Gypsy Flush Setting
What is it about the gypsy setting that makes student want to learn it so bad? I can’t tell you the amount of requests I get for wanting to learn to set a stone flush or gypsy. Is it the way it seems to float with barely any metal holding on to it? Is it the elegant and sleek look of the setting? or is it the stylish and beautiful statement that the finished piece of jewelry makes? Whatever your reason is to learn you can get started by making a practice piece with 3mm cz’s and a sheet of 12g copper .
To begin you must make a couple tools needed to set stones.
Make a broken bur into your setting tool. You can nip the head off with a pair of pliers and sharpen to a dull point on a belt sander or grinder. The small the stone the sharper the tool or burnishers will need to be. We are starting with 3mm stones this means the tool will be duller than a tool used to set a 1mm stone. This tool need to have a polished finish and can be held in a pin vise with a wood handle for the setting process.
Make a copper and brass tool to level the stone in the seat. This can be make from 8g wire. File or grid tip about 1/4” long. Blunt the point at the top of the tool. These wires can be mounted in wooden handles. The brass is used with harder stones and the copper for softer stones. Technically this setting is best with stones like rubies or sapphires cause of their hardness but you can set softer stones. This will be more difficult and you must consider that the stones can crack.
Gypsy Flush Setting
1. Measure stone diameter at the girdle.
2. Drill a hole ¾ the size of the stone diameter.
a. Create a divot with a center punch.
b. Lubricate bit with pro cut and drill.
TIP: For this large stone you need to make a pilot hole so the bit does’t skip around on you.
3. Cut seat to fit the stone.
a. Use a ball bur with the same diameter of the stone or slightly small eg. 2.90mm for a 3mm. A ball bur will stay centered and easily cuts the material. (using a stone setting bur or drill bit can cause clogging from removing too much material)
b. Use a stone setting bur same diameter as stone just to clean up. And bur down .5mm below the surface of the metal.
TIP : Use a paint brush to clear away to metal shavings.
4. Level the stone in the setting. This can be done with a copper or brass tool. You can make this tool by filing a taper and making the tip blunt, use a heavy 8 gauge piece of round wire to make tools and you can put a handle on the tool. Use the copper for softer stones and the brass for harder stones.
5. Set stone using a slightly blunt burnisher. Begin by pushing down at 1mm away from the stone. Push and rub with the burnisher sideways into the metal. This causes the metal to be pushed in ward against the stone. This is repeated on the N-S- E_W sides of the stone and then all the way around.
6. Finish it off with a pointed burnisher.