How to Mount a 15-Carat Amethyst on a Necklace
Amethyst is a precious gemstone beloved for its color, which can range from pale lavender to a deep purple hue. When faceted, this gem gives off an enchanting crystalline sparkle. Amethysts can vary widely in size, ranging from minuscule, twinkling specks to impressive stones of several carats. They are featured in many types of jewelry, including necklaces. While utilizing the larger stones may seem like a challenge, with patience and determination, you can mount a 15-carat gemstone on a necklace. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Amethyst
- Basket setting
- Necklace
- Needle nosed pliers
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Flux
- Bail
Instructions
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1
Determine the cut of your 15-carat amethyst. Note that it may be a round cut, an emerald cut, a pear cut, a cushion cut, or a princess cut stone, or one of the variety of other cuts available.
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2
Measure the dimensions of your amethyst. Find out the width, length and depth of the stone in millimeters.
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3
Obtain a basket setting---a metal setting with prongs that hold the stone in place---suitable for the size and cut of your amethyst. Choose a basket setting in the same type of metal as the necklace on which you will mount the amethyst, such as sterling silver or yellow gold. Buy a basket setting from a jewelry supply company online, or have a jeweler order one for you.
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4
Have a jeweler custom-make a basket setting for your amethyst if you cannot find one ready made that matches the size and cut of your stone. He or she will design and make a custom basket setting in the type of metal you specify.
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5
Set the amethyst in the basket setting. Use delicate pliers to fold the prongs down around the stone to hold it in place.
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Attach the mounted amethyst to your necklace. Depending on the type of necklace you have, you might solder the basket setting directly onto the necklace, or suspend the basket setting from the necklace by a bail, a small, metal ring positioned at the top of the basket setting.
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Use solder that is made of the same metal as your necklace and basket setting, such as gold or silver. Apply flux to the places on the setting and necklace where you will put the solder. Heat the solder with a soldering iron and allow it to solidify in place before moving the necklace.
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Solder a bail onto your basket setting if you want to suspend the amethyst from a chain. Obtain bails from online jewelry suppliers, or have your jeweler order one. You can also buy basket settings that are already equipped with bails.
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Tips & Warnings
Note that the act of actually setting the amethyst in the basket setting is best done by a professional jeweler, as he or she can set the stone securely without creating minuscule chips in its surface or otherwise damaging it.
The sizes of basket settings and other jewelry components are typically described in millimeters; therefore, a basket setting described as 8 by 6 is 8 millimeters long and 6 millimeters wide.
