Prissettes

Prissettes are a term found in jewelry manufacturing referring to small, pre-made gemstone settings intended to hold stones before they are permanently installed in a piece of jewelry. The term is relatively uncommon in modern retail catalogs, and references to prissettes appear mainly in historical or regional trade literature. As a concept, prissettes function as ready-made settings that can accommodate standard-cut stones and enable faster production of jewelry compared to fully bespoke settings.

Construction and use: A prissette typically comprises a metal framework designed to hold a gemstone by conventional means such as prongs, bezels, or claws. The stone is placed into the setting and secured during the final assembly stage of the piece. Prissettes are often associated with mass-produced or semi-custom jewelry, where consistency and speed are prioritized over fully individualized mounting.

Variants and limitations: Prissettes come in a range of sizes and styles aligned with common stone dimensions. They may be offered for round, square, or other cuts and in different metal types. However, not all stones will fit a given prissette, and precise setting work is still required to ensure secure mounting and proper alignment.

Etymology and context: The word appears to derive from a combination of “pre-set” and the diminutive suffix -ette, though its exact provenance is not widely documented. In current practice, the term is largely of historical interest and is not a standard category in most modern jewelry suppliