Wow. It's been a little while since I've updated this! Heres some pics:
Almost finished with the rough grind on the edges.
Some progress on the guard, looking ALOT better!
@mah nigga The gem will be made of yellow glass inside a brass fitting. I have 2 chunks of glass that I will grind to shape. The brass fitting will keep it looking nice and yellow instead of it blending with the purple of the guard.
After the rough grind is finished, I'll be routing out a thin layer of the center potion of the steel, between a 16th and 32th of an inch dip.