What is Stone Arrangement (Placement)?

Stone arrangement (placement) is one of the basic stages of jewelery where precious stones are added on the models. Stone alignment is usually applied to models before casting. Jewelry makers use a number of methods to place a gemstone into a piece of jewelry, often based on the cut and ratio of the gemstone. Some methods are described below.

What are Stone Arrangement Methods? 

Prong Setting

Prong setting, also known as paw setting, is the most common and popular method of setting stones in jewelry. It is the easiest and cheapest method of placing a gemstone. It also allows the optimum amount of light to pass through the gemstone, showing the gemstone in its maximum brilliance. This setting style is used in all types of jewelry and mostly solitaire engagement and bridal rings.

Frame Setting (Bezel Setting)

Frame setting is one of the oldest stone setting techniques and is still very popular due to some of its benefits. The bezel is a thin strip of metal soldered with a head that wraps around a jewel to hold it in place. Frame setting requires proper balance at all angles. Besides providing a very secure hold, it also protects the edges of the gemstone, the belt and the arbor from scratches and chips.

Channel Setting

Channel setting is a placement technique in which gemstones are placed side by side as their belts are held between two parallel rails on each metal wall. This setting gives the impression of floating stones in the jewelery item and produces the maximum amount of light as no metal is visible among the gemstones.

Pave Setting (Pave Setting)

Pave setting is a setting method in which the surface of a jewelery item appears to be covered with tiny diamonds. These tiny diamonds of the same size are placed in tiny holes drilled in the surface of a piece of jewellery. Usually the stones are placed close to each other in the form of a honeycomb. Like the fork setting, the pave setting has small triangular handmade claws that hold the stones low and very close, thus creating a carpet of shine over the entire surface of a jewelery item.

Is it possible to arrange stone sequences on models obtained from a 3D printer?

Stone alignment process can be applied to models obtained from 3D printer resins and designed in accordance with stone arrangement methods.

Which type of 3D printer resin should be preferred in stone alignment applications?

It is essential that the resins to be used for masonry applications show flexibility and have shape memory properties. The nails on the model should not be broken during the stone assembly application and the nails should grasp it tightly after the stone is seated.

In addition, the resin to be used should not show shrinkage behavior. If the model on which the stone will be arranged shrinks (shrinks), the determined stone sizes will deviate from the design and the stones will not fit into their slots. For this reason, 3D printer resins that do not show shrinkage behavior should be preferred in stone assembly applications.

How is the flexibility of resins measured?

The most widely used method to reveal the mechanical properties of materials is the tensile test. As a result of the tensile test, strength values such as Elastic modulus, Yield value, Tensile strength and ductility values such as elongation at break, shrinkage at break and toughness can be determined.

Ductility, by definition, is the ability of the material to undergo plastic deformation without a noticeable loss of mechanical strength.

The total elongation of the specimen during the tensile test is called the ductility value of the material. The more ductile the material, the greater the deformation. Therefore, higher elongation at break values are obtained in ductile materials.

What is the Boundary Break Elongation value in Stone Arrangement Resins?

Not every material with a high elongation at break value may be suitable for stone setting operations. The resin may be ductile, but the model to be obtained must also offer sufficient ductility and mechanical strength.

Maximum Elongation Stress of stone arranging resins should not exceed 3 N/ ^mm2 and percent elongation should not exceed 50%.

What are the elongation at break values of Power Resins casting resins? 

* Stress means load acting on unit area.

* Percent elongation is defined as the highest percentage plastic elongation rate that occurs in the length of the sample.

Can stones be placed on Power Resins casting resins?

All Power Resins Casting resins can be stoned to print.