Why is a Diamond Setting apprenticeship essential? (my history) 11 photos

 In the year 1960 (65 years ago). I started my apprenticeship with a jewellery company. I learned first-hand how to use my Onglette and Flat gravers. This apprenticeship lasted for 9 LONG YEARS, with another 5 years refining the multitude of new techniques.

 In the past years, I've had telephone calls from individuals wanting to learn diamond setting. When I replied that it took me YEARS to learn, not weeks, they gasped and hung up on me.

 From my L-O-N-G apprenticeship, you can see a multitude of 8,250 photos that now appear in my extensive blog.

Anyone can place a stone in a 4-claw setting. This doesn't mean that they are a fully qualified stone setter.

 One of the most important levels of my training was to fashion a new graver. This took me 2 MONTHS to learn & not make any errors or mistakes.

"In the real world, knowledge is demanding & essential!"

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              This little paper box is as old as the date printed on it.

 This is just another exercise in metal carving.

 These two brass plates were the forerunners of my training in using an Onglette graver.

You think that cutting lines in brass is easy, you gotta try it yourself. This alloy is like 10 karat-steel. The most difficult aspect of learning to cut into this metal was not to slip. That alone took months to master.

 This example of 'cutting & stone setting' was completed towards the completion of my training.

 

 What are these 'dots' for? I still, to this day (65 years later), using my Onglette graver to learn how to 'raise beads'.

 Imagine using a graver to cut a semicircle in (hard) brass and not slipping. This was 'beyond difficult'. My hand and fingers were working as a team.

  Shortly afterwards, I advanced to gold setting, finally, eh!

 This was not a C.A.D. (Computer Aided Design). This was the 'ultimate test' that I gave myself. This was a flat piece of silver with stones to be set afterwards. 

 BTW, no one taught me how to do this (insane) metal cutting. Why? After my training, this ability was ingrained into my brain.

 The 9 years of training were extremely valuable. There isn't a book that will show how to execute such precision metal cutting.

 "In-person, one-on-one" training is the best route to take. 

This picture was taken when my teacher "Stan Levine" (of Blessed Memory) visited me in my office.