Having a Stone Set in a Bespoke Mounting: How Does It Work?
Buying a loose stone, then having it set in a bespoke mounting: it is the most personal — and often the smartest — way to create a piece of jewellery. Here is how it works in practice, step by step.
Why start with the stone?
In classic jewellery retail, you choose a finished piece: the stone is imposed, often small, and the price includes the brand and distribution. Starting from the loose stone, you reverse the logic: you first choose the gem — its colour, its weight, its certificate, at trade price — then the jewel is built around it. The result: a finer stone, a unique piece, for an equivalent budget.
Step 1: choosing THE stone
That is our profession: presenting you with natural gems sourced directly in the producing countries, explaining treatments and certificates, and finding the stone that matches your project and your budget — at an appointment in Paris or remotely via the online shop.
Step 2: designing the mounting
We work with an independent bench jeweller — a workshop artisan, with no shopfront or retail overheads — who designs the bespoke mounting: ring, pendant, earrings. Whether you arrive with a precise idea, an inspiration photo or a blank page, he sketches, advises on the metal (yellow, white or rose gold, platinum) and on the setting best suited to your stone — prongs for light, a bezel setting to protect an emerald…
Step 3: the making
Once the design is approved (sketch or 3D model), the artisan makes the mounting and then sets your stone. Allow generally a few weeks depending on complexity — the time it takes to do things properly. You receive a unique piece, accompanied by an invoice detailing the stone (nature, weight, treatment) and, where applicable, its laboratory certificate.
How much does it cost?
The mounting depends on the metal, the weight of gold and the complexity of the design: from a simple mounting at a few hundred euros to elaborate creations. The equation almost always wins against an equivalent branded jewel — with a stone that you chose yourself.
Tempted to create your own? All the details are on our bespoke mountings page, and the first step happens over an appointment.
