Stone Setting E-Book

Scott McIntyre

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 133

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Stone setting can often appear mysterious and impossible: an ancient craft used to hold beautiful gems secure in the most elegant of designs. This practical book explains the techniques of the master stone setter in an accessible and encouraging style. Written by Scott McIntyre, it explains the complex world of setting with step-by-step instructions, supported by informative illustrations and excellent examples of finished pieces. It is a manual that shines with inspiration and practical advice. Topics covered include: setting techniques, from bezel, claw and flush, through to single row and multiple pave, then to skilled methods such as channel and microclaw. Advice is given on the options and attributes of each type of setting, as well as ideas for mixing styles and experimenting with setting methods. It is written informally throughout with an emphasis on patience and precision.

Leseprobe

STONESETTING

Vanilla Ink ‘Parabola’ ring. The angled, carved arcs of this ring are the perfect setting for the deep greens of the pear shape. The flourish of 9ct rose gold blends everything together to create a stunning bezel set piece. (Stacey Bentley)

STONESETTING

Scott McIntyre

First published in 2020 byThe Crowood Press LtdRamsbury, MarlboroughWiltshire SN8 2HR

[email protected]

This impression 2024

This e-book first published in 2020

© Scott McIntyre 2020

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 692 0

Cover imageDream green tourmaline ring by Scott McIntyre, photograph by Vanilla Ink.

Line illustrations by Jennifer Colquhoun.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

1 PREPARATION IS KEY

2 BEZEL AND CLAW SETTING

3 FLUSH AND TENSION SETTING

4 PAVÉ SETTING

5 CHANNEL AND MICROCLAW SETTING

6 SHAPED STONES

7 TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INDEX

PREFACE

The inside pages of this book are like a glimpse into a hidden world in the inside of my head. No, don’t let this put you off, we’re only looking at the professional contents, not anything weird or scary. I’ve been a goldsmith for some thirty years now. Along my jewellery journey, I have listened, watched, made mistakes, finely tuned, invented and executed a wide range of techniques and methods relating to stone setting.

At times, it may have felt like I was going nowhere, stuck in a rut, frustrated and confused about new techniques and the intense pressure that was forced upon me. However, I persisted, persevered and pushed on through like a true force of nature. I am, and always have been quite tenacious, something which has helped me to become the craftsman that I am today. Add to that an abundance of natural skill and a whack of autism, and you’ve pretty much got the perfect jeweller!

It’s high time that the wealth of knowledge I have gathered was put down into print and made good use of. It took me a little while into my career before I realized that I had been blessed with an incredibly high level of training.

Vanilla Ink – ‘The Guardian Raven’. Vanilla Ink’s first foray into casting with stones in place was an epic success. Created in collaboration with Circinn Studios, the sterling silver and blue sapphire pendant is a visually striking piece of jewellery that reveals further detail the closer you look at it. (Stacey Bentley)

My apprenticeship was tough, often being thrown in at the deep end and being asked to perform unfamiliar tasks both quickly and efficiently. Little by little, I learned and improved. I always believed that every jeweller learned this way and received similar content with their training. How far from the truth I was. My jewellery education was, and still is, bordering on unique. There are not a lot of goldsmiths out there who received that amount of training and with such intensity. I am forever grateful for my opportunity when I was just a young thing. I never appreciated it then, but I sure do now.

It took a long time for me to realize just how blessed I was. It was only when I started to believe in my own abilities (despite some harsh tactics by some employers – negative and highly critical training never works, something I strongly believe in) that it became clear I had some talents. It would have been easy to acquiesce into the world I was in, but I felt there was more I could offer.

With my moment of epiphany came the desire to teach and pass on my skills. I don’t believe in hoarding all these tips and tricks for myself, I would much rather someone else benefitted from my knowledge, and in turn, passed it on to someone else. I know of some places that treat their techniques as some form of classified top secret, never revealing them and sticking with the myth that their way is the best way. Some might say that these workshops are successful and that their methods are justified, but it just doesn’t sit right with me. We’re a niche profession, and highly skilled goldsmiths and setters are few and far between. It feels right that we should nurture the community and do our best to ensure that the future of jewellery is bright. It took me a while, but now that’s what I do in my day-to-day life. It’s good to be free!

