Gemstone Settings: The Jewelry Maker's Guide to Styles & Techniques

I received this book two days ago, and it has been such a pleasure to read it. I am sure this is now one of my favorite jewelry books. It has beautiful pictures, and the content is just perfect for my necessities at a very good price. This is the book I was looking for, since I realized my attraction for gemstone setting. It is not a beginner metalsmithing book, and I am glad, there is some information about the basic techniques, but it is not the repetitive pattern used on most books with 1/3 of the content describing the same very basic information. I like the chapter covering the gemstones types, it has beautiful pictures and excellent description, however I wished it was included pricing information, to compare them with some cost information. The techniques described are just what I want to learn, and the author selected beautiful and very convenient pieces that appealed my taste and show how the technique can create a beautiful piece of art. I really love the examples used, and the gallery used in this book. Even though I can understand the techniques, I wished it was included a little more in-depth detailed description for the more advanced techniques. In general I appreciate the work done on this book, and I am so glad I bought it.

This book is well written. techniques are very well described and explained, the pictures are of high quality and relevance to the chapter they appear in. some very good ideas for anyone who is interested in gemstone setting. some projects/ideas are good for a beginner, some for the more experienced jeweler and some are strictly for experts.I like the fact that the usual "tools section" is not one of those "basic how to" chapters that you find in almost every book about jewelry making. I also like the whole concept of this book, it feels very professional, and it is obvious that the author had taken herself very seriously and probably had a very good editor. this book is one of the few that provide more value than the price you paid for it.I have read lots of books on the subject of jewelry making, this is one of the best. I highly recommend it to any aspiring jeweler, and even for seasoned jewelers - there is something for everyone.

This book is amazing for any jeweler, beginning or established. It's essentially a textbook for making jewelry, with step-by-step diagrams, in-depth explanations, as well as hints, tips, and safety points. As a jeweler myself, I can't recommend this book highly enough, it's easily one of the best purchases I've made on Amazon, period.

Beautiful pieces! Very artistic. I've been making basic jewelry for about 5 years. This book is a step up in skill level. There are some things I can see in the photos that are not described because it assumes you would know... but i do not. Like what you need to do to hold a tiny crown setting while you cut and file it... it looks like you need to make your own wooden tools. There is brief mention in the tips chapter but not enough. I wish there were less coverage of basics and more expanded detail on the tips chapter. There are only 2 pages on channel settings so I will still probably have to check YouTube for expanded how to details. That said, I love the beautiful projects; it will be useful in advancing my jewelry skills.

I’m happy with my purchase. Lots of good information!

Incredible inspiration to any jewelry-maker - experienced to wannabe! Endless innovation, detailed photos that are sooo gorgeous, and many projects explained. The author's jewelry is featured - and deserves to be! Many other designers have their innings too. Just a jaw-dropping wealth of gem beauty! Whether you are a bench jeweler, a wire-wrapper, or work in Metal Clay - there's valuable info here. And, I see ways to adapt several exciting designs to my skills!

I bought this in 2013 and put it on the shelf. Fast forward to 2021 when I'm finally setting up a bench at home and starting to plan projects. I'm full of MY OWN ideas and I want basic guidelines on how to execute them. Most online tutorials and even jewelry metalsmithing classes want you to start out making their projects, and they are mostly similar to each other. I've done that, gone through those steps. Now I want to make my own designs but can't find easy basic info on techniques. Luckily I remembered about this book, pulled it out... and VOILA! Answers! So, so many techniques explained clearly. I'm off to make the ring from page 118 :))) It's not terribly complex, but it's precisely, precisely what I was looking for. Very happy.

I've been using this book as a reference ever since I purchased it a few months ago! Fantastic photography, great reference information, and a substantial amount of various stone setting tutorials. Some of the tutorials skimp on information and photos, and I could see how beginners might need a bit more of an in-depth explanation, but then again if you're tackling stone setting, you're probably comfortable with basic fabrication techniques. Overall, would DEFINITELY recommend this book!