Stone Settings

This post of ‘Jewel Affair’ will talk about an extremely interesting subject which is stone setting. Stone setting can be described as an art of securely setting gemstones into an ornament. It can be said that it is comparatively easy for a designer to sketch a design, but the real challenge is to bring life to that design. This can be accomplished when one decides what settings will be applied to that design to transform it into an exquisite piece of jewelry.

There are many variations of stone settings but in this post we will be going through the most important and commonly used ones.

 

STONE SETTING RING

Bezel setting:

Bezel is the earliest known technique of stone setting. It can be described as a strip of metal which is bent and fashioned according to the shape and size of the stone. And the girdle or the edge of the stone is seated on this metal strip. The metal extends slightly above the stone and the extended part is pressed over the stone to secure it. This type of setting is most commonly seen in ornaments made for astrological purposes.

A square or a rectangular bezel is often termed as Box setting.

 

BEZEL SETTING
Picture Courtesy: Sri Krishna Diamonds & Jewellery

Prong setting:

In this method a metal socket or a collet is prepared and from this socket the metal is projected. This projection overlaps the edge of the stone and secures it to the setting. Prong setting is the most commonly used setting because it uses the least amount of metal to secure the stone and this reason in return brings out the brilliance of the gemstone a lot more. There are different kinds of prongs made like square, emerald, Navette, and Tiffany. This setting is popularly known as open setting.

 

PRONG SETTING
Picture Courtesy: Sri Krishna Diamonds & Jewellery

Channel setting:

In channel setting the stones are set usually between two metal ridges running parallel to each other. The sides of the mounting grip or hold the outer edges of the stones. And also in between two stones there is no metal present.

 

CHANNEL SETTING
Picture Courtesy: Sri Krishna Diamonds & Jewellery

Bead setting:

In this method of stone setting holes are drilled on a metal base and depressions are formed with the help of a tool according to the size of the stones. And then prongs are made with the help of a beading tool and the stones are pushed in. then the prongs are pressed over the stones for securing them.

 

BEAD SETTING
Picture Courtesy: Sri Krishna Diamonds & Jewellery

Pave` setting:

Pave` is a word of French origin, derived from ‘paver’.  This is a type of bead setting in which as many stones as possible are set very close to each other to show the minimum amount of metal.

 

PAVE` SETTING
Picture Courtesy: Sri Krishna Diamonds & Jewellery

Gypsy /Flush setting:

This is a modification of bezel setting. In this the stones are set with their girdle completely covered. A metal seat is cut out in the shank and the edges are burnished over the stone. The stone looks roughly flushed with the surface. This setting is gaining importance in contemporary jewelry.

Illusion setting:

Illusion setting is a kind of prong setting which is used to create an illusion that a stone or a cluster of stones is larger than what it actually is. A metal surrounding metal ring is created to diffuse the sharp outline of the stone. When a cluster of stones are set in this manner it gives an illusion of a solitaire.

 

ILLUSION SETTING

Invisible setting:

This setting was introduced by one of the most prestigious jewelry houses of France- Van Cleef &Arples in 1935. In this setting stones with parallel edges can be set on a surface without the metal being visible. It appears as if nothing is holding the stones in place. But, the stones are secured with metal grids on their undersides in which each stone is fitted and held with small grooves.

 

INVISIBLE SETTING
Picture Courtesy: Sri Krishna Diamonds & Jewellery

Pressure setting:

In pressure setting seven or more diamonds are used. The center stones is surrounded and held by the other stones. In this setting the circumference of the stones is very important because the slightest difference may cause them to fall off. This setting is also somewhat like illusion setting. It generally creates the illusion of a solitaire and this is what makes this setting so popular.

 

PRESSURE SETTING

Tension setting:

In this setting a stone can be set with the pressure/tension of metal surfaces. The stone seems to be suspending only with the pressure of the metal enforced on it.  But actually, grooves are created on the metal surfaces for the stone to rest. But for this particular setting the security of the stone is highly debatable.

TENSION SETTING
Picture Courtesy: Sri Krishna Diamonds & Jewellery

Closed setting:

Closed setting is used when one intends to have metal behind the stone so that the lower part of the stone is not visible. This is done in order to prevent any dust particles from getting collected around the stone. This setting is done with 22k gold and is extremely popular in southern parts of India.

 

CLOSED SETTING
Picture Courtesy: Sri Krishna Diamonds & Jewellery

There are various other settings like Fishtail setting, Micro-pave`, Bar and Scallops which are gaining importance gradually.

One would conclude by saying that these settings are the fundamental building blocks of Jewelry design. Being well versed with the technicalities of these settings help you in creating practical and beautiful designs.