Project two and three – Basket settings

Unlike the first assignment of keum boo, the next two projects had no creative element to them and a strict brief of what was wanted including stone sizes. Both projects were interconnected, to make basket settings from scratch for a variety of stone shapes. In project two 4 settings were asked for, a round setting, an oval setting, a pear-shaped setting and a setting for a stone we call cushion cut which is a square with rounded edges. I was not expected to set the stones, just make the settings but I decided I would make all four settings into pendant and set them just for the practise.

A basket setting is claw setting for a traditional faceted stone and made from round wire in this case silver wire. The setting has two wire rings the same shape as the stone with space in-between to let the light through. I haven’t made these settings before from start to finish as normally claw settings can be bought cast from the bullion dealer ready to solder into your jewellery and the stone set in them.

In the first instance the round and oval settings went very well and the stones set simply. In the third shape, the pear-shape, a claw broke off during setting so I had to start again from the beginning. I left the cushion stone until last expecting this to be the most difficult but it worked out pretty well.