Setting 1554 Diamonds on a Gold Cuban Link - MOST IMPRESSIVE!!

Today we will explain the process of breaking a Cuban

link

prong set with 39 carats of

diamonds

. We have 37 carats. The reason we have two sizes on this one is because the closure curves. It's supposed to be a little more comfortable on the neck; So as it curves, you'll have 1.8 to 1.85 millimeters on the top and we'll have 1.7 to 1.75 on the bottom, and the rest will just go on the Cuban

link

. What we have here on this piece of wood is shellac or stoner cement. When it is heated it softens and when it cools it hardens, allowing you to work on the piece, apply pressure and drill it without it moving.

So now that it's cooled down and the chain is nice and stiff, it's time to start drilling it and icing it. For this step, I use 4 tools: a twist drill bit, a round ball end mill, a bearing cutter, and a beading tool. Twist drill bits are used just so the bottom of the diamond doesn't touch any metal and dance, ball end mills only allow you to eat part of the metal so the diamond can get in there. Then I follow up with a bearing cut. This tool allows all the

diamonds

to be well aligned with each other and finally the beading tool.

This tool is used to make a bead just above the diamond to hold it in place. In this situation, the process is very repetitive because all the links of this Cuban are practically the same. I mean, for me there is a therapeutic feeling when all these steps come together and the piece starts to come to life. It starts by hand selecting each tool I use, preparing the cement, drilling the

gold

, and then placing each diamond one by one. So we're three-quarters of the way through the process. Once the

setting

is complete, the next step is to clean and finish the cement with an ultrasonic cleaning solution, and polishing just to give it the final touch.

I'm excited to be surrounded by Miami's best like-minded team. G&Co is the studio where I work and, in addition to having an incredible team, we use the best technology and machinery to produce the pieces we work on, so being behind the scenes and seeing all these things together, it just allows me to enjoy much more of my work. I'm Danny. Thanks to Adrian, Dan and the entire CRM team for including me in this project. It's been so much fun!