Book Recommendations - Stone setting

[Nick martin]

Hi all,

Fairly simple question I'd like to ask the experts on here today.

I'm after a quality book, preferably with illustrated examples, on the subject of stone setting. Not just the different techniques such as flush, bead, chenier etc, but just as importantly, how to set different shaped gemstones ( marquise, princess, heart, and so on ).

Thanks as always,

Nick

[mizgeorge]

I still like Cogswell

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Stonesetting-John-Cogswell/dp/1929565224 (can't seem to see it in the UK at the moment).

[Didi]

Cogswell for me too.
Didi

[Nick martin]

Good stuff. Amazon order it is then. Thank you.

Nick

[josef1]

If you don't mind investing a bit because they are expensive,I think the videos from Blaine Lewis New approach school are fab

[Patstone]

Try http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Creative-Stonesetting-John-Cogswell-/191075120930?pt=Non_Fiction&hash=item2c7cf6f722

[medusa]

I got my Cogswell (and Revere and Brephol) via the US amazon site. Even with the extra P+P it was all about £70 cheaper than buying from the UK site.

[Nick martin]

I'll check them out if possible Josef.. Haven't heard of them before.

Nick

[Tabby66]

Nick ,
You can find Blaine Lewis 'stuff' on Youtube, Peter posted this link the other day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77XliTOj1T8 about burr control, I found it really useful and it gives you an idea of his style of teaching.

Cogswell for me too......that's a great price on ebay Pat!!

Tabby x

[Gemsetterchris]

YOUTUBE..If you get a book or DVD you only learn the way of the author, there maybe slightly different ways that suit you better.
There are 3 styles to learn: claw, rubover, grain(bead).

Every artistic style thereafter is based on one or more of those 3.

By trawling youtube videos you`ll get an idea how several setters go about things & get the ideas to try yourself...for free!
Understanding the theory of what your goal is combined with practice/ trial&error is the best way.

Look for decent setters like Blaine Lewis, Alexander Siderov, Vitalij Kricuk...

Some books are good reference but abit out of date & I think you get a better idea with motion pictures.
You can always ask for help here, but it`s difficult to explain everything without writing a long boring essay that`s difficult to picture.

[ps_bond]

I would say my setting training was primarily made up of 3 styles - the setting DVDs by Blaine Lewis, the course I did with Tom Wellburn where traditional (graver-based) methods were taught and the course with Jura. There's lots of other influences - Sam Alfano's videos, every book I can get my hands on on the subject (incl. Wooding, which I'd describe as out-of-date) and kicking things around with other setters. By learning 3 or 4 ways to do rubover, for example, you've got a toolkit to tackle oddities.

Then quite a lot of practice :)

[Gemsetterchris]

I might make up a few PDF tutorials on how I go about stuff & plug them for some pocket money.
Obviously they take abit of doing, but if there is interest....

Keeping things simple & short / inexpensive.. thoughts?

[mizgeorge]

I might make up a few PDF tutorials on how I go about stuff & plug them for some pocket money.
Obviously they take abit of doing, but if there is interest....

Keeping things simple & short / inexpensive.. thoughts?

I think it's an excellent idea - this sort of thing sells very well on etsy as well.

[ps_bond]

Sounds a good idea; Hans Meevis is doing something similar. I would get them proof-read too... (Happy to do it if you want)

[Gemsetterchris]

Sounds a good idea; Hans Meevis is doing something similar. I would get them proof-read too... (Happy to do it if you want)

Good idea :Y: plus a bonus freebie for you, you clever boy.
Any idea the best "hosting" site for such things?

[ps_bond]

Good idea :Y: plus a bonus freebie for you, you clever boy.

So just give me the text to work with - I can't proof read photos :D

Hans delivers them by email, payment by Paypal, so the files themselves aren't hosted.

Do enough text and you could self-publish with someone like Blurb?

[Gemsetterchris]

Blurb? Ok, just looked it up & now we are getting serious :)
I was thinking hosted, so I can wash my hands of having to fire out emails all day (wishful thinking). ££££££££££££££`s

[ps_bond]

Lulu works - no idea what the costs are now though. Blurb is an interesting model - I've got the SNAG tech articles in a nice binding, printed on demand.

[mizgeorge]

Etsy. Very low fees and they autodeliver pdf tutorials for you.

[medusa]

here's a question. If there are three basic ways of stone setting, all of which have developed over millennia, no doubt, what makes a particular book or work-flow 'out of date'?

When answering, please bear in mind that I might have the Cogswell and Young books, but I haven't actually done any proper stone setting yet. Imagine explaining to (was going to say a 10 year old, but since Chris' son prob knows more than me, I'll say) a 5 year old.

[Gemsetterchris]

I've a book by Wykoff? Published in '86 which is about when I started college.
It's good & a lot still applies, but techniques get tweaked & tools improve..so while you can do well with an "older"book (being careful here):D
Why not learn what's new?
It's not vastly different & you might not have the latest tools..but you gotta keep up to speed if It's your profession?


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[medusa]

I get that keeping up with new tools is important, especially if you are working as a professional setter, I was just curious about ~how~ different the techniques are was all. I'm probably just trying to find excuses to avoid doing ~any~ setting though :)

[Gemsetterchris]

that depends on your needs.
Big enough difference for my requirements but maybe nothing to worry for someone else...

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[Tabby66]

I think that all sounds very exciting and very interesting. I definitely think there's a market out there Chris.

