Women love their diamonds. We all know that! But, for the watch lover who also loves her jewels, there is a whole new world of exquisite timepieces out there! Watchmakers design watches using the most exquisite gemstones to represent an aura of luxury and finesse. The design is embellished with clean cut gemstones to radiate sophistication, not only to improve the aesthetic but also to give the watch a completely new and fresh outlook. This is not to say that men cannot have jewelled watches. A true connoisseur knows that a watch is a work of art. Jewellery watches add a completely new dimension to the art of adornment!
Here are some very specialized techniques of gem setting used in high-jewellery watches.
Snow Setting
Diamonds completely cover the metal and blend seamlessly into each other. Jaeger-LeCoultre developed this technique in 2002. It would be apt to use the term “sprinkling of diamonds” to describe the final effect!
Invisible Set Technique
It allows one to really see the stones (or diamonds), giving the appearance that the case is made of these! There is no metal in sight. The secret lies in cutting grooves beneath the stones to set them, which is a highly specialised and intricate task.
Random Setting
This technique makes the stones literally play with light falling on them. The Result: an interesting interplay between the lights bouncing off the different sized stones that have been pre-set in a random pattern.
Pave Setting
Here, small stones are set closely together so they give a kind of paved look and show of the metal is minimized to a large extent. Creating small ‘grains’ or beads to hold the diamonds in place does this. Each bead is perfectly rounded off to be extremely smoothened.
Bead Setting
Very similar to pave setting, except that the diamonds tend to be a little large and spaced a little farther apart.
Graduated Setting
A technique that plays with the sizes of the stones to be set in order to create some really beautiful results. When stones are graduated in size it creates a beautiful spiralling effect.
Grain Setting
Small hand formed grains of gold or metal discreetly hold the stones, barely visible to the eye. This not only ensures a harmonious look, but also a dazzling sparkle. The challenge here is to use minimum amount of metal to ensure the appropriate placement of the stones.
Prong Setting or Claw Setting
This consists of mounting stones in an open framework with small prongs. Thus, individual stones are set into a metal holder allowing light to circulate freely throughout a stone.
Round Setting
Slightly similar to prong setting, it is a round-shaped metal form that uses prong, bezels, or any other means of clamping the stone securely.
Channel Setting or Baguette Gem Setting
Stones are aligned side-by-side and held in place using two parallel strips of metal that form a channel. This channel protects the stones discreetly, thus showcasing a beautiful, uninterrupted line of stones.
Ballerina Setting
Tapered baguettes are placed around a center stone. The result resembles a ballerina’s tutu. Sometimes the surrounding stones are set in a wave-like pattern making the setting look like a dancers skirt.
High jewellery watches express an exclusive blend of technical performance and aesthetic beauty combined into one, that truly renders them as masterpieces. Gem setting is a crucial aspect in this entire process of the creation of high jewellery watches. Thanks to the skills and patience of expert gem setters, brands today are able to offer unparalleled beauty on the wrist!