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Belcher Settings
Belcher Settings are known for their sturdy prong-like protrusions that emerge from the mounting as carved scallops; they're an elegant and secure setting for everyday jewelry. The arched petals of each prong earn them their alternate name "Buttercup Setting". This style of setting, often found in Victorian era jewelry, was loved for its intricate look as well as its practicality - because the prongs are carved from the piece itself, belchers can offer a low profile that protects the center stone and prevents snagging during wear.
In this 1-day workshop, we will create a ring or pendant that highlights this classic setting. Students will fabricate their own piece in sterling silver and learn to set a faceted stone using the belcher method. We will be using hand tools, flex shaft attachments, and soldering applicaitons to help us build and attach our setting, then refine the shape into a beautiful buttercup!
Meet the instructor
Genevieve is a multimedia artist based in Boston MA, whose practice draws inspiration from an early life rooted in the landscapes of the Pocono mountains and Philadelphia. Fragmented rural landscapes converge with the infrastructure of urban space, they create jewelry and sculpture that invites the viewer to embrace the ‘nostos’ of nostalgia, returning home, perhaps viewing familiarity through another lens. Piecing found objects with metalsmithing, ceramic, handwork, and fiber techniques in metal, Genevieve oscillates between observer and narrator; calling on the visual language of their hometown(s), religious and folk symbolism, collected ephemera, and observations from daily life in Boston to explore themes of environmentalism, community, and identity.
Materials & Tools
There is a $82 materials fee for this course payable upon registration. The materials kit fee covers diamond plated bur set, tungsten vanadium setting bur, tungsten vanadium twist drill, laser gold saw blades (2/0), sterling silver strip, sterling silver wire, finishing and other various miscellaneous items needed for course objectives.