Stone setting
Stones are secured mechanically into seats cut or cast into the metal — by prongs, a bezel wall, a channel, or micro-pavé beads raised from the surface.
- Tolerance
- ±0.05 mm on seat diameter
- Min. wall
- 0.4 mm around a bezel
- Tooling
- None — skilled labour per stone
- Batch fit
- Any quantity
How it works
Stones are secured mechanically into seats cut or cast into the metal — by prongs, a bezel wall, a channel, or micro-pavé beads raised from the surface.
Cubic zirconia, moissanite, natural stones — prong, bezel, channel and pavé settings are the work this route is chosen for. It runs on 925 silver, Brass, 316L stainless steel and suits any quantity.
01ProngMetal claws bent over the girdle 
02BezelContinuous wall, 0.4 mm minimum 
03ChannelStones held between two rails 
04PavéBeads raised from the surface
Swipe · 4 styles
Production steps
Each step below is a separate labour operation, and labour is priced per operation rather than per piece. That is why a 6-step route costs what it does.
- 01Seats cast or cut into the piece
- 02Seats trued under a microscope
- 03Stones placed and secured by the chosen setting method
- 04Metal burnished or beads raised
- 05Inspection under 10× magnification
- 06Final polish avoiding the stones
Process parameters
These are engineering properties of the process itself. They hold at any competent factory and can be checked against a manufacturing reference.
| Dimensional tolerance | ±0.05 mm on seat diameter |
|---|---|
| Minimum wall / section | 0.4 mm around a bezel |
| Tooling cost | None — skilled labour per stone |
| Suited to | Any quantity |
| Cycle time | Minutes to hours per piece |
| Materials accepted | 925 silver, Brass, 316L stainless steel |
Tooling ranges are industry-typical. A firm figure is quoted against your CAD file — see the cost breakdown.
Setting vs Laser engraving
Setting adds a physical stone and skilled labour per stone; engraving adds a mark at almost no per-piece cost. For decoration on a budget, engraving is the cheaper route by a wide margin.
Compare with laser engraving →Materials and categories this suits
Process, material and product category are one decision seen from three sides. These are the combinations that actually work.
| 316L steel | ASTM A276 / EN 1.4404 |
|---|---|
| 925 silver | ASTM B700 / EN ISO 9202 (925 fineness) |
| Brass | ASTM B36 / EN CW508L |
| Earrings | CZ and moissanite in stud settings |
|---|
What to watch out for
Stone setting — buyer questions
Each answer stands alone and can be read without the rest of this page.
What tolerance can stone setting hold?
Stone setting holds ±0.05 mm on seat diameter on production parts, with a minimum wall or section of 0.4 mm around a bezel. Stones are secured mechanically into seats cut or cast into the metal — by prongs, a bezel wall, a channel, or micro-pavé beads raised from the surface. Tighter tolerances than this normally mean a secondary machining operation rather than a change to the primary process.
How much does tooling cost for stone setting?
Tooling for this route is none — skilled labour per stone, quoted as a one-off line and invoiced separately from the unit price. The buyer owns the tooling and it is not charged again on a reorder. Full tooling ranges for every route are on the manufacturing cost page.
What order quantity does stone setting suit?
This route suits any quantity. Below that range the setup cost dominates the unit price; above it, a different route is usually cheaper per piece. Setting adds a physical stone and skilled labour per stone; engraving adds a mark at almost no per-piece cost. For decoration on a budget, engraving is the cheaper route by a wide margin.
Which metals can be processed this way?
925 silver, Brass, 316L stainless steel. Setting is priced per stone and per setting type, so a pavé design with forty small stones costs far more in labour than one with a single large stone, regardless of stone value.
Setting or laser engraving — which is right for my design?
Setting adds a physical stone and skilled labour per stone; engraving adds a mark at almost no per-piece cost. For decoration on a budget, engraving is the cheaper route by a wide margin.
Not answered here? All buyer questions →
Quote a setting run
Send the CAD file or a sketch. You get the tooling cost as its own line, the unit price at your quantity, and a straight answer on whether setting is the right route for the design — we will say so if it is not. Production runs in Qingxi, Dongguan, Guangdong.
- 01Reply within one working day, Guangdong business hours.
- 02Itemised cost sheet — mold quoted separately, not folded into the unit price.
- 03NDA on request before any file is shared.