Tab Setting for Faceted Stones

This simple folded copper disk is to be adorned with two round faceted stones, one blue and one gold representing the double star in Cygnus called Albireo. To stay true to the primitive form I added the stones with a cut tab setting. First punch a center hole and cut six or eight radiating lines out from the center.

The right side shows how the tabs or prongs are bent up and down alternating. The downward bent ones hold the bottom of the stone while the top are the prongs.

You can see the points are bent up to match the bottom of the stone.

Here it stone is set in place and the tabs are cut across the tips to shorten them so they don't extend over the table of the stone.

Repeating the process for the second stone readies the piece .

The tabs tips are squared off and pushed over the edge of the stone.

From behind you can see I have pushed those tabs up while pushing down from above to lock in the stones.

I added a long leather cord for a necklace. It runs through a tube soldered to the back .

Finally here is Albireo The necklace representing Beta Cygni a double star.