Collet setting and crown setting round faceted stones with Hayley Kruger

Hayley Kruger is a fine jeweller and registered Fairmined and Fairtrade goldsmith.  She works with precious metals and gemstones to create collection pieces, new commissions and treasured family pieces. She is based in Cirencester, where her studio is in the creative hub of the New Brewery Art Centre.

Course Aims

On this two day course you will learn how to make bespoke collet settings for round, faceted gems. 

On the first project you will do a small amount of geometry to make a bespoke collet.  You will then solder your collet onto a ring shank and learn how to prepare the seat.  Then you will learn to push the metal over the stone to set it securely into place.

On the second project, you will make another collet and then spend time making this into a decorative crown style setting that can be made into a pendant or ring.

Hayley’s teaching style is to do demonstrations at the start of the day and at intervals throughout the time. She likes to then walkabout to see if participants need specific tips or help on what they are doing at the time. Normally she does not provide hand outs on the steps, but for this course will provide a handout on the equation used to create the collet setting.

Equipment

Please bring your own:

• Tool kit – including files, needle files, saw & blades, pliers, etc
• Hand torch with gas
• tweezers
• solder (easy, medium & hard)
• flux
• sandpaper, polishing materials
• A compass with sharp/fine tip pencil
• Ruler
• Sharp pencil
• pin vice (to hold burr)
• callipers
• Scissors
• Double sided tape
• Ring clamp
• 5mm Stone setting burr or ball burr, or one the same size as your faceted stone if you bring your own.
• Burnisher
• Square pusher
• 1 mm or 0.8mm Silver wire for bail and added detail
• Lubricant or wax for the burrs
• Safety glasses if you would like to use a pendant motor.
• A round collet block if you have one.

The tutor will bring:

• Stone setting burrs
• Ball burrs (5mm)
• collet blocks

Materials:

• 0.7 Sterling silver sheet 2.5 x 3cm
• D wire to make a ring 7cm
• 0.8mm wire for jump ring/bail
• 5mm faceted, round CZ stones

At an approximate cost of £15-20 pp