Antique jewelry glossary

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Gypsy setting

A style of setting for securing a gemstone in a finger ring, the stone being secured without a collet but only whitin a circular or oval recess in the body (shank) of the ring and held in place by a narrow turned-over flange so that the table of the stone is level with the metal surface. This setting is suitable for soft stones that are thus protected. Sometimes claws are cut into the openings as a means of further securing the stone, and sometimes the shank is engraved to simulate rays extending from the stone.

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson