Stone Setting Information:

What Burs are used for what application?

Round Stones:- Diamond – Thin Girdle – Use 45 Bur- Colored Stones – Thick Girdle – Use 90 Bur

Shaped Stones:- A variety of burs are used- Thin Girdle use 90 bur- Thick Girdle use 90 then ball bur or cylinder to round the opening of seat

1/2 Ball Burs: Used for cutting seats for cab stones. We make these by taking a large ball bur and using a separating disc to cut top half off. The roundness of the bottom half of the ball bur will cut the seat to accommodate the roundness of cab underbelly.

Channel Set:45 Bur for diamonds90 Bur for colored stonesUsing a Chicago Pneumatic to push metal; start the furthest away from the stones working and pushing metal toward the stone.

Bezel Setting: Set table of stone even with metal.

Pearls:-Precut – Use ball bur to ream out to fit pearl post. Our make pearl products have 1.1 pearl post-Drilling Pearls for stringing – Standard size drill .08

Engraving Blackening:Use black model airplane paint, paint into lettering, wipe with baby wipes and the black stays in recessed areas.

Bench Mate can be flipped to use right or left handed.

Bath Rhodium Plating with Stones already set:The following must use clear lacquer to protect – lapis, black diamonds, pearls, turquoise and opal.

Lasering Prongs near Stones:Nothing can be applied to protect stone, must lower diameter of beam or focus and lower voltage. Be very careful not to hit the stone. Diamonds are okay because they are hard enough to take a couple of hits before they crack.

Rules for Setting Princess Stones in Round Settings:It is okay to do it for center stone. Use ball bur to cut a hole to protect corners of the stone, then a 90 bur in the hole to slit the sides and extend the bottom of the hole. Use bow openers to spread prongs. Use pliers and grab the tip of the prong to bend over the top of the stone. REMEMBERER TO NEVER SQUEEZE THE PRONGS ON THE POINT OF THE STONE. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND PUTTING A ROUND STONE IN A PRINCESS SETTING.

Shared prongs are better to work from the center outward, although it is ok to work from one end to the other.

Preform Sizing Stock:If it does not fit quiet tight enough, use separating disc to cut indention a little deeper. Solder one side at a time so the heat expansion does not cause the sizing stock to pop out before soldered completely. Firescoff is preferred with induction welding.

Different types of polishes:

Cutting CompoundsThese include the brown Tripoli and bobbing compound

Intermediate CompoundsThese include Gray Tripoli, Graystar, white diamond, and crocus. Platinum Tripoli and yellow bobbingcompound.

Polishing CompoundsSome polishing compounds are red rouge, yellow rouge, white rouge, black rouge, green rouge.

Super Finish CompoundsSome would disagree that there is a super finish category, but there are those who believe that there is something above red rouge, so for this discussion we will include it. What is interesting is the range of materials people put into this group. They include blue rouge, Blue magic, Fabuluster, and yes even Zam.

Stage One

This pertains to all heavy scratch and scuff mark removal. This is all of your treated muslin buffs. They are chemically treated and stitched to provide long wear. They are available usually in yellow (17-5566), orange (17-5617), purple (17-7254), etc. Mark them on both sides with the number "one". The compounds typical of Stage One polishing are grey star (47-3297), Tripoli (47-3255), and bobbing compound (47-3291). Keep them in the same container.

Stage Two

This would consist of buffs and compounds of precious metal. They take the metal from a dull luster to a high luster. The buffs consist if white muslin and are stitched (17-7510). There are many compounds; green rouge (47-3274) is the most common. Keep these compounds and their associated buffs in the same container. Mark all buffs with a number two, boldly on both sides.

Stage Three

Final buffing is the term. Bringing a piece of precious metal to full brilliance is accomplished by using loose buffs (Buffs that are not stitched, usually made of muslin, ex. 17-7726). The compounds used in the [mal stage, are many. Often, jewelers used red rouge (47-3236), but there are many final polishes available that will impart brilliance to the metal.

Try our picca pink (47-3245) on your white metals and witness what brilliance is all about. Mark the buffs with the number three, and store them with the final buff compounds. Introduce this simple system to your company and watch the great results. Polishing is often viewed as "so easy, anyone can do it." Then they ask you, the jeweler, to reset this stone that ''just popped out."

If you allow sales people into your polishing area, this (and a few polishing lessons from you) will give them confidence that they are using the right materials for the job.

Different compoundsCutting Compounds

Bobbing CompoundBobbing Compound cuts faster than Tripoli and clings well to the buff or lap. It is recommended for silver, brass and copper. Bobbing Compound is used with a brush or muslin wheel to remove scratches and fire scale. The yellow stick is greasier and will cut faster than regular bobbing compound. Leaves the item scratch free but dull.

Tripoli CompoundTripoli in compound form is red/brown in color and is used to remove light scratches, imperfections, and oxidation on non-ferrous materials such as wood, aluminum, brass, copper and die cast metal. Medium cutting action. It is used as an abrasive for preparing jewelry work for polishing. The powdered stone is usually mixed with a binder and molded into cakes for easy application to buffing wheels. The most popular general compound for cutting down and buffing base metals. Gives a smooth, satin finish to copper, aluminum, pewter, gold and even hard plastic surfaces. Use Tripoli first to remove scratches and pits then follow with rouge for high luster. This compound is water based for easy cleaning in ultrasonic. Use with yellow buffs. Used for fast cutting action and some degree of color on all metals.

White diamond compoundA buffing compound made of tin oxide and a binding wax that polishes fast and provides a moderately high shine. It isn't made of real diamond dust. It is often categorized as a type of Tripoli. This is also different than white rouge. White Diamond Compound is used on brass, copper, aluminum, bronze, nickel, silver, gold and softer metals. May also be used on plastics. This compound will cut and gloss in one operation. This compound is water based. Finer than Tripoli, coarser than rouge. There are two classifications of white diamond, XXX White Diamond which is a superior dry compound for cut on gold, silver, brass, copper and plastics and XXXX White Diamond which has finer abrasives for better color, less cut and scratch. This polish is an excellent choice for use on ivory and bone where you don't want your material picking up the "green tint" common with most aluminum oxides. Use with yellow buffs.

Crocus CompoundRed in color because of the iron oxide, is used with iron and steel, and is fast cutting

Gray Star CompoundMade of very fine uniform aluminum oxide abrasive, produces a good cut with no wild scratches and works to good color on all metals. May be used for cut and color as one step, rather than two operations. There is also Gray Star 270 / A that is similar to regular Grey Star, but drier, with less cut and high color.

Buffing Compounds

Red RougeA product traditionally made of iron oxide, pulverized and graded, used in jewelry work. Darker-colored, coarser grains are called crocus and are used for grinding. The finer grains are called rouge (French for "red") and are used for polishing steel and precious metals. It is the finest of all rouges. Rouge is often mixed with a binder and caked into a bar form for easy application to a buffing wheel.

Green rougePrimarily used in final finish buffing operations on stainless steel, steel, brass, aluminum, nickel, and chrome.The green rouge is a chrome oxide, and is considered the best all-around luster compound for these materials.Green Rouge compound imparts a high luster to rhodium, platinum, chrome, stainless steel and other hard metals. 100% green rouge for superior final finish on steel, stainless and chrome.

White rougeThe white rouge is the softer, calcite alumna type. Primarily used in the final finish of steel, stainless steel, and zinc. This compound is also a favorite in coloring aluminum and brass. Use on platinum, chrome, and stainless steel. Produces a chrome color

Yellow RougeAluminum oxide, yellow Rouge compound has a slight abrasive action combined with final finishing quality

Orange Rouge (Carrot)There is an expensive orange platinum rouge, (apparently an alumina polish) made in Germany and sold by Gesswein,

Black RougeBlack Rouge produces deep finish on silver and pewter. Excellent for oxidized effect in recessed areas. One company list alpha-alumina as the polishing material.

ZamA proprietary mixture of aluminum oxide and chrome oxide with an unidentified binder. Produces high luster for final finish. Can be used on precious metals and steels, stainless and plastics. Clean working, leaves little residue; also works well with non-ferrous metals. Also polishes stones, epoxies and other soft metal materials. Zam has a burnishing action and it may remove detail if used heavily.

Blue RougeA product manufactured and sold by Dialux in France. It is advertised as a general purpose very high luster polish . Gesswein also sells a blue rouge that uses alumina as its polishing agent.

FabulusterFabuluster is a proprietary compound utilizing alumina as its polishing agent

Polishing WheelsWheels and Brushes

Just as there are numerous polish and buffing compounds, there are also numerous buffing wheels to go with them. There are cotton wheels, chamois wheels, bristle brush wheels and more. Cotton buffing wheels are the most common, felt wheels are also popular as are the brushes. Chamois wheels are great for final buffing, but they are also fairly expensive. Most buffs come in size from 2 to 6 in. diameter, and also in a variety of special shapes such as those used to polish the inside of rings, cups and bowls, crevices, etc. Cotton muslin and cotton flannel are the most used buff. The cotton muslin buff also comes in a treated version that some people like when they apply Tripoli, bobbing compound or Grey Star type products. The treatment, usually yellow, aids in keeping the compound on the wheel. The cotton flannel buff is made from a canton flannel or a domet flannel. Canton flannel is a plain-weave or twill-weave cotton fabric with a long, fleecy nap usually on one side only. Domet flannel, which is the softer flannel, is a cotton warp and wool weft, flannel. Buffing wheels are also stitched in different patterns. Concentric circle and radial stitching are the most common patterns. A buff stitched with just one row of stitching near the center is called a loosely stitched buff. The more rows and the closer the rows, the stiffer the buff will be. Loosely stitched buffs are generally used for final buffing with rouge, and will flare out to give a wide-angle ultra-smooth polishing surface. The stitched stiffer buffs are generally used with a cutting compound like Tripoli. There are also many special purpose cotton buffs like the cotton yarn buff used in shoe polishing machines. The faces of these wheels are pre-raked to accept compound immediately

The Carbon Treatment Kit (45-4160)Inevitably, we will receive tech calls about this product. Here is what a competitor has in their ad copy:

Carbon Treatment Set for Rhodium Plating BathsSooner or later, it happens to every plater: Rhodium comes out gray instead of white. There are several possible causes, but the most common is organic contamination. Wax or other stop-offs, electro cleaner or soap residue, dust and dirt can introduce soluble organic contaminants into your rhodium plating bath. Because these contaminants are dissolved, you can't remove them by sieving or straining.

Our money-saving Carbon Treatment Set uses activated charcoal to absorb contaminants so you can filter them out and restore your bath to like-new condition rather than discard it. Easy to use and works great. Includes jar of charcoal (enough for approx. 48 one-liter bath treatments), funnel, treatment tank with cover, glass stirring rod, filtration tank, filter paper and instructions. Ideal for once-a-month preventive maintenance and those inevitable emergency situations. Excellent for gold plating baths, too. Note: Won't remove metal contamination, such as that from soft solder.

12 Step Program for Successful Rhodium Plating

With modern alloys, how do jewelers achieve a really white color? In two words "Rhodium Plating". A quality rhodium plated finish should be standard procedure on all white gold mountings and this leads to another frequently asked question, "How do I get a good rhodium plated finish?"

To answer that question let's begin with a few basic principles, then to keep it simple take a bullet point approach to this process.

The three most important things to know about Rhodium Plating are:1. Clean 2. Clean 3. Clean!

If it isn't clean, it won't plate! Simple!

Other Critical Issues1. Temperature Control: Minor changes = inconsistent and poor results2. Current Control: Never more than 4.5 volts for Rhodium, 3.5 volts is better3. Proper Rinsing: Clean running water for 1 minute.

Safety:Safety glasses are a must.1. Skin contact with rhodium plating solution can result in skin irritations or acid burns2. When skin contact occurs, neutralize with a paste of baking soda. Rinse with plenty of running water.3. Protect skin and clothing with rubber gloves and neoprene apron.4. As Rhodium plating may produce some acidic fumes, it is recommended to work under good ventilation and to wear a NIOSH approves mask when plating.

Twelve Steps to Successful Rhodium Plating1. Polish to a brilliant high finish.2. Clean thoroughly in an ultrasonic cleaner.3. Rinse in distilled water.4. Steam clean.5. Electro clean: 150 F, 6 volts for 30 seconds in a stainless beaker. Positive lead attached to beaker, negative attached to ring. OR: 150 F, 6 volts for 30 seconds in a glass beaker with a stainless steel anode. Positive lead attached to anode, negative attached to ring.6. Rinse in clean running water.7. Activator: room temp, no voltage, 30 seconds8. Rinse in clean running water.9. Dip in fresh distilled water10. Rhodium plate: Room temperature, 4.5 volts, 20-30 seconds. Negative lead attached to mounting, positive to platinized titanium anode.11. Wash under clean running water.12. Steam dry, then (optional) heat dry using blow dryer. Allow articles to cool before handling.

Helpful Tips:Use a gold hook to suspend object from alligator clip, never steel.Suspend object in solution with current ON.Be sure voltage setting is constant when actually plating article.

Plating Bath Maintenance:Avoid contamination; keep covered when not in use.Replace evaporated water by adding steam distilled water to original level.

Trouble Shooting:

Rhodium plates black:Mounting is not clean, clean, clean.Current too high. Try lower amperage (1.5 - 2 amps) and longer times (1 – 2 min) for best results.Rhodium solution is contaminated. Give a carbon treatment to plating bath.

Dark spots on rhodium:Clean, clean, cleanAir bubbles are sticking to mounting; gently agitate to dislodge air bubbles.

Rhodium looks frosty:Amperage is too high, reduce to 1.5 amps

Rhodium Plating KitQuantity Item # Description

1 29-0010 Safety Glasses1 45-4030 10 Amp Plating Rectifier 1 45-6402 600 ml Stainless Beaker (electro-cleaning) OR: 1 45-0326 Stainless Steel Anode with 1 45-6401 Beaker Covers 1 45-6400 600 ml Pyrex Beakers 3 45-6401 Beaker Covers (activator, rhodium, rinsing) 3 45-6400 600 ml Pyrex Beakers (activator, rhodium, rinsing) 1 45-0320 Platinized Titanium Anode 1 45-2020 Electro Cleaner 1 45-2040 Activator 1 45-4142 Rhodium Plating Solution 1 45-6420 Thermometer 1 45-7120 Hot Plate 1 47-3068 Apron

For gold plating add: 1 45-6400 Pyrex Beaker 1 45-0334 24k Gold Anode 1 45-2120 14k yellow gold plating solution

For plating of two-tone, yellow & white gold jewelry: 1 45-7990 Masking Lacquer 1 45-7995 Lacquer Stripper

For rhodium plating over sterling silver: 1 45-6400 Pyrex Beaker 1 45-0330 Nickel Anode 1 45-2100 Nickel Mirror Plating Solution

Electric hot platePalladium SolutionPlatinized Titanium Anode

If you do not have adequate ventilation, please consider adding the following safety equipment. Rhodium fumes are very acidic and should not be inhaled.

1 47-4099 Solder Pure wI Rhodium Filter or 1 47-4085 Ductless Fume Hood

Treatment & Disposal of Spent Rhodium Plating Solution:

Rhodium plating solutions contain dilute Sulfuric and/or Phosphoric Acids. When the Rhodium Plating Solutions are exhausted, the solution can be treated by a simple process that neutralizes the acid and removes any remaining metals.

Equipment needed:• 2 plastic containers of adequate size to hold the solution.• 1 plastic Colander large enough to hold a coffee filter and fit the top of the plastic container.• 1 package of coffee filters. Larger filters are available from restaurant supply companies.• 1 long handled wooden or plastic spoon.• 1 pair of rubber gloves. (household type)• 1 pair of plastic safety glasses.• 1 large box of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)• Most of the Items can be purchased at K Mart or Walmart.

Process:Put on the rubber gloves and safety glasses. Carefully pour the spent Rhodium plating solution into one of the plastic containers until it is half full. You will need some space in the top of the container for the bubbling action in this process. Put the long handled spoon into the solution. Open the box of Baking Soda and very slowly add a small amount at a time to the spent Rhodium solution. The addition of baking soda will cause a bubbling action and slow additions need to be used. Stir the solution with the long handled spoon regularly during this process. The gas given off by the bubbling is carbon dioxide, a harmless gas. After a while the baking soda additions will no longer cause bubbling, this means the solution has a neutral pH. Add some more baking soda (approx. ½ to 1 cup depending on the amount of solution) to make the solution alkaline and stir the solution very well. Allow the solution to settle for an hour or so. Place the plastic colander in the top of the second bucket lined with 3 layers of coffee filters. It is helpful to wet the filters with water first. Carefully pour the contents of the first container through the filter lined colander into the second container. Any residue left in the first container should be rinsed out with water and run through the filter. The solution coming through the filter should be clear. When completed, the liquid in the second container can be washed down the drain and the solids in the filter can be put in with the sweeps. The filter can be allowed to air dry before putting in with the sweeps material. This process neutralizes the acids and recovers any metals in solution as carbonate sludge in the filter. The materials used in this process can be stored in a box in the plating area for future use.

