I'm having one of my designs cast, no problem with the silver version but I can also get it made in brass which I will get gold plated but...its got rub over settings that I will set faceted stones into. If I send for plating before I set the stones then I will damage the plating when I rub over the collet but I dont want to make a fool of myself taking a stone set item for plating if thats not how its done. One of the problems I guess of not having any formal training but I'm sure someone on this forum may be able to help

I'm not sure but during the last Ice Age I made some silver jewelry with ivory(the last Ice Age was when you could use ivory) the fellow doing the plating had me set it in the bezel first. The ivory didn't plate so the bezel wasn't damaged as it would have been if I had installed the ivory after plating. Maybe this is what will work for you, ask the person doing the plating unless that is you.

Thank you, I was hoping someone would have done this before just I have given the guys in the jewellery quarter too many good laughs when I ask 'daft' questions! I'm sure they dont mean to be intimidating but they manage to make me realise I dont know what I'm doing but my work is far more original than theirs!

Thanks again

Helen