Floating gems, tension mounts: How leading jewellers are reimagining diamonds

In fine and high-end jewellery, the true brilliance of a diamond is often revealed by the way it is set. Clever, unconventional settings — whether strikingly sculptural or near-invisible — elevate the diamond and redefine craftsmanship. Realising such a vision is complex. It requires not just creative ingenuity but technical precision and a deep understanding of materials. Hence, a new generation of jewellers is reimagining how diamonds are held — and perceived. Leading designers and heritage houses reflect on the aesthetics, engineering, and emotional impact of unconventional stone settings, offering insights into the delicate balance between innovation and tradition.

Diamonds, reimagined

Unconventional settings fundamentally shift how a jewel communicates, observes Christian Hemmerle, fourth-generation jeweller steering ahead his family-run and Munich based brand. “Metal traditionally frames and defines the stone. We aim to reduce or reimagine that role.” Techniques like tension settings or rope-tied iron structures allow gems to feel suspended, transforming jewellery. “It introduces a sense of wonder, tension and ethereality. How can something so precious seem unconfined, yet so secure?” Innovation, he notes, is both technical and emotional. “Craftsmanship and creativity are not sequential; they are symbiotic. Sometimes a visual idea demands a new technique. Other times, technical mastery reveals new aesthetic paths.” Structural integrity is never compromised. “A tension-set diamond may appear to defy gravity, but behind the simplicity lies meticulous engineering. A jewel must live with its wearer — move, breathe, endure,” Hemmerle adds. Signature techniques include rope settings, where twisted iron binds the stone with sculptural restraint, and reverse settings, which turn the pavilion outward to alter light and texture. “It’s an expressive language. We’re not merely holding stones, but creating objects of quiet revolution.”

Unconventional settings give pieces a “more modern, contemporary look,” says Devyn Downing, Senior Designer at David Morris. “They also signal craftsmanship. Some techniques require greater skill, which adds to the piece’s value.” Setting and design evolve together at the London jeweller. “You can build an entire piece around a particular setting, and new designs can reshape how stones are set,” adds Downing. Function, however, comes first. “Structural integrity is king. We never compromise the safety of a stone.” Their signature Atari collet reflects this philosophy — a streamlined, technical setting that is both minimal and elegant. And it has redefined the look of the high jewellery and special pieces at David Morris.

At Reza, design often begins with an abstract idea — sculpted to complement the body or to elevate a gem’s natural beauty. “Unconventional settings profoundly transform the visual language of a jewel,” says Olivier Reza. As he leads the storied jewellery house founded by his father, Alexandre Reza, in 1950s Paris, Olivier Reza remains firmly focused on design, and how it might drive the need for a new setting. “Technical challenges can force us to adapt. When an envisioned setting isn’t feasible, we innovate, developing new techniques that may reshape the original concept,” he adds. Rather than frame the stone, Reza’s methods reveal it — sometimes up to 80 per cent. The A-Series exemplifies this, using custom mounts that showcase the gem from nearly every angle. “Each mount is a sculptural form that enhances the gemstone’s allure while holding it securely,” he explains. The result is a sense of lightness and monumentality. Minimalism brings technical demands. “Precision is crucial to ensure wearability and durability,” says Reza. The visual surprise of seeing more of the stone heightens emotional impact — evoking wonder and intimacy. “These innovative settings define the visual identity of our collections,” he says of their boundary-breaking craftsmanship.

Clarity over complication

Ming Lampson, founder of London-based jewellery brand MING, favours clarity over complication. “I sculpt the jewel to keep the gems as uncluttered as possible — minimising metal and concealing the constraints.” Traditional prongs can distract, especially with coloured stones. “I love seeing a stone as a pool of colour or sparkle without interruption,” she adds. The concept always comes first; technical problem-solving follows. “Design leads. The setting should feel like part of the piece, not just a functional element,” says Lampson, whose pieces are all made in her own workshop in Notting Hill. Her preference for tension and frame settings “requires precision and bravery.” Strength is non-negotiable. “I can’t let a piece go out into the world unless it’s suitable to be worn.” Innovation is pragmatic. “Occasionally, I combine techniques. Neither is unusual, but the combination can be.” Ultimately, her intent is “to experiment, to push both design and technical limits further.”

Unconventional settings, remarks Nourah AlFaisal, alter the dialogue between light, gemstone and structure. The Saudi Arabian designer and founder of NUUN delves into her signature “Floating Diamond technique” that uses invisible connections to enhance brilliance. Here, architectural metal forms offer contrast — strength with delicacy, structure with lightness. For AlFaisal, craftsmanship and creativity are inseparable. “Sometimes a setting technique becomes the genesis of an entire collection.” Her Thahab collection grew from an invisible setting idea that emphasised movement. Hidden hinge mechanisms were also born from this blend of aesthetic vision and technical problem-solving. Balance is essential. “The poetry of fine jewellery lies in the precise tension between lightness and structural integrity.” NUUN uses aerospace-grade materials and wear-tests every new setting. “Anyone can create a showpiece for a vault. True achievement is making something revolutionary that can be worn every day,” adds the designer. A standout is her setting for half-moon diamonds with minimal metal contact, allowing the curved edge to remain visible. “The aesthetic is unmistakably NUUN — modern, timeless, and structurally elegant.”

For Lebanese architect-turned designer Dina Kamal, unconventional settings aren’t just technical choices — they’re philosophical. “A rectangular frame for a round diamond immediately breaks from tradition and shifts the jewel’s emotional register,” says Kamal, based in London. Pieces like the Open Diamond Chain use rectangular settings to create directional movement and visual tension. “It’s architectural and sensual — bold but invisible.” Her Square Web Necklace blends grid structures with small centrally-set diamonds, while brushed beige gold introduces a sense of neutrality and quiet luxury. Innovation, she notes, must serve a purpose. “Every technical decision needs to carry emotional or visual meaning.” Her V-Bridge Ring, for example, uses a spider-bridge structure to cradle the diamond within the gold rather than elevate it. The Transformer Ring incorporates new technical approaches to secure the diamond. Additionally, she employs unconventional finishes such as beige gold or charcoal gold. “Successful designs,” Kamal says, “are those where the technique disappears into the feeling of the piece.” What looks effortless is the result of obsessive precision and patience, she adds. “Real innovation isn’t just making a stone appear to float — it’s making it float securely and elegantly, with enduring meaning.”

Setting techniques

“Setting techniques hold ideas,” says Rahul Jhaveri, founder and creative director of Mumbai-based Studio Renn. “The technique serves the concept.” In the On the Edge ring, a diamond balances on the rim of a concrete band, half exposed, its structure hidden. “It creates visual tension and emotional fragility.” In the Cacti Line and Bypass pieces, diamonds are gripped between serrated gold plates or folded into valleys, without a single prong. “It’s about illusion — making the stone appear weightless, yet anchored,” adds Jhaveri. This pushes material and meaning alike. Sometimes a feeling — like imbalance — demands a new structure. Other times, a technique reveals poetic possibilities, shares Jhaveri. In pieces like the Seed-Leaf Inside-Out earrings, inverted and upright diamonds held in a gold cellular grid devoid of prongs reflect off mirrored gold interiors. “Many of these alternative settings demand both technical precision and a willingness to embrace creative risk,” he says. “They challenge both maker and wearer to think beyond the familiar.”

“I love adding texture in my work through inlays, reverse settings or unconventional stone placement,” says Sarah Ysabel Dyne, founder of New York brand DYNE. “The setting becomes part of the story.” A concept-led designer, she starts with design, not technique. “I don’t like being constrained by what’s already been done. One piece took nine months — failing, reworking, testing. Trial and error led to something technically sound and deeply satisfying,” she adds. For DYNE, craftsmanship and creativity are fully interdependent, especially when pushing boundaries. Her approach to inlay is radical. “I want the stone to feel like it was floating without compromising strength.” Craftsmanship and creativity are interdependent, observes the designer, who constantly tests how minimal a setting can be while the piece remains wearable. “Settings are deeply technical,” says the designer, who believes true innovation lives in the overlap: beauty, wearability and durability. 

wknd@khaleejtimes.com