The Art of Gem Setting In Watch

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The Art of Gem Setting In Watch

Patek Philippe Twenty~4 Haute Joaillerie elegent female white gold watch has 2,457 diamonds, total 12.65 carats with blind setting method.

Patek Philippe 18K white gold Gondolo Serata watch owns 130 round top level Wesselton diamonds.

Patek Philippe classic column-wheel chronograph watch sets 36 long stair type flawless Top Wesselton diamonds on its enlarged dial. There is one stair type diamond at the 12 clock position, six round diamonds in white gold support. Its platinum buckle sets six stair type diamonds.

Gem setting, or stone setting as it is sometimes referred, is a very risky job in that the gem setters are responsible for the final adornment of jewelry that are made of gold or platinum and which already have many hours of work invested via other craftsmen. A fine eye for geometry and nerves of steel are required since one tiny mistake will ruin all the many hours of previous work sending the object to the melting pot.

Quality gems are essential to any fine piece of jewelry. Selecting a reputable gem supplier is of paramount importance, someone who is totally trustworthy and will deliver the best gems as agreed. Sub quality gems are very common in today’s market and so at the world top brand, such as Patek Philippe only flawless top Wesselton diamonds are used, with each gem being subjected to quality control at the Patek Philippe internal gemology department for absolute quality assurance, nothing is left to chance.

Round cut gems are the most commonly used in jewelry pieces and therefore we will examine the art of setting them firstly. The gem setter must first make small pockets with a drill, or burr, that will receive the gem. This is totally done by eye using only a drawing for comparison and reference. A keen eye for the size of each gem to be set is of paramount importance.

Now that the pockets have been established the gem setting begins. Each stone is set in an appropriately sized pocket given its diameter (girth). Along the perimeter of each stone a very sharp cutting tool, or graver as it is known in the trade, is used to raise a series of pips in the precious metal. In most cases 4 pips are raised that will act as “claws” to be gently pulled over the edge of the stone to secure it in place. In some circumstances, such as corner stones, only 2 or 3 pips will be raised as space may be at a minimum. Most importantly is that the claws are of ample strength to hold the gem securely, and the setter must not break this delicate spur of metal while performing the intricate task of gently bringing it up and over the edge of the gem forming the claw. Imagine making as many as 4,000 claws to hold 1,000 stones without breaking one single claw in the process!

However the diamonds set in the dial and bracelet links are of many different sizes and placed in a random pattern. The idea of random setting is to create a surface either flat or curved with as much brilliance as possible, something that cannot be achieved with row set diamonds due to the symmetrical spaces required between the stones. This technique is only suitable for large surfaces and is rarely used due to the technical difficulty required. The gem setter must first survey the surface to be set as well as the collection of diamonds at his/her disposal. There is no drawing to work from and therefore requires an expert eye to see clearly all the possibilities and to fill the space as completely as possible. Think of it as snowflakes of different sizes that eventually cover an entire surface, and like snowflakes each random set jewelry piece is a totally unique piece of gem setting art with no two ever being the same.

Blind setting has its origins in more modern times thanks to innovations in case fabrication and gem technologies. The idea is to create a seamless series of gems, without the conventional claws that hold them in place and the separations between the stones. In theory you might think it to be an easy way of setting the gems, but looks can be misleading.

diamonds will be set side-by-side there would be a groove on two sides of the stone. The groove cut in the gem is fit into a channel with a corresponding nib fabricated in the gold or platinum object that holds the stones in place without the need for claws or spacing between the stones. There is zero room for error in this process, the groove in the diamond must be absolutely perfect in its depth and location in relationship to the girth, and the nib of the channel must be just as accurately fabricated. Otherwise the stones might be either too tightly compressed creating the possibility of breakage, or too loosely spaced making a sloppy set. Minute fractions of a millimeter must be observed when blind setting is employed.

The art of setting gems is not for the faint hearted, the risk is high, the tools are sharp, and an eye for accuracy is absolutely mandatory. Of course a watch isn’t the only accessory that benefits from quality gems. These ring and earrings are set with diamonds as the ultimate accessories to a fine watch. In this particular example the pattern of diamonds is passed along from the watch to different entities, such as earrings and finger ring accessories, like a constellation of stars in the winter sky.