In 2017, I took a leap of faith and founded Vanilla Ink Jewellery School. This felt like the final piece of the puzzle was in place, and now a bright light shone straight up in the sky! Between the force of nature that is our team, we can devote our careers to both professional and skills development, while focusing on giving as many jewellers and silversmiths as possible a place to be educated, inspired, and empowered. Every day I am grateful for that opportunity, and I’m not sure any of us realized just what a force we could be. We have a masterplan to do our best within the industry, and we aim to see it through.

Who is this book for?

Believe it or not, this book is for you! I’m assuming you’re a jeweller or silversmith, and now you want to stone set? Welcome to the club! We don’t get jackets, sadly (but we can sell you an apron). The jewellery world is a funny one. It is a rare thing indeed to come across a jeweller who is a jack of all trades. There are too many sub-categories to allow complete mastery of them all.

There are designers, mounters, setters and polishers. Throw in wax carving, casting, plating, enamelling, electroforming, engraving, the list goes on. I myself have been lucky to master a fair few of these techniques, one in particular being stone setting.

This manual is a visual representation of my career. It is not your average stone setting guide. It is not dull, mundane or thin on content. It is written with the intention to connect with you, to make you feel comfortable, to feel like I’m almost there with you, guiding through your journey. It is a stone setting manual that stands out from the rest, simply because it intends to integrate with you, your skill level and your attitude. Books like these are great for students, they are painfully constructed to help you along your way and hopefully become a better goldsmith. But this one wants to talk to you. A student simply cannot learn if they are not engaged with their tutor. In this case, I am your tutor. I want you to feel relaxed, comfortable and ready to learn. We’ll do it our way, stand out from the crowd, and make you into a demon at your craft in no time.

Vanilla Ink – Various commissions. A few examples of the variety of jewellery designed, created and manufactured by Vanilla Ink. Each piece is made in close collaboration with the client to ensure they not only receive exactly what they want but feel immersed within the process. (Vanilla Ink)

Vanilla Ink – Solitaire Ring. Vanilla Ink can create designs ranging from epic to classic, the sublime to the ridiculous! This particular ring was made in platinum and claw set with a 0.4ct sparkling brown diamond. Simple, yet effective, and most definitely with added signature work. (Vanilla Ink)

And so you join me on the journey to become a setter. What do you need? Good hand skills? Coordination? Patience? Well, yes, these are all handy. Try having a level head, a desire to learn, and a great deal of patience and persistence. These are all good qualities. But most importantly, an understanding that to learn and move forward, you will fail, over and over again, until you get it right. You will not become a setter overnight, and nor will you become one with a flippant attitude. You must be prepared for the frustration, the pain, the sore hands and shoulders. Sometimes you want to yell into the void and wonder where did it all go wrong? But the reward? It’s incredible! The sense of achievement felt, the thrill of seeing the complex tasks you’ve just nailed, the joy, contentment and gratitude of the client when they receive their job. That’s what it’s all about!

We mounters and setters are the engine room of the jewellery industry. We exist in the grimy, dusty, messy and sometimes painful backrooms of glamorous jewellery shops. We do our job for personal satisfaction, knowing we’ve made someone incredibly happy yet again. It’s not the accolades and awards or the glory, it’s because we’re good at it and because we can.

Want to be part of that? Let’s go learning.

CHAPTER ONE

PREPARATION IS KEY

As with all craft, you can’t just rock up to the jeweller’s bench, sit down and begin to stone set. Thought, planning and a great deal of respect for the art must be considered before you commence your journey. If you take all this on board before everything else, then you’ll have a good basis to begin learning. You can’t skip stages or you’ll miss vital techniques. This has to be applied when it comes to preparation, too. It’s not a good start to be cocky and leap straight into stone setting without prior thought, as it could lead to injury or premature wear and tear on your precious body. All around the world, there are jewellers at the beginning of an amazing journey. But we only have one body, and it’s incredibly important to take care of it.

The jeweller’s bench. Benches can vary in looks and sizes, but there are some constants that will cross over to all stone setters. Here we see Scott’s bench in ‘exploded’ form, showing how all major parts fit together. (Jenni Colquhoun)

The Bench

Jeweller’s benches come in all shapes and sizes. From the handmade to the ones bought from jewellery suppliers, it’s a sure-fire bet that no two will look or feel the same. A bench must be tailored to fit your needs, with height, width and storage all becoming a factor.

Scott’s bench. The sight Scott sees almost every day. Although there will be slight discrepancies between all jeweller’s benches, some things remain the same – a bench peg, a skin to catch scrap and an abundance of tools make this a familiar view for lots of jewellers. (Vanilla Ink)

A hobbyist or beginner jeweller may start their journey at a kitchen table or office desk, but as they become more serious about their craft, a jeweller must consider investing in a proper, solid, more professional-feeling bench.

As a stone setter, tools must be within easy reach. There is no point in having to get up to walk to the other side of the workshop for a tool when you are knee-deep in intricate work. It breaks your momentum, concentration and rhythm. Whichever tool you use to clamp or hold your setting job in, it’s incredibly important that your other hand be free to reach around your bench and find that vital tool you need at the trickiest of moments.

Think about this when you are seated at your bench. Where are your push tools, your burnishers, your loupe? Can you reach them while seated? Are all of your burrs located close by? Do your scorpers live in a drawer right beside you? Is your sharpening stone handy? Start off by indulging in some Feng Shui! Find the balance and work out a layout that is best for you.

I have two cupboards either side of me, with each having a selection of drawers and boxes. Both are clearly labelled so that I’m not spending ages figuring out what is where. On my bench surface, more vital tools are within easy reach. Burrs are kept in a handy pot, as are flush setting tools and grain tools. Saw blades are easily identifiable by size and again, within my range. If you get into this habit of keeping things at close quarters, you’ll become a slicker, faster stone setter in no time!

The Tools Required

You will find a more comprehensive Glossary of Terms towards the back of this book, but I wanted to quickly run through the most vital of tools you will need for stone setting. Not only do you need a strong, sturdy bench, but a decent bench peg is also key. These come in various shapes and sizes, with each one being tailored to each jeweller’s individual needs. Modern technology allows us to use fancy bench pegs and clamps, alongside all-singing, all-dancing microscopes and lenses. This manual, however, is aimed at those of you beginning your stone setting journey. Modern-day setting tools are incredible and can really enhance a stone setter’s abilities but at a price. Literally.

Tools like these are expensive and for most beginners, unobtainable. This is why I like to teach the good old-fashioned way so that it’s a level playing field for everyone. After all, if you learn on the acoustic guitar, then the electric guitar will be a doddle! At Vanilla Ink, we teach traditional methods using rudimentary tools. This way, the student can leave the workshop and begin to stone set with a basic budget. There is no point in jewellers coming to class, only for their dreams of becoming a stone setter to be crushed when they realize the kit required is beyond them.

I myself do not use any of the modern equipment. I think it is important to show students that high-level, top-class results are achievable with the simplest of equipment. This helps them to understand that the only thing between them and being a high-end setter is time and practice. A lot of practice!

Up close and personal with Scott’s bench peg. Not quite a traditional bench peg, the 45-degree sloping face allows for jobs to be held up against it, making it easier and quicker to get the job done. Note the natural grooves and shapes created by the jeweller. Each person will eventually style a bench peg in their own, unique way. It’s almost like art in itself! (Vanilla Ink)

Preparation and Maintenance

Now that you’ve gathered an arsenal of stone setting tools and equipment, you need to look after them. While this is the rule for all of your tools, it is especially important to correctly set up and maintain stone setting tools. There are a number of reasons for this.

Tools can be expensive. In that respect, we need to protect, nurture and prevent any damage. Think of them as your children! These tools will become part of you, what you do and the pieces you create. They become precious to you and they will be missed when they’re gone. I still have my first worn bench peg in a drawer at home somewhere alongside some of my favourite tools that are now past their sell-by date! They created some of my favourite pieces and it’s hard to let them go!

A poorly looked-after tool becomes economical folly. If you mistreat or break it due to lack of care, then you pay out some more of your hard-earned cash sooner than you planned. Sharpen gravers properly, lubricate burrs and drills, clean perishable materials with the appropriate solutions. The more life you can squeeze out of your tools, the more economical you can be. Don’t allow them to fade away without getting proper use from them.