Pen Plating 101

Pen plating is an easy way to restore the rhodium plating of a specific area of an item. It is not a replacement to bath plating, but if you need to touch-up an area like prongs after setting a stone, or re-plating accents on a two tone ring that have worn, a pen plater would be the tool of choice. Here are the steps to successful pen plating.

1) Make certain that the item has been thoroughly cleaned. This means using the ultrasonic, followed by the steamer. Electro cleaning is an option, but not as vital as if you were bath plating.

2) Masking - You may want to mask off areas that you want to avoid plating. Commercial lacquers are available such as Stuller item # 45-7990, or in a pinch, you could use a finger nail polish.

3) Now you are ready to pen plate. Open the jaw of your alligator clip on the negative lead (black wire). Wrap this jaw three times with a pc of 16ga. Gold wire (does not matter what Karat), leaving about 3 inches extending from the end of the clip. This extension of wire will be used to loop through and hold the item to be plated. This is done to prevent the alligator clip from scratching the item.

4) Next, you will set the voltage on your pen plater. Depending on the mass of the item you are plating, the voltage setting will range from 7 to 12 volts. Items with less mass require a lower voltage, while heavier item will require a higher voltage. If you are not sure, just start out a lower voltage. Dip the felt tip of your pen into the pen plating solution. Allow it to saturate.

5) Now that we have the item held firmly with the wire loop, our voltage set in between 7 and 12 volts, and our pen tip saturated with Rhodium pen plating solution, we can proceed with the task. Use the pen tip as a child would use a Crayon. "Color" the section with a back and forth motion, just touch the surface, no need to push hard. It is very important that you see the plating solution making small bubbles on the surface where you are plating. This lets you know that it is working. If it is not bubbling, increase the voltage until it does.

6) Your piece is now spot plated. Re-cap the pen to protect the tip from contamination. Use acetone to remove the masking agent, rinse, and steam the piece thoroughly. Congratulations, you are now ready to provide another service for your customers and for yourself, a service with great return on investment.

7) Disposable pens are intended for occasional use. Their life depends on how often and how much they are used. Average life is 2 ~ 4 weeks; the tips are replaceable.

Troy C. Racca

Rhodium Plating Kit Quantity Item # Description 1 29-0010 Safety Glasses 1 45-4030 10 Amp Plating Rectifier 1 45-6402 600 ml Stainless Beaker (electro-cleaning) OR: 1 45-0326 Stainless Steel Anode with) (1 45-6401 Beaker Covers and) (1 45-6400 600 ml Pyrex Beakers) 3 45-6401 Beaker Covers (activator, rhodium, rinsing) 3 45-6400 600 ml Pyrex Beakers (activator, rhodium, rinsing) 1 45-0320 Platinized Titanium Anode 1 45-2020 Electro Cleaner 1 45-2040 Activator 1 45-4142 Rhodium Plating Solution 1 45-6420 Thermometer 1 45-7120 Hot Plate 1 47-3068 Apron For gold plating add: 1 45-6400 Pyrex Beaker 1 45-0334 24k Gold Anode 1 45-2120 14k yellow gold plating solution For plating of two-tone, yellow & white gold jewelry: 1 45-7990 Masking Lacquer 1 45-7995 Lacquer Stripper For rhodium plating over sterling silver: 1 45-6400 Pyrex Beaker 1 45-0330 Nickel Anode 1 45-2100 Nickel Mirror Plating Solution Electric hot plate Palladium Solution Platinized Titanium Anode If you do not have adequate ventilation please consider adding the following safety equipment. Rhodium fumes are very acidic and should not be inhaled. 1 47-4099 Solder Pure wI Rhodium Filter or 1 47-4085 Ductless Fume Hood