B1 Bezel Set a Single Cab after Firing

I made several prototypes of this piece before the final one I was satisfied with. I really wanted to use a bullet cabochon - I bought some when I was at the Metal Clay World Conference and really love the shape of them. This one has black inclusions and is a really interesting cab. And because I also love hollow forms, I decided to make a constructed form for this.

I drew the template for the sides on graph paper and then rolled these out and stuck them together to make the overall form. Then I added the top piece, embedded the bezel and added the posts for the chain. The whole thing was textured with the thick paste and cocktail stick texture.

The clasp for this was a triangle shape with a sterling hook embedded in a metal clay grip. I'm a big fan of triangles but you'll see the evaluators don't like them for clasps!

Design - 2 out of 2
Setting - 3 out of 3.5
Integration - 1.5 out of 2.5
Finish - 1 out of 2

7.5 is just a pass again. I was so disappointed with this score as I really like this piece. This is one of those projects where I struggle to match the scores with the marks. For instance...

"Strong and dramatic pieces in which the shapes, texture, chain and finish work well together." So why 1 out of 2 for finish and 1.5 out of 2.5 for integration? Doesn't add up to me.

"The quartz is powerful and nicely showcased. The apparently vertical sides make it almost impossible to secure in the bezel. I assume it is epoxied but still I would have used a taller bezel." I can see here why I dropped half a point for setting - they didn't like my bezel.

"The clasp is headed in the right direction but I think the triangle is a poor choice. It is an intellectual rather than a visual relationship with the pendant. A drilled hole with jump ring never works on a point, and I fear it might be uncomfortable on a wearer's neck." I wear all my pieces before I send them off and I didn't find it uncomfortable! They go on...

"The hook element is too big and too loose but I like the way you have provided the grip and matched it to the pendant. I'm worried about this clasp to be secure!"

My clasp has let me down again! But I'm really struggling to understand the other scores.

Here is the project description from the Masters Registry website:-

A pendant that includes a stone that must be set after firing. This pendant must use a gemstone that can only be set after firing such as (but not limited to) turquoise, malachite, amber, etc. The pendant should be ready to wear, attached to a chain or cord that can be handmade or commercial. Whatever the case, the chain/cord and clasp should be thoughtfully related to the pendant.