Are/were you looking at becoming UK based, btw......I have a dim and distant memory that you were!! You're quite right, Peter is a rather clever boy methinks, I'd offer to proof read as a novice, but would be more helpful with grammar than anything else......then again making sense to a novice, might make a lot of sense!!!! (Well......I convinced myself :-")

[Gemsetterchris]

Still contemplating the re-locate..
Lots to think about now :)

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[medusa]

ugh, unless there were pressing personal or family reasons, I'd stick with Finland!

That said you could always expand your income by giving tuition if you were UK based. I look forward to the PDFs as well. And strongly recommend you get them proof-read and road tested by a beginner/intermediate worker. As Jill says a novice will be able to really test out the process. Jill, you are miles from being a novice! (I'm not volunteering, either)

[Nick martin]

Thanks everyone, have now ordered the Cogswell book as well as the new Eid / Longhi book on metal forming as thats an area Im very keen on getting into.

Cheers,

Nick

[ShinyLauren]

I have the creative setting book by Cogswell and also an Anastasia Young book, but really struggled with setting until I booked some physical tuition. It was so useful to see all the ways in which my self taught setting was going horribly wrong!

I need to find time to go and look through the books again, as I think now I (vaguely) know what I'm doing with the basics, I reckon I'll get a lot more out of the books.

[surfergirl]

Too late a response from me (another vote for Cogswell) but for future reference for anyone else - you could always borrow the Cogswell from any library via an inter-library loan.

Chris - I would definitely be interested in the tutorials :D

[Tabby66]

ugh, unless there were pressing personal or family reasons, I'd stick with Finland!

That said you could always expand your income by giving tuition if you were UK based. I look forward to the PDFs as well. And strongly recommend you get them proof-read and road tested by a beginner/intermediate worker. As Jill says a novice will be able to really test out the process. Jill, you are miles from being a novice! (I'm not volunteering, either)

Well yes and no Liz, I do set some stones, but I get a fair amount of my work set by a professional setter (like Chris), that is their speciality, they set the stone in a fraction of the time I could and do a far better job, my time is better spent doing what I do best, designing, making the pieces and settings,........let the setter set the stone...

One thing I've learned over the past 7 years and in moving from hobbyist to full time job, and believe me this took some coming to terms with and accepting, is where my skills and expertise is, where my time is best spent and where I am better paying for a job to be done well.....I would love to be able to set stones and learn all the techniques, but there are only so many hours in the day......

I am currently focussing on 'traditional' diamond mounting, I have been for about 18-24 months, honing my saw piercing and making skills, the detail of this and the skills transfer to my other work, but it is the adjustment of a 10th of a mm that makes all the difference....so precise, it still feels almost impossible!!!!!

......but I love the challenge :(|

[medusa]

Jill, I think this is why I'd go with a pro setter as well. That said, having read Chris' other posts about prepping a setting, learning how to do it must be helpful. I do have a few ideas which involve stones but so far I've not had commissions for stones which is currently what drives my learning.

[Gemsetterchris]

You really ought to learn the basic theory anyway even if you have no intention of setting yourself.
How can you make a setting for a stone if you don`t know how it is best done from a setting point of view?

You need to work together if you delegate work out, that way you get things done neatly & trouble free.
I`ve had (and still get) alot of jobs with stones that really don`t fit together well..still do-able but alot of hassle could be avoided.

[Annamc]

I'd be really interested in your PDF's too, stone setting has always been one of my major bug bears, it took me aaaaaages to grasp basic tube setting (I have Dennis to thank for demystifying that one for me!) and I have found a lot of youtube vids too blurry or not close up enough to really see what is going on (the one posted at the beginning of this thread is excellent though and has been bookmarked) I find when reading written instructions, it's important for me that the text is presented in small, step by step chunks with great pics (seems obvious, but I'm amazed at the amount of 'mind reading' a lot of tutorial writers expect you to have!)

[Gemsetterchris]

Getting a tutorial together to please everyone & with perfect pics is quite a task..even then you can't cover every angle.
Could be a while before anything is ready.

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[Tabby66]

You really ought to learn the basic theory anyway even if you have no intention of setting yourself.
How can you make a setting for a stone if you don`t know how it is best done from a setting point of view?

You need to work together if you delegate work out, that way you get things done neatly & trouble free.
I`ve had (and still get) alot of jobs with stones that really don`t fit together well..still do-able but alot of hassle could be avoided.


I completely agree Chris, I understand the principles, but haven't the time to put the practice in to perfect the technique. I work very closely with my setter, and fortunately get very few rejects......phew!!

[ps_bond]

As an alternative, Chris - how about "How to give your stone setter migraines"?
:)
(other than ask them to write tutorials...?)

[Gemsetterchris]

You could ask them to flush set a couple of triangular emeralds on Christmas eve morning & have it ready by lunch...

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[MeadMoon]

You could ask them to flush set a couple of triangular emeralds on Christmas eve morning & have it ready by lunch...

Did that really happen, or just one of your nightmares?

[Gemsetterchris]

Did that really happen, or just one of your nightmares?
That is a true story.
Not an ideal situation but it got done..

[Nick martin]

I'd be a potential customer for tutorial PDFs for sure. Still awaiting delivery of my Cogswell book, and have a lovely big Marquise shaped stone to set. Don't wish to claw set it, but as of yet, have no idea how to go about bezel setting it!

Great idea Chris.

Nick