This two-day workshop is a great way to expand your stone-setting skills, with a focus on flush and star settings – two classic techniques for setting stones directly into metal.
Designed for those with some basic jewellery-making experience, this course offers a practical and rewarding introduction to these refined setting styles.
This course is open to both DCCI members and members of the public.
Course Overview
- Date: Wednesday 20 & Thursday 21 August 2025
- Duration: Two days; 10am – 5pm with hour for lunch
- Last day to apply: 13th August
- Venue: DCCIA School of Jewellery, Sessions House, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, R95 X9Y6
- Number of participants: 10
- Fee: €295
Why Attend
- Learn flush and star stone-setting techniques with expert guidance.
- Hands-on experience using traditional tools like gravers and grainers.
- Create two finished silver pendants to take home and showcase your skills.
- Ideal for jewellers ready to build on basic stone-setting experience.
- Taught by master goldsmith Lee Harding, with 30+ years of industry expertise.
Learning Outcomes
- Lee’s teaching style is clear, encouraging, and detail-oriented, making the course both educational and enjoyable.
- Whether you’re looking to strengthen your existing skills or expand your stone-setting repertoire, this workshop is a great step forward.
Who Should Attend
- This course is ideal for learners who have some basic jewellery-making experience and are ready to expand their stone setting skills. Whether you’re just starting to explore setting techniques or looking to refine your flush and star setting skills, this class offers a solid mix of guidance and challenge.
The first day is all about flush setting. You’ll learn how to accurately drill, seat, and secure small, faceted stones so they sit level with the surface of your metal. Students will start by practicing on curved copper to build confidence and control, then move on to complete a finished silver pendant by the end of the day. This technique is a natural next step for anyone who has tried bezel setting or other foundational jewellery skills and is looking to refine their precision and stone-setting accuracy.
This two-day workshop is a great way to expand your stone-setting skills, with a focus on flush and star settings—two classic techniques for setting stones directly into metal. Using gravers and graining tools, you’ll learn how to raise tiny beads from the metal to hold the stone in place, creating beautiful star-shaped patterns around each gem. By the end of the day, you’ll have completed a second pendant, this time with a star-set stone, while building your confidence with traditional hand tools.
Know Your Instructor
Lee Harding is a highly respected goldsmith and stone setter with over 30 years of experience in the jewellery industry. He is a former tutor on the DCCI Jewellery & Goldsmithing course. With years of hands-on experience in fine jewellery craftsmanship, Lee specialises in stone setting techniques. His workshops are designed to build confidence and skill. He began his career in 1992, training through a traditional 3½-year apprenticeship in silversmithing and goldsmithing. His early development was shaped by time spent with master jeweller Rudolf Heltzel and under the guidance of Peter Donnellan at Grennan Mill.
From 1995 to 1997, Lee further refined his skills through the Jewellery & Goldsmithing course. He later expanded his experience abroad, working in the Netherlands, before returning to Ireland to work in several established workshops in Dublin. In 2000, he founded Da Capo Goldsmiths, where he continues to design and create bespoke jewellery with a strong emphasis on craftsmanship and detail. Alongside his work at the bench, Lee has shared his knowledge through teaching roles at institutions such as NCAD, the School of Jewellery, and the Kilkenny Jewellery & Goldsmithing course, helping to train and inspire a new generation of jewellers.
Upskill and learn with DCCI Academy
DCCI Academy is a specialised academy for education, training and apprenticeships. We welcome everyone, from design and craft beginners, to established professionals.
Learn more