Light Work

Laser welders help jewelers set stones in non-traditional ways

By Shannon L. Brown and Rich Youmans

There are almost as many ways to set a gemstone as there are jewelers. Everyone has their favorite methods, their tried-and-trues. Then one day you want to do something different—create an unusual design, for instance, with stones that have non-traditional shapes and may even be fragile—and those trusty methods won’t work. In fact, none of the traditional setting methods will safely set the stone. So what can you do?

The solution may be as close as your laser welder.

When proper precautions are taken, the laser can open up a whole new world of design possibilities. On the following pages, three designers share how they used a laser to create imaginative (and, in some cases, award-winning) pieces, with stones set in ways that simply couldn’t have been achieved without that powerful beam of light.

Jason Dow
Honolulu
Platinum and Diamond Ring
Weld platinum parts to avoid overhea...