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November 1999
For Your Staff: Selling Quality
The Neck Bone's Connected to the ...
Knowing how to assemble heads and shanks demonstrates another
aspect of quality in your shop
Solitaire rings account for almost 50% of bridal jewelry sales
in the U.S., not to mention solitaires sales in other categories.
Stan Pollack, president of the 14-store Pollack and Son Jewelers,
Scarborough, ME, fits this national profile, attributing 50%
of his bridal jewelry sales and 20% of total sales to solitaires.
John Cryan of John S. Cryan Jewelers, Southampton, PA, says solitaires
have become such an important part of his business that he's
trained his sales staff to offer heads and shanks in a wide range
of styles to suit customer tastes.
Regardless of what you call this setting – solitaire,
Tiffany setting, or head and shank – the design is a classic
whether set with diamonds or colored gemstones. Because of its
popularity, we devote this issue of the JA® Professional's
Guide to Fine Jewelry Craftsmanship to the features of quality
related to solitaires.
Aspects of Quality in Design and Style
While the design and style of the components may vary significantly,
there are some common considerations in designing and selecting
the parts of the solitaire setting:
In selecting or designing the head (the terms setting or crown
may also be applied to this component) consider:
- The type and size of stone.
- Your customer's preferred metal color and karatage.
- ndividual taste for the overall height of the stone from
the finger.
- Your customer's design tastes.
For the shank, consider:
- The shank and head must be in proportion to each other and
match in style.
- Your customer's preferred metal color and karatage.
- Individual design preferences.
- Your customer's finger size (finger length and ring size).
- The use of side stones.
– by Mark B. Mann, Director of Professional Certification
Jewelers of America
Here are four head and shank assemblies and some of
their most notable features:
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Standard Head and Shank
This classic example, which uses die-struck findings, is clean,
simple and easily serviced. Heads are available for many stone
shapes, with shanks in various profiles to accommodate them.
Jewelers often mix white and yellow alloys, depending on the
gem and the customer's desires. |
Oval Wire-Type Basket Head
Many customers like the open appearance of this oval head and
die-struck shank. It allows more of the stone – and less
of the metal – to show. This style is often assembled for
use with colored gems. |
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Bypass Shank
With the "bypass" variation, the shank is extended
on each side of the head. This assembly is a bit broader and
is especially suited to long fingers. |
Lower-Profile Shank
This design incorporates the use of side stones and an overall
lower profile. The center stone is lower to the finger and the
shank wider, again an effective design for longer fingers. |
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Flat-Sided Shank
This head features heavy prongs and flat sides on which the shank
is soldered. The flat sides allow the shoulders of the shank
to be closer to (or under) the stone, and the heavy construction
offers additional security. |
Designing for Your Customer
Working with your customers to create the ideal solitaire for
their needs requires good communication skills and professional
judgment. Review your supplier's catalogs and take into consideration
the wide variety of findings available to you. For this article,
we used findings from the Stuller Finding Book and the Hoover
and Strong Catalog. |
The JA® Professional's Guide
to Fine Jewelry Craftsmanship Head and Shank Assembly
By Mark B. Mann
JA Director of Professional Certification
Jewelers of America
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Professionally Executed Head and Shank Assembly
A. The solder joints are complete, with no pits, visible
solder seams or discoloration.
B. The assembly of the head is symmetrical and even
with the design of the shank.
C. The finish and polish of the prongs are free of
any evidence of die-striking and other tool marks.
D. The base of the head conforms to the radius of the
shank, and there is sufficient contact.
E. The shank and head are proportionate.
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Potential Problems to Watch For: |
| Alignment: The head and shank are not
aligned in either the profile or the facing views. The top view
shows prongs that aren't positioned properly with the shank or
in alignment from viewing angles. |
Facing View
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Profile View
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Top View
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Head & Shank Assembly
The head and shank have not been assembled properly. Errors in
workmanship result in the base of the head being above or below
the surface of the radius of the shank. |
Tool Marks
Die-striking lines and other tool marks are not removed. All
surfaces of the prongs should be smooth and even. |
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Positioning
The shoulders of the shank rise above the position on the head
and extend into the prong area. |
For specific information related to "peg heads"
and shanks, see Professional Jeweler, October 1998, p. 141.
Copyright © 1999 by Bond Communications.
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