How to inlay natural gemstones
Friday, April 25th, 2008
What I am about to explain is very valuable and can potentially make you a very good inlayer. I have spent many years figuring out how to inlay all types of precious stones into jewelry, mostly through trial and error. I am self taught with no formal instruction or teachings.
When I first started inlaying, I used an old wet lapidary machine arbor with worn trizact belts. I was getting sub-standard results. The drums were very old and the machine would rattle around which gave me an inconsistent straight edge for grinding and polishing. Once a piece is inlayed, there is much to consider, such as multi-stone polishing and polishing stones next to metal whether it’s silver, gold, etc. In my opinion, cabbing is far easier than inlaying. It is easier because you are only grinding and polishing one stone.
I also started inlaying hand carved channels which were not symmetrical making the inlay process more difficult. A good straight channel will make a noticeable difference, just as a perfect round channel is easier to inlay rather than an imperfect round channel. For round inlay pieces, I glue a toothpick to the stone such as a dop stick, then inlay with ease. For all other pieces, I use small tweezers which feel comfortable to the grip.
Once I bought my first diamond 220 grit steel back wheel, I was inlaying cleaner and faster! You will find that diamond tools are superior to any other lapidary tools on the market. After years of working with this wheel, it still has a clean edge and cuts remarkably fast. You get what you pay for. A 220 grit soft back wheel comes in handy for fragile stones such as lapis and spiney oyster. When inlaying these stones, I use the soft back wheel first, and then gently touch them on the steel back wheel creating a flush and uniform straight edge. These wheels work well on most lapidary arbors.
-Brent DeSantis