Discovering the Professions : Meeting a Stones Setter
How does one become a stone setter?
About the talk
The setter makes the stones be held by the metal. His objective is to hold securely and show the stones to their best and to take away as much of the metal as possible without weakening the strength of the mounting.
Once the mounting is done, and after the fi rst polishing, the setter receives the various components of the jewel.
Depending upon the design, he uses di erent setting techniques: prong, grain, closed, baguette…
He begins by cementing (using a type of sealing wax) the mounting on a lapidary stick in order to easily execute the gestures. Next he settles the stone into the mounting, then with the help of the chisel, he cuts and works the metal to create a nest for the stone. He then removes metal which is not needed in order to give the most refl ection and refraction of light to the stone. The setter knows stones, he adapts his gestures as required by the hardness and properties of each stone.
How does one become a stones setter ? What are the particularities of this profession?
We offer you the chance to meet with a stones setter who has had an original and unusual career path, who will come to share his experience with you and to tell you about some of his reasons for choosing this profession, as well as what his daily life is like as a jeweler. The encounter will be followed by a tour of L’ÉCOLE and its workshop.
With Tristan Le cardinal, Stone Setter at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.
