At first glance, hand-wrapped and cast stone-set jewellery can look similar. Both can be made from solid gold, both can hold stones, and both can be sold as “fine jewellery.”
The real difference is how the setting is made — and how it behaves over time.
This difference isn’t about aesthetics. It’s about structure, durability, and intention.
What Is Cast Stone Setting?
In cast jewellery, the stone setting is created as part of a mould. Using a process called casting, the prongs, bezel, or stone seat are poured in molten metal along with the rest of the piece.
Once cooled, the stone is placed into a pre-made seat that was designed for an average stone size.
Characteristics of cast settings:
-
Faster and cheaper to produce
-
Identical pieces can be made in large quantities
-
The metal structure is more porous
-
Settings are fixed, not adjusted to the individual stone
Casting prioritises efficiency and consistency, not adaptability.
What Is Hand-Wrapped Stone Setting?
In hand-wrapped jewellery, the stone setting is not cast at all.
Instead, gold wire or sheet is cut, shaped, bent, and wrapped by hand directly around the actual stone being used. The setting is built specifically for that stone — not the other way around.
Characteristics of hand-wrapped settings:
-
Each setting is made individually
-
Metal is work-hardened through shaping
-
The fit is adjusted stone by stone
-
No two settings are ever identical
This process is slower, but structurally stronger.
Why Hand-Wrapped Settings Are Stronger
When gold is shaped by hand, it is compressed and hardened. This makes the metal denser and more resistant to bending over time.
Cast metal, by contrast, cools into shape without being worked. This leaves microscopic air pockets in the structure, making it more prone to wear and deformation — especially around delicate stone settings.
In simple terms:
-
Cast settings are formed
-
Hand-wrapped settings are built
Stone Security: Fit vs Force
Cast settings rely on forcing a stone into a pre-made seat. If the stone is slightly different in size — which natural stones always are — tension is uneven.
Hand-wrapped settings are shaped around the stone. The gold adapts to the stone, not the stone to the gold. This creates:
-
better contact
-
even pressure
-
reduced risk of loosening over time
This matters most in everyday jewellery that experiences constant movement and impact.
Longevity and Repair
Hand-wrapped jewellery is easier to repair, tighten, and maintain because the structure is intentional and accessible.
Cast settings are more likely to crack or thin over time, and repairs often involve replacing entire sections rather than adjusting them.
If a piece is meant to last decades — or generations — this difference matters.
Why Many Brands Choose Casting
Casting allows brands to:
-
produce faster
-
lower labour costs
-
maintain identical inventory
-
scale production easily
There’s nothing inherently “wrong” with casting — but it is a production choice, not a craftsmanship one.
The Bolek Approach
At Bolek Jewellery, we do not cast our stone settings.
Each stone is wrapped by hand in solid 14K gold by artisans in our woman-owned and woman-operated atelier. The setting is built for the stone in front of us, one piece at a time.
This is why no two Bolek pieces are ever exactly the same — and why they are designed to last, not just look finished.