Stone Setting

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.

More important, however, is the prevention of injury. A stone setter's fingers, hands and arms will be battle-scarred by injuries from the past, from the serious gouge to a scratch. As we say here at Vanilla Ink, 'There will be blood each week,' which is true for most setters. Carelessness can be a factor, as is simple bad luck, but the most common is using poorly prepared tools.

THE TOOLS REQUIRED FOR STONE SETTING

If you don't have all of these, you may not manage to carry out all forms of stone setting. But not to worry, you'll add to your collection as you go along. And let's not run before we can walk! Start off with the most basic forms of setting, which require the least amount of tools. Techniques are transferable between basic and more advanced styles anyway, so you can accumulate as you progress.

The tools required. A pretty comprehensive illustration, which catalogues every tool you will need to become a stone setter and work your way through this manual. When it's laid out like this, you see exactly what's required and how achievable it could actually be for you. (Jennifer Colquhoun)

Various scorpers with sharpening stones. Some scorpers and gravers are colour coded at Vanilla Ink so the students can identify them easily. At the beginning of their journey, it's often simpler to identify them as blue or red until the student recognizes them by name alone. (Vanilla Ink)

Contrary to popular belief, a blunt tool will cause far more damage than a beautifully sharp one (you can ask kitchen chefs for verification here). Blunt tools can slip, slide and tear into all sorts of places. But just because they aren't sharp enough for cutting metal, they can still pierce your soft skin with great ease.

When I teach, I say that most, if not all, of my worst injuries have come from stupidity. Being careless, cocky or hasty will not work out well for you. 'Don't be an idiot like me,' I tell my students, pointing out my scars. 'Think about what you are doing,' I always finish with. I have been very fortunate with injuries, with a few stitches here and there, but I've known jewellers who have really hurt themselves. And every time, they have lamented their lack of thought, preparation, and cursed their haste. Think about it and you'll be fine.

Sharpening scorpers

To be a stone setter, you need to be able to prepare and maintain your scorpers and gravers. It's important to learn this fast, as scorpers blunt often and quickly. Another thing to take on board is that whatever finish you apply to the scorper's cutting surface, the very same finish will be applied to the metal. It takes a little bit of skill to know how to use various sharpening stones and silicones to achieve an ultra-high polish which cuts beautifully through metal.

How to do it

When you first receive a new scorper, it's far too long. The first thing you'll need to do is grind it to the length you need. Everyone's hand is different; you'll eventually know the ideal size (obviously bear in mind that each time you sharpen, the shorter it becomes)....