This week, I stepped away from my studio and returned to the bench as a student at the New Approach School for Jewelers in Tennessee.
After decades of making jewelry, I still believe that one of the most important parts of being an artist is remaining open to learning. There is always another technique to explore, a familiar process to reconsider, or a new approach that can expand what is possible in the work.
The Advanced Stone Setting workshop is an intensive five-day course devoted to some of the most technically demanding aspects of the craft. Throughout the week, I worked with advanced techniques including fancy-shaped prong settings, channel settings, claw prongs, pavé, tapered baguettes, French setting, and more.
Stone setting requires an extraordinary balance of precision and sensitivity. Every cut, movement, and bit of pressure matters. Spending an uninterrupted week focused on these details gave me the opportunity to sharpen my skills, reconsider some of my established methods, and learn new ways of approaching complicated settings.
It has been a welcome reminder that experience does not mean the learning is finished. If anything, the more deeply you understand a craft, the more possibilities you begin to see within it.
And now... Back to the studio to put these methods to the test! I look forward to sharing what comes next.