The Guide to Gemstone Settings: Styles and Techniques

Description

A complete and practical guide to using precious and semi-precious stones in any metal - from traditional settings to contemporary looks. This is a detailed, technical guide to stone-setting for jewellers of all levels, from jewellery students to professional jewellers. It explores traditional, modern and experimental approaches to stone-setting, from the purely functional to design-led solutions for securing stones. This book takes you through the entire process of setting stones from choosing a suitable stone, designing and making the setting, to seating and setting the stone. The extensive setting techniques are combined with step-by-step demonstrations, precise diagrams and images of contemporary work from international jewellers. A comprehensive reference section, featuring an illustrated glossary, makes this book an essential stone-setting resource. Discover the most up-to-date reflection of current practice and technology through demonstrations produced using 3D modelling software and learn about skills and techniques which are presented with expert accuracy.

Anastasia Young is a practising designer, jeweller and artist whose work has been exhibited internationally. She is a graduate of the Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, and is also the author of The Jewellery Materials Sourcebook.

Clear and well written with explanations supported by lots of illustrations and examples ... I couldn't find a technique that was missing and the range is impressive ... One of the joys of looking through a book like this is that it includes a really good variety of images to illustrate a point about design, choice of metals and stones, fabrication technique, or step-by-step instructions. The quality of the photography is excellent with rich colours and beautifully lit gems glowing on almost every page. The print quality has insured that none of the allure of sumptuous stones is lost. * Findings: The Magazine of the Association for Contemporary Jewellery *