The Best Way to Effectively Present Jewels

There are no limits to the different ways of designing jewelry with gemstones. The selection of the setting is not simply a question of finding a safe way to preserve the precious jewel. The type of setting that would be conceivable is defined as early as the sketch. It is also dependent on transparency, the cut, the size, the hardness and the number of chosen gemstones.

The standards required in gemstone setting are high. For example, if a cramp gets tangled in a nylon stocking, very strong tensile stress is released until the material tears. Additionally, the setting must not have any sharp edges that may cause injury or ruin clothing.

From the cloisonné to the groove setting

One of the simplest and probably oldest forms of connecting gemstones with jewelry is the cloisonné setting. It takes a piece of sheet metal that mirrors the form of the gemstone; it is then soldered vertically onto the item of jewelry. The stone is then attached to the box formed in this way using putty.

Box setting represented progress. In it, the stone is no longer held by putty. Instead it is embedded in a precise fit, while the upper edge of the sheet metal protrudes slightly above the broadest point on the stone. The disadvantage of both these types of setting is that the gemstone can only absorb light from above. Indeed, gemstones did not develop their true sparkle until invention of the groove setting. In this method, the base is pierced so that light coming from below can lend a play of colors to the jewels. Using the groove setting, jewels with forms other than a flat base can also be set. One-sided grooves envelop only part of the stone and allow light to pass from one side also.

Claws permit the light to pass from all sides

The settings we have described so far are more suited to opaque stones, as little or no light can penetrate from below or the side. Conversely, the claw setting holds the stone only using four or more so-called claws (metal pins). Interestingly, in the Middle Ages, these claws were also a symbol for an eagle's claws. They were intended to hold tight to the gemstone with the strength of a bird of prey.

Refined extravagance

As the range of stones, especially diamonds, became increasingly large and inexpensive due to the discovery of more and more gemstone deposits, and when platinum was once more discovered as a suitable metal that permitted settings of a previously unknown delicacy and unobstrusiveness, this sounded the bell for the golden age of settings with an extravagant number of stones.

The series setting is a modification of the groove setting, in which a row of rectangular stones of equal sizes are held laterally in their setting. One speaks of a thread setting when stones appear to be strung in a line on a thread. The granules that are holding the stones in a hollowed opening are picked from the metal. Whereas four chambers hold the stones in the carreau setting, the thread setting uses two each, positioned between the tightly spaced stones.

A pavé setting (French for plaster) can hold as many stones as possible using as little metal as could be needed. Essentially it is a thread setting with several rows consisting of stones displaced by half a width respectively. The rows are held by granules in the shape of a star or arranged in pairs. One of the most crafty settings was developed by the luxury jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels in the late twenties of the last century. His invisibly set method used a hidden setting to connect stones, so that nothing could be seen from the outside. In this method, the base of the stones is cut in such a way that they wedge into each other. However, the high material consumption makes this kind of jewelry extremely expensive.

A big stage for small things

Mirror settings enhance the optical affects of jewels. This is achieved by fitting a small, polished border around the gemstones. The type of setting is of secondary importance here. The effects are increased by installing the reflecting metal with a slight gap to the setting.

Freedom despite security

Countless proposals for lending stones freedom and mobility while still holding them tightly are characteristic features of modern jewelry development. The Niessing clamp ring is a perfect example of this, making a setting actually superfluous. It only needs the strength of platinum (there are also variations in gold) to hold the diamonds in two unobtrusive notches. Since 1979, the jewelry designer Georg Bunz has also stood for innovative clamp rings with diamonds and new kinds of setting techniques. In the Bunz diamond watch, for example, the stone is anchored invisibly in the watch glass according to a patented process and appears to hover freely.

The Kärnten-based jewelry designer Dieter Bretterbauer allows diamonds to roll back and forth in canal settings, thus creating a fascinating play of delightful reflections. Gebrüder Schaffrath from hanau have developed several types of setting that lend complete freedom to the diamonds. In the Liberté line, two bridges on the top and one indentation below are sufficient to lend the brilliants movement on all sides and to release a unique fireworks display.

The Happy Diamonds collection by Chopard goes one step further in freeing stones form the setting. The diamonds are suspended with free movement between two sapphire glasses.

Simplified setting

A new method for setting stones was developed by the Austrian jewelry designer Sonja Martin. Instead of elaborately using metal, the stones are set in acryl. The only sign for the small but innovative difference is the colored setting. This clever method can be used in order to set synthetic and genuine gemstones in a uniquely inexpensive and secure manner. One advantage is that no stones can break during setting or later on, when the jewelry is worn. When the stones lock in the setting with a click, the soft plastic holds them tight and there is no damage due to stress. The setting system "Snap In" by Ballou from Aufham also promises to be cost-efficient and simple. It neither requires experienced setters nor special tools. The claws lock simply and accurately, the manufacturer promises. The company offers traditional chatons with three to six claws for various stone formats and sizes.

The Charlotte system by Ehinger Schwarz also enables fast exchange of stones and other trimming using a push button system. The broad range from inexpensive to high-class is well received by people of all age groups. The future of jewelry design will also see the development of new setting techniques for gemstones. New materials, methods and tools enable more and more precision and unusual settings. This allows jewelry designers to create surprising effects that appear to transcend all previously assumed limits.