Stonesetting for Jewellery Makers (New Edition)

The definitive guide to stonesetting by renowned designer and teacher, Melissa Hunt.

From ready-made snap settings to handmade mounts for unique pieces, Stonesetting for Jewellery Makers is an all-encompassing examination of the many and varied techniques, treatments and innovations used in jewellery design. Whether learning how to make settings from scratch or choosing and working with ready-made mountings, this book arms the reader with techniques that can be applied to a range of pieces. Throughout the book, beautifully illustrated step-by-step tutorials are accompanied by practical tips and advice, while inspirational galleries present stunning examples of the ways in which contemporary jewellers experiment with settings, materials and stones.

Book Contents

EQUIPMENT 10: The Bench and Studio 11, Measuring and Marking Tools 12, Punches, Blocks and Rolling Mill 14, Hand Tools 15, Cutting Tools 16, Hammers and Mallets 18, Files 19, Soldering Equipment 20, Stonesetting Tools 22, Electrical Equipment 24, Burrs 25, Wire Wrapping 26, Optical Aids 26, Micro Pave 26, Glue 26, Pearl Stringing 26, Precious Metal Clay 27
CHOOSING STONES 28: Stone Types 29, Lapidary 30, Characteristics of Stones 36, Popular Minerals and Organics 39, Selecting a Stone 61, Metals for Stonesetting 62
BASIC FABRICATION & FINISHING TECHNIQUES 66: Measuring and Cutting Metal 66, Filing 66, Annealing 67, Pickling 67, Texturing and Forming 68, Soldering 70, Finishing Techniques 71
PRONG & SNAP SETTING 72: Prong Setting with a Faceted or Cabochon Stone 74, Gallery 76
PRECIOUS METAL CLAY 78: Setting a Cabochon Stone into Precious Metal Clay 80, Claw Setting into Precious Metal Clay 82, Firing a Cubic Zirconia into Clay 84, Gallery 86
BEZEL, RUB-OVER OR CABOCHON SETTING 88: Bezel Setting 90, Gallery 94
TUBE & COLLET SETTING 96: Tube Setting 98, Collet Setting 100, Gallery 102
GYPSY, FLUSH OR BURNISH SETTING 104: Gypsy Setting 106, Gallery 108
TENSION SETTING 110: Tension Setting a Ring Shank 112, Gallery 114
CHANNEL SETTING 116: Channel Setting 118, Gallery 120
CLAW SETTING 122: Single Gallery Claw Setting 124, Gallery 128
PAVE SETTING 130: Traditional Pave 134, Micro Pave Setting 136, Star Setting 138, Gallery 140
WRAPPING BEADS & STRINGING PEARLS 142: Beading with Wire 146, Wire Wrapping a Cuff Ring 148, Wire Wrapping a Sized Ring 150, Wire Wrapping a Pendant 152, Pearl Stringing 154, Gallery 158
SETTING IRREGULARLY-SHAPED STONES & UNUSUAL MATERIALS 160: Nailhead Riveting 162, Tube Rivets 164, Tabs 166, End Caps 167, Making Screws 168, Making Hinges 170, Gallery 172
CARE & REPAIRS 176: Care of Stones 176, Health and Safety in the Jewellery Workshop 177
REFERENCES 178: Designing and Making a Commissioned Piece 179, Charts 180, Useful Books and Websites 184, Index 186, Contributors & Picture Credits 190, Acknowledgements 192