rd of the light in well cut fancies leaks out the back.

This is my 1.20 ct OEC K colored diamond. I'm having it reset with 6 prongs and have asked the jeweler to polish the inside of the prongs. Will polishing make a difference?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

This is my 1.20 ct OEC K colored diamond. I'm having it reset with 6 prongs and have asked the jeweler to polish the inside of the prongs. Will polishing make a difference?

Cant tell from a photo.
Poloshing and plating inside will not hurt.
Yellow gold setting will help the most. But rhodium plated inside the setting and yellow outside.

 

[Karl_K]

This is my 1.20 ct OEC K colored diamond. I'm having it reset with 6 prongs and have asked the jeweler to polish the inside of the prongs. Will polishing make a difference?

not really in my opinion, there is not a lot of leakage, its mostly obstruction and the culet is not super huge.
Really nice stone!

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

Somewhere I read that Brian Gavin polishes the inside of everything before you get it. Wink's account is so charming, thanks for sharing.
That is a beautiful diamond! Wow, wow, wow.

 

[Victor Canera]

It's correct that a ring should be "pre-polished" prior to setting the gemstones because once the gemstones are set, it's really hard to polish parts of a ring. A polishing motor couldn't easily get into the profile of a head nicely for example. The profile of a six prong head comes to mind.

@Wink we pre-polish our jewelry two different ways actually. The first polishing using tools on the bench to clean items like the head, prongs etc. with tools like rubber wheels, even small brushes for platinum with handpieces and then on the polishing motor once the item is assembled but prior to the gemstones being set on the mounting.

Good luck !

 

[Texas Leaguer]

It’s important to get at least a decent polish on the interior areas of a piece of fine jewelry. Not only does it add some luster from certain odd viewing angles, but it also helps prevent buildup of dirt which can be hard to remove. Not to mention that it is an indicator of overall craftsmanship.

We get parts and finished pieces from a variety of suppliers. Most are pre-polished, either by hand or by an ultrasonic tumbler. Many require little or no additional polishing to interior areas. The big exception is rough castings which have to be thoroughly filed and polished using a variety of tools and techniques.

One interesting “old school” technique to get a polish on an interior piece that otherwise cannot be reached by wheels or brushes is “string” polishing. This ultra low-tech method is actually indispensable in certain situations. The jeweler fastens a piece of cotton string to the bench, rubs polishing compound on it, and feeds the string through an opening in the piece. While keeping the string taught with one hand he runs the jewelry piece up and down it with the other, getting a polish on otherwise unreachable areas.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

My friend's daughter ist in jewelery school in Paris (close to place Vendôme) and there are different courses for goldsmiths , gemstone setters and polishers. I was absolutely stunned to learn that the polishers study three years! They use the thread method for the whole first year and then they go on with micro brushes etc

 

[Wink]

I was absolutely stunned to learn that the polishers study three years!

And when they graduate, they do NOT work for minimum wage. A good polisher is expensive. A great polisher is very expensive and worth every penny he or she is paid.

Most people are shocked when they learn the value of the metal is only a fraction of what they paid for a finished piece, especially for a custom item. in addition to the polisher, there is the cost of the designer, whether by CAD or drawing by hand, the cost to create the wax if the piece is being cast. The cost to clean the casting, the cost to assemble the casting, the cost to set the stones, the cost to photograph the finished piece and the cost of the presentation package.

Wink

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

It’s important to get at least a decent polish on the interior areas of a piece of fine jewelry. Not only does it add some luster from certain odd viewing angles, but it also helps prevent buildup of dirt which can be hard to remove. Not to mention that it is an indicator of overall craftsmanship.

We get parts and finished pieces from a variety of suppliers. Most are pre-polished, either by hand or by an ultrasonic tumbler. Many require little or no additional polishing to interior areas. The big exception is rough castings which have to be thoroughly filed and polished using a variety of tools and techniques.

One interesting “old school” technique to get a polish on an interior piece that otherwise cannot be reached by wheels or brushes is “string” polishing. This ultra low-tech method is actually indispensable in certain situations. The jeweler fastens a piece of cotton string to the bench, rubs polishing compound on it, and feeds the string through an opening in the piece. While keeping the string taught with one hand he runs the jewelry piece up and down it with the other, getting a polish on otherwise unreachable areas.

"Flossing." How interesting! I watched SO and his associate shave 10ths of mms off an engine block for weeks, they called it "decking the block." There's a reason when these things aren't sent out to be done by a machine. The experienced human eye and hand are superior.

 

[Sparkling Diamond Eyes]

Here is the final product. I will pick it up tomorrow. In my opinion, the prongs are too thick for my taste, but he recommended them like that since it's my husband's family heirloom and because Platinum is a softer metal. Do the jewelers in this group agree?

PS. He will do one last polish before I pick it up

 

[stracci2000]

Some of you know I make my own jewelry.
I use the string method for polishing all the time. It really gets into the tiny crevices. It's an old-timey method that works great!

 

[Wink]

Do the jewelers in this group agree?

I do. Cannot speak for others, but I like my platinum prongs a little heavier than gold. ESPECIALLY if I am doing a four prong. I like the six prong better for me, but many prefer the four prong.

Wink

 

[Karl_K]

Do the jewelers in this group agree?

Not technically a Jeweler but I agree that they look correct.
Just a tad larger while not being bulky and no stones in the prongs and a strong shape and design.