Pre-notched settings are a great and easy way to set faceted gemstones. A pre-notched setting has claws with little grooves (notches) already cut into them to save you time in having to create the notches yourself in clawed settings
Our selection of pre-notched settings give you the options to create pendants, earrings and rings in either 925 sterling silver or 14ct yellow gold. This style of setting comes in a variety of different sizes and with different connector fastenings.
Here we show you how to set a faceted gemstone in a pre-notched setting with easy to follow, pictured step-by-step instructions.
Place your chosen faceted stone into the setting - it is common at this stage to need to open the prongs a little wider so the stone goes in easily.
Use some snipe nose pliers to gently push a couple of the prongs open a little wider.
When the stone is in the setting ensure that the outside edge of the stone is sitting within the grooves (this is the 'pre-notched' bit) of the prongs.
Make sure that the setting is a good fit and the stone does't rattle about too much. If it is a little loose you may need to just gently adjust one or two of the prongs by using your pusher to push them closer to the stone and hold it tight.
Use a pusher to gently push the prongs over the top of the faceted stone, being careful not to mark the stone or bend one prong more than others causing the stone to sit off centre. We recommend working your way around the setting by pushing opposite prongs, adjusting a little bit each time to make sure that there is even pressure across the top of the stone and that the stone is held nice and secure.
Shop our range of sterling silver and 14ct gold pre-notched settings for setting faceted stones into with little or no preparation needed. Including loose settings, rings and earstuds to use with your favourite faceted stones.
Choose from our large range of high quality faceted stones in a range of shapes and sizes to suit your needs. These can be set in our range of settings for faceted stones.
Use a pusher (also known as a prong pusher) to simply push claws and bezels over stone during setting. The square metal rod is slightly rounded on the corners and polished on the end to minimise setting marks and scratches.
If you have made a few marks on the metal whilst pushing the prongs over the stone you can use a flat needle file to make each prong nice and tidy.
Here are some examples of our pre-notched settings with a selection of our gemstones set in them. Click on any of the images to view the setting.
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our friendly team who will be more than happy to give you advice over email or on the phone.
You can learn more and find inspiration by visiting our Jewellery Making Tutorials, Jewellery Making Kits and YouTube Channel. Don't forget to follow us on social media and tag us in your designs on Instagram & Facebook, we would love to see!