Customer Reviews

Creative Stonesetting

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have literally been waiting for this book to be published, both because I knew John was writing a book on stonesetting, and because I needed such a book for teaching stone setting in my classes. I have hundreds of pages of handouts gathered from various sources from the past 30 years, as well as some very sophisticated instructions geared toward commercial jewelers, but what I have missed is a comprehensive manual of basic stonesetting information that interested beginners can use. Many jewelry making manuals have one chapter on stonesetting, but my universal complaint with all of them is that they assume the reader has a body of information already - and that presumed body of information is different from manual to manual, so instructions are uneven at best. Also, when some instructions blithely say things like "score, bend and solder a box, then solder a prong in each corner", the inevitable questions like "What gauge sheet? What gauge wire? How do I hold everything in place to solder?" are not discussed, making such instructions useless for beginners. I teach bezel setting and some simple prong setting, but I am no stonesetting pro. I especially welcome the kinds of hints that professionals have and are frequently reluctant to share. John Cogswell, the workshop leader extraordinaire, has come through with the information I need. From concise definitions of tools, through measuring methods, to actual construction - it is all here.
I am not interested in possible projects - I can design my own pieces but when I have a triangular faceted amethyst to set on a piece, I am wanting solid information on tools, measurements, construction suggestions and actual setting hints. John's exquisite drawings are clear and easy to follow. Also, he offers some of the best information on the customization and use of gravers that I have ever read. I have access to all the contemporary jewelry magazines, but I need basic construction information that is detailed and consistent. An added delight in this book is hearing John's voice coming through in the prose; folksy, reassuring, friendly and consummately knowledgeable

What a great book! I'm not a jeweler or artist at all, and I ordinarily would not be very interested in a topic like this, but when my wife, who has taken the author's classes, showed me Creative Stonesetting the illustrations drew me in and I ended up looking at nearly all of them. This then led me to read enough of the text to see that Cogswell has the whole package here. It's easy to see, even for a non-jeweler, that the tips, tricks, and shortcuts he presents are extraordinarily clever and useful, and that he developed many of them himself. Brilliant. Even though I'll probably never set a stone, it's fun and thought-provoking to see how he tackles various technical challenges. Many of the concepts could easily translate to seemingly unrelated fields, ranging from home repair to consumer product design. I love the way that, just by looking at his drawings, a reader can instantly understand how to do a process. Usually, no additional words are required, and whenever they are, he includes them, without excess verbiage, in the caption. I do a lot of scientific writing for lay people, and I'm constantly trying to create illustrations (using a professional illustrator) that provide clear visual explanations of how to do things. I wish I could succeed even half as well as Cogswell does. Very inspiring. There's a Yale professor, Edward Tufte, who has written several books on how to visually present information. Cogswell's drawings could easily be examples in his books. What makes all this better is that Cogswell builds up systematically from the beginning, first explaining basic concepts and tools in a way that anyone could understand, then showing step by step how to use each tool to get more and more sophisticated effects. I also appreciate his spirit of openness and generosity in sharing his life's work. Yep, it's the whole package. Bravo!

Creative Stonesetting is a must-have in any jeweler's studio. It condenses tons of information about stonesetting, but also includes in-depth information about jewelers tools and how to properly use them. John Cogswell's illustrations are detailed yet straightforward, reminiscent of The Complete Metalsmith.

This book has alleviated many of my stonesetting anxieties. The instructions are not only thorough, but in many cases full of tricks that make the process easier. To accompany the explicit instructions are John's humorous anecdotes that differentiate this book from many technical books.

I've been doing fabrication for many years. John is respected by jewelers in the trade for his vast knowledge. It's been a delight to read this book and I wish I'd had it for some of the bugger stones I've had through the years. There have been several tips in there that by themselves would be worth the price of the book. It's beautifully illustrated and has luscious photos of art jewelry.

I would say it's too advanced for the rank beginners that don't have soldering down pat, but great for anyone who has advanced beyond the basic cabochon setting. Even those who do have extensive stone setting experience will find a nice selection of settings they haven't tried. John also suggests alternatives within the settings themselves, so it's not "You have to do it my way and no other."

It's a lovely and informative book, whether you're at the beginner stage or a professional. You will find something you haven't known before, and how much would you have paid in a workshop to get that information? I hope he writes yet another book with more advanced settings. It's way above the caliber of most jewelry books that are on the current market.

Excellent job, John! And thank you.

This book is a "must have" for the library of any stonesetter. The techniques follow classic theories with nice hints and shortcuts thrown in occasionally. It is well illustrated with easy to understand diagrams. The book is thorough and even includes tension settings. Comparable books are double the price.

I purchased this book to get info on the details of stone setting - people say - 'then cut the seat' but of course, the devil's in the details. This book actually gives a good illustration of exactly *how* to cut a seat, and what to consider. Many other details too - I recommend this for anyone with an interest in setting stones that doesn't yet know how to do it all. Its probably not a beginner's book, but there is lots of detail to the text and illustrations

As a jeweler who is just getting her feet wet in the art of stonesetting, this book has been invaluable to me. I have taken metalsmithing courses, read books, viewed online tutorials, and watched YouTube videos. After reading Creative Stonesetting, I felt for the first time that I actually understood the details of crafting a setting and securing the stone.

My bezels went from choppy and rough-edged to smooth, gleaming perfection. When I secure a stone in a traditional prong setting, I actually know how the stone should sit and how to coax the metal into holding it securely. I tried the formerly intimidating flush setting for the first time and enjoyed complete success.

This book is a warm, well written, easily understood masterpiece that will not doubt be instrumental in helping create your own jeweled masterpieces. I was left with enormous affection for and gratitude towards the warm, likable author, and I would recommend this book to any jeweler, novice or advanced.

This book provides improved how-to explanations for familiar techniques (e.g bezel setting or prongs) and too many great how-to techniques and wonderful setting examples to count. It is the best technique book I own and while it may appear like a textbook at times, the descriptions, illustrations and tool modifications make this book a gem in its own right. The author did good!

This book was well written and nicely illustrated for beginners new to the industry. Being a Graduate Jeweler for the last 10 years, I was expecting more from this book. I was sold on the title of the book, but the subject matter (content) was not new to me. I thought I was getting something more. More from a design perspective.

To those beginning jewelers - this is THE Book for you.

I have several books on stone setting and this is by far the best one I have ever seen. It teaches you what you really need to know.