The setter Shant Ghouchian welcomed our columnist Amandine and her friend into his JWS workshop with a radiant smile, indicative of an artisan who loves what he does and enjoys sharing it. Back in June 2023, JSH was already announcing the creation of this academy, slated to open in mid-2024. Now that the Académie de Sertissage has opened its doors, let’s come back on that morning of initiation.
By Albert-J. de Buttes-LaCôte / TàG Press +41 (News Agency)
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On that morning in 2023, Amandine, 12 years old (@watch_it_with_amandine), and her friend Christel (@mysuisselife) arrived for an initiation into the craft of setting.
Transmission of knowledge and passion
Without delay, Shant Ghouchian delved into practical demonstrations, imparting the fundamentals of his craft: engraving plates with a graver or pinpointing them with a micromotor. He explained his journey, from reluctantly discovering the setter’s profession because his father didn’t want him to become a designer, to his love for it… his apprenticeship at Patek Philippe, “the old-fashioned way, learning with the eyes before moving on to the microscope,” as he explained. Finally, independence and 11 years of teaching at the ASMEBI, the french-speaking Jewelry Trade Association.
He spoke of his three roles: craftsman, entrepreneur, and educator. Each demanding but fulfilling in its own right. He confessed his pleasure in working on such extraordinary pieces, while acknowledging the occasional frustration of never being able to discuss them due to confidentiality. “It’s part of the job, and thankfully there’s word of mouth” he said…
Founder of the Setting Academy
His projects? He’s collaborating with a brand, whose name he keeps confidential, on a new type of setting, very original, on which he’ll finally be able to publicly communicate. But his pride and joy, what truly matters to him, is what Amandine and Christel were present for that day: his future academy, currently in the process of statutory formation, will teach the basics of setting to around fifty students per year, through seven-week modules. It’s a drop in the ocean compared to the surge in demand for setters within large manufactures, but an opportunity to inspire or reinforce vocations!
Amandine: “When you sit at the workbench and start working with the material, it becomes magical.”
And it works, because after three hours under the microscope, Amandine and Christel emerge convinced and radiant. “When’s the next session?” they ask eagerly. The appointment is already set…
