A good jewellery design course will teach aspirants about various techniques related to gemstones. One of the most interesting facets of workmanship, which goes hand in hand with jewellery designing, is Gemstone Doping. There are applicable doping techniques that span two key branches of lapidary arts. With regard to gemstone faceting, there will be a dropped stick positioned within a machine, enabling precisely controlling rotation, angles and cut depth alike. Doping for the purpose of cabochon cutting is a simpler affair and does not require as much precision. For instance, suppose the adhesive bond breaks off while a cab is being cut. In this case, it may be super-glued back into the dop stick and function again within a matter of minutes.
Yet, if a stone comes right off the adhesive upon the dop at the time of faceting, it will be a different affair altogether. You will either have to ensure reapplication of the stone towards the drop with the same orientation as earlier (almost impossible to achieve), or you will have to re-cut your stone to a whole new level of orientation. Gem cutters will have to master these doping-related techniques quickly for efficiently faceting gemstones.
The commonest doping technique will require dowels in diverse sizes and wax as the predominant doping compound. Dopping wax is quite similar to regular sealing wax although it is mixed sometimes with various other ingredients. A dop station or alcohol lamp is needed along with dop sticks. Here are some aspects that you should keep in mind about the process.
Some prefer using epoxy with another method. This includes supplies like a dop stick, two-part epoxy and so on. This is a simple method where you will fuse the two-part epoxy as per the bottle guidelines. You will have to generously apply the epoxy to the dop stick and centre the same on the gemstone. This system makes it easier to move your dop stick around while keeping it centred since you will have a few minutes prior to setting up. The curing procedure is expected to get over within just five minutes. Yet, you may have to pause for half an hour before faceting the gemstone. Centering the drop is vital for gemstones that are comparatively smaller and more expensive.
If you wish to get the gemstone gently removed from your dop stick, you will have to keep it within the freezer. Wait for about 5-10 minutes before you take it out again. After this, tug nicely on the gemstone in your hand, ideally with a towel or carpet under it, to prevent any slips. The stone is expected to pop off after staying in the freezer for some time. If you have any wax leftover on the gemstone, pick it off if you can or put your gemstone right into some acetone. This will dissolve the wax in a few minutes without any hassles.
With competitive jewellery designing courses fees, experienced and established faculty, intensive classroom, practical exposure, an industry-friendly curriculum and award-winning infrastructure, JD Institute of Fashion Technology is the best educational option for aspiring jewellery designers. The institution was founded in 1988 and had more than 38 learning centres spread throughout the country. It offers several reputed courses, including jewellery design, fashion design, interior design, visual merchandising and more. This is the best platform for aspiring designers to learn more about the nuances of jewellery making, get attuned to industry requirements and build their creative and aesthetic skills alongside.