333. How to Take Your Stone Setting Skills to the Next Level with Iain Sainsbury

If you already have a grounding in stone setting and you are ready to develop your skills further, this episode is for you.

Jess is joined by jeweller and Jewellers Academy mentor Iain Sainsbury to talk about what it really takes to move into more advanced stone setting and jewellery making. Iain has completed all three of the Jewellers Academy advanced stone setting Masterclasses himself and now supports other jewellers going through the programme.

In this episode, Jess and Iain discuss the three Masterclasses - Decorative Collets, Fishtail Setting and Tiara Wedding Bands - and how each one develops different technical skills at the bench. They also explore why advanced jewellery making is about much more than mastering one technique, and how learning complex construction, setting and finishing skills can give you more confidence in your own designs and commissions.

They also talk about the importance of practice, why you should not expect to get an advanced technique right the first time, and how mistakes are often an essential part of becoming a more skilled jeweller.

In this episode:

How advanced stone setting differs from learning the basics

Why complex projects can improve your overall jewellery-making skills

Decorative collets and developing precision, piercing and construction skills

Fishtail and pavé setting using traditional hand-pushed gravers

Creating tiara-style wedding bands for bridal jewellery

Why repetition and practice are essential at an advanced level

How detailed tuition can help when projects involve multiple technical stages