Hand setting from the Diamond District.

The promise

Most trade-setting services run on bench teams that don't ship work. Ours does. Sara has been at the same bench since 2018, and the people who set under her supervision have been with the atelier for at least three years. The result is consistent: pavé that's flat, prongs that are tight, and a reject rate that stays under 1%.

• Quote in 24 hours. Per stone, per setting type. Fixed.
• Set in 3–5 working days for standard volume; 5–8 for pavé halos and micro work.
• Inspected and photographed before dispatch, archived in the trade portal alongside your original casting.
• Insured EU shipping within the week. Same workflow for one piece or fifty.

For pricing per stone, see /trade/pricing/.

Setting types

We don't currently do invisible (channel-set with hidden grooves) or French-cut princess channels — both are niche specialisms outside our routine work. Ask and we'll refer.

Process

1. Send the piece. Cast (ours or yours), wax-finished, ready for setting. Include the stones if you're supplying them, or specify which stones from your account inventory.
2. Inspection and quote. Within 24 hours: piece received, stones inspected under 10× and weighed, fixed quote sent. The quote breaks down setting cost per stone, any seat-prep surcharges, and a return-shipping line.
3. Confirm. Approve the quote, reply with "go", piece enters the bench queue.
4. Setting. Standard work: 3–5 working days. Pavé halos: 5–8 days. Micro-pavé runs over 50 stones: by schedule, typically a week.
5. Inspection. Every piece checked under 10× by Sara before dispatch. Loose stones, unseated prongs, or imperfect rows go back to the bench at our cost — same day, before they leave.
6. Photograph and ship. Full-piece + close-up of the setting, attached to the trade-portal record. Insured ship, EU next-working-morning typical.

A deeper view of how the trade workflow holds turnaround: Trade casting in 3 days — the casting and setting cycles share the same bench rhythm.

Customer-supplied stones

Every job — we accept your stones.

• Weights and measurements captured before setting, documented in the portal.
• Certificates (GIA, HRD, IGI) photographed front and back, archived.
• Pre-set inspection under 10× — flagged inclusions, chipped girdles, prior repair, anything visible.
• Photographic record in/out of the piece. If a stone shows damage post-setting that wasn't flagged pre-setting, we cover it.

For centre stones over 1.0ct, a per-piece fee replaces the per-stone fee — the work is the same, but the documentation and certification handling justify the per-piece line.

Old cuts and antique stones

Old European cut, old mine cut, rose cut, French cut, transitional cut — Sara has worked enough of these to recognise the dimensions and the typical wear without a calliper. The seat preparation is separately quoted because old-cut stones rarely match catalogue dimensions:

• Crowns are often shallower than modern brilliants.
• Tables are smaller (typical OEC: 50–55%, modern: 56–58%).
• Girdle thickness varies along the perimeter — a single uniform seat won't sit flat.
• Pavilions sometimes have native chips that need to be considered (or hidden) at the seat.

We seat the stone to the stone, not to a tolerance. It costs more time. The result is an antique stone that sits the way it sat in 1910, not pinched into a CAD-default seat.

Pavé and micro-pavé — what to expect

Pavé is rows of small stones, set close together with metal beads holding each. Micro-pavé is the same, smaller. Both are the work that separates a competent setter from a master.

The differences trade buyers notice in our work:

• Beads at consistent height. A row that reflects light evenly is one that has beads at the same elevation. Sara checks every row under 10× before passing.
• Stones flush, not raised. Each stone seated to the same depth — no "high one in the corner".
• Symmetric clearance. Equal metal between stones, equal angle on each bead.
• No drag marks. The graver isn't dragged across adjacent stones during seat finishing — that's where pavé gets ugly under macro photography.

Pavé sets at €4–6 per stone (1.5mm and below) and €5–10 (1.5–2mm). Micro-pavé (≤1mm) is €6 per stone and ships only when Sara is on the bench. Full per-stone pricing on /trade/pricing/#stone-setting.

Quality control

Every setting job:

• 10× inspection by Sara before pass to packaging.
• Loose-stone check — pressure test on prongs, tap test on bezels.
• Photographs — full piece, plus a close-up of any setting that's a feature (centre, halo, eternity row).
• Documentation — setting type, stone count, total carat weight, attached to the portal record alongside the original casting.

Reject rate at first inspection is consistently under 1%. Anything flagged at the inspection goes back to the bench at our cost — we tell you the same day, before the piece leaves Antwerp.

Pricing

Per-stone pricing, by setting type and stone size: /trade/pricing/#stone-setting.

Centre stones over 1ct: by quote — typical €60–€150 per centre depending on type and certification.

Old-cut and antique seat preparation: by quote, typically €30–€80 per stone above the standard setting fee.

What to do next

• Apply for a trade account. /trade/ — gets you trade pricing, a dedicated point of contact, and 30-day terms after the first three jobs.
• Send a piece for setting. Drop it in the trade portal once your account is active. Quote within 24 hours.
• Read the casting walk-through. Trade casting in 3 days — same bench rhythm.
• See the full pricing table. /trade/pricing/ — metal cost, casting fees, setting fees, finishing.

By Sara — master setter at Antwerp Ateliers. Sara has been on the same bench since 2018; she leads the setting team and personally sets every centre stone over 1ct.