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DesignISCO 7313

Precious stone setter

A precious stone setter is a person who uses tools to set diamonds and other precious stones into jewellery according to specification, choosing the setting from the size and the shape of each stone.

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Check yourself in a minute: precious stone setter

Rate 5 of the 13 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

use jewellery equipment

assemble jewellery parts

attend to detail regarding jewellery creation

ensure conformance to jewel design specifications

examine gems

About precious stone setter

A stone setter analyses the structure of a precious stone before touching it, because an inclusion near the girdle or a brittle cleavage plane changes what pressure the stone will survive, and a diamond and an emerald of the same size cannot be set the same way. Precious stones are then set in the jewellery: claws, rub-over, channel, pavé or tension, each holding the stone differently and each with its own risk.

The setter works with high-precision tools, cutting seats and pushing metal over the stone, and pays close attention to detail in making jewellery.

The setter ensures conformity with the jewellery design specification, so that the finished piece is what was designed and sold. The setter knows the properties that determine a diamond's value and the characteristics of precious stones in general, which makes it possible to assess the risk, since chipping a stone during setting lowers its value. The setter also knows jewellery manufacturing processes, from casting to polishing.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (13)

gemstonesgemstonesTypes of minerals or petrified materials that are cut and polished for use in jewellery, classified according to type, characteristics, and value.characteristics of precious metalscharacteristics of precious metalsVariations of precious metals according to density, corrossion resistance, electrical conductivity, light reflectivity and quality.jewellery processesjewellery processesMaterials and processes involved in creating jewellery items like earrings, necklaces, rings, brackets, etc.characteristics of diamondscharacteristics of diamondsKey characteristics of diamonds that affect their value: carat weight, cut, colour and clarity.manufacturing of jewellerymanufacturing of jewelleryThe manufacturing of different type of jewellery such as rings or necklaces out of various metal types such as silver, gold, diamond and other precious stones.use jewellery equipmentuse jewellery equipmentHandle, modify, or repair jewellery-making equipment such as jigs, fixtures, and hand tools such as scrapers, cutters, gougers, and shapers.assemble jewellery partsassemble jewellery partsAssemble and thread different jewellery parts together such as pearls, locks, wire, and chains by soldering, clamping, welding or lacing the materials.attend to detail regarding jewellery creationattend to detail regarding jewellery creationPerform great attention to all steps in the design, creation and finishing of jewellery.ensure conformance to jewel design specificationsensure conformance to jewel design specificationsExamine finished jewellery products to ensure that they meet quality standards and design specifications. Use magnifying glasses, polariscopes or other optical instruments.examine gemsexamine gemsClosely examine gemstone surfaces using polariscopes or other optical instruments.record jewel weightrecord jewel weightRecord the weight of finished jewellery pieces.use precision toolsuse precision toolsUse electronic, mechanical, electric, or optical precision tools, such as drilling machines, grinders, gear cutters and milling machines to boost accuracy while machining products.mount stones in jewelsmount stones in jewelsMount gemstones in pieces of jewellery closely following design specifications. Place, set and mount gemstones and metal parts.
Optional (14) — show
cultured pearlscultured pearlsThe process of creating pearls by inserting a piece of tissue in the centre of the oyster to help create pearls under controlled conditions, instead of the accidentally occurring natural pearls.watches and jewellery productswatches and jewellery productsThe offered watches and jewellery products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.adjust jewelleryadjust jewelleryReshape, re-size and polish jewellery mountings. Customise jewellery according to customers' wishes.create jewellerycreate jewelleryCreate pieces of jewellery using precious materials such as silver and gold.heat jewellery metalsheat jewellery metalsHeat, melt and shape metals for jewellery making.detect product defectsdetect product defectsReport in case the product arrives with a defect from previous processes. Understand the type of defect and send it to the right person.use specialised equipmentuse specialised equipmentUse specialised equipment such as electron microscope, telemetry, digital imaging analysis, global positioning systems, and computer modelling in studies and analyses of production methodology.select gems for jewelleryselect gems for jewellerySelect and purchase gems to use in jewellery pieces and designs.record jewel processing timerecord jewel processing timeRecord the amount of time it took to process an item of jewellery.select metals for jewelleryselect metals for jewellerySelect and purchase precious metals and alloys to use in jewellery pieces.cut metal productscut metal productsOperate cutting and measuring instruments in order to cut/shape pieces of metal into given dimensions.develop jewellery designsdevelop jewellery designsDevelop new jewellery designs and products, and modify existing designs.think creatively about jewellerythink creatively about jewelleryGenerate innovative and creative ideas to design and decorate jewellery.clean jewellery piecesclean jewellery piecesClean and polish metal items and pieces of jewellery; handle mechanical jewellery-making tools such as polishing wheels.

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

precious stone cutter10 shared essential skillsjeweller6 shared essential skillsfiligree maker5 shared essential skillsjewellery assembler5 shared essential skillsjewellery designer5 shared essential skillsjewellery polisher4 shared essential skillsjewellery repairer4 shared essential skillssilversmith4 shared essential skills

Frequently asked questions

What does a precious stone setter do?

Precious stone setters use tools to insert diamonds and other gemstones into jewellery settings according to specifications. The setting of the gemstone depends on its size and its shape.

What skills does a precious stone setter need?

A precious stone setter needs 13 essential skills, including gemstones, characteristics of precious metals, jewellery processes, characteristics of diamonds, manufacturing of jewellery.

Will AI replace precious stone setter jobs?

The AI disruption score for precious stone setter is 24/100 (low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: record jewel weight, record jewel processing time, detect product defects. Most resilient: heat jewellery metals, cultured pearls, watches and jewellery products.

Quick Facts

SectorDesign
ISCO GroupHandicraft and printing workers
Essential Skills13

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