Q: Can you tell me a little bit about how you became a stone setter and when you joined Bucherer?
A: My fascination with precious stones began at an early age. I always knew I wanted to do something with my hands. I began looking for an apprenticeship where I could learn a craft and work with precious materials at the same time. I started working at Bucherer 35 years ago. I’ve been here since the beginning of my career.

Q: The theme of this edition of the magazine is diamonds. What kind of special considerations do you take when setting diamonds versus other stones?
A: It doesn’t matter whether I’m setting diamonds or coloured stones. Both are natural products, and it is important to understand that. They have different properties, such as hardness, cleavablity, and rarity, and they have different “inner lives” in the form of inclusions. I receive the gemstones in their cut state, and only then do I see how I need to proceed and how I will securely set them in the mount.

Q: How do you balance precision and artistry in your work? Do you think setters can have a certain aesthetic signature?
A: The art of our craft is precision. We work with an accuracy of a tenth of a millimetre, or even less. And we do this with our hands and eyes. The stone setter leaves their signature on their work with the way they guide their tools. At Bucherer Fine Jewellery, our attention to detail means that the stone setter’s signature is even more evident.

Q: Do you think you could identify your own work?
A: I’m very confident I would. Every setting has a unique handwriting. I could definitely identify the work of my colleagues.

Q: Is there a particularly memorable or high-pressure piece you had to work on — something with an unusual stone or a special story behind it?
A: One particularly special piece was a platinum ring with an emerald weighing 18.88 carats (a nod to 1888, the year Bucherer was founded). The ring was completely set with diamonds using a sophisticated technique, so only the stones were visible. The client really liked this piece of jewellery; however, the ring did not fit her finger. This meant that all the stones had to be removed from the ring and the ring had to be resized for the client. The responsibility of resetting the emerald and diamonds with exactly the same care and precision was very challenging. Keep in mind, this piece of jewellery was particularly expensive... You can imagine the pressure I was under. In the end, everything turned out fine.

Q: Do you have a favourite type of setting for diamonds—like bezel, prong, pavé, or tension—and why?
A: I prefer the pavé setting. This technique is particularly complex to implement. It takes a lot of experience to divide a surface with stones in such a way that it enhances the effect of a piece of jewellery. We determine the position and size of the stones to match the design. The pavé setting requires incredible precision. If I drill, mill, or cut too much, the stone will no longer fit into the setting, or there will be no metal left to hold the stone securely in place. Each stone is positioned and set by hand. This is what makes this technique so appealing and varied.

Q: How do you work with designers or jewellers to make sure a diamond is not just secure, but also shown at its best?
A: We share our experiences and pass on our expertise to our colleagues. This allows the design team to try out new ideas, so that we can communicate in advance what is and is not possible when it comes to setting gemstones. We consult with the goldsmiths to ensure that a setting or piece of jewellery has the optimum metal thickness for our work. This is how the Skyline collection came to feature a setting that gives the gemstone a different appearance and sets it apart from what you might find from other brands.