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 Post subject: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Fri Jun 23, 2017 10:26 pm 
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The jewelry piece that I am doing won't have an open back where the gemstone is set so no light will get in from the back. Is there something that can be placed on the back of the gemstone that will reflect the light coming in from the front bringing out the sparkle and brilliance of the stone?


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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2017 8:47 am 
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If the stone is cut properly, it will reflect the light itself, no need for a reflective backing.


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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2017 4:15 pm 
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Stones with closed backs make cleaning almost impossible.

You could always foil back it.
This was done typically in Georgian and Victorian jewels:
Image


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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 11:35 am 
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Quote:
Stones with closed backs make cleaning almost impossible.


Does dirt and grease eventually work it's way down between the stone and the bezel enough to become a problem?

I have a few pale-coloured stones that I've noticed have a much nicer, richer colour when light is excluded from entering through the pavilion but perhaps a fully enclosed setting would not be the way to go?


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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 11:53 am 
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stargazer wrote:
The jewelry piece that I am doing won't have an open back where the gemstone is set so no light will get in from the back. Is there something that can be placed on the back of the gemstone that will reflect the light coming in from the front bringing out the sparkle and brilliance of the stone?


Hi stargazer.

I have very little jewellery making experience but I agree with Al, the light should reflect itself nicely off the pavilion facets if the stone is properly cut.

How dark is the colour of the stone though? If it's medium-light-colourless then I'd think it probably wouldn't be a problem. But I once cut a smoky quartz crystal I found that was quite a deep colour. Held in the gem grabbers it was a nice coppery-bronze without any particularly intense lighting. But once fully enclosed in a setting with only the crown exposed, it essentially appeared black and needed to have strong light directly on it to show any colour at all.


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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 6:29 pm 
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The Anglo-Saxons also employed foil backing " that gave the object a beautifully bright appearance"

http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/ob ... ne-objects


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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 7:03 pm 
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Note that the stones in that article are not faceted. Unless the stone is windowed (usually considered undesirable nowadays), the foil will have no effect.


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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 8:36 pm 
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Very interesting article. I had always just assumed that the thin garnet slices were just set over engraved lines from looking at the pictures. Either way though, a very interesting use for some of that too dark garnet rough most of us have lying around.

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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 11:10 pm 
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And YES, Lefty. Dirt, grease and general yuck find there way behind the stones....unless they are rarely worn.


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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 12:54 pm 
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Barbra Voltaire wrote:
And YES, Lefty. Dirt, grease and general yuck find there way behind the stones....unless they are rarely worn.


Maybe save the completely enclosed style for setting opaque cabs then, or opaque stones with a faceted crown (probably a checkerboard style) and no pavilion - black spinel looks good like this.

I guess a setting could have the stone enclosed from all sides with an open back for cleaning access and still block most light entering via the pavilion since it would be sitting against the persons skin.


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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Tue Jul 04, 2017 1:16 pm 
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The Anglo Saxon style was to use a thin gold foil stamped with a "chequered" pattern behind the stone. It certainly brightened the look of the stone and, unless you can cut a stone so that all the light entering from the front is totally reflected, I would submit that there is no stone it will not enhance.


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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 3:24 am 
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The obvious problem being that in modern jewelry foiling is only used on plastic or glass costume jewelry, so it will immediately make the jewelry look cheap or fake.

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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 4:30 am 
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I would disagree. If a modern jeweler was to follow the same techniques with garnet that was otherwise too dark I think it would be quite acceptable.

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 Post subject: Re: bring out qualities of gem with no open back?
PostPosted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 7:31 am 
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In France this foiling technique is still used, precisely to make new but traditional looking jewelry with garnets, typical from a south area.

https://www.legrenatdeperpignan.fr/

Of course, the garnets are no more coming from France, but still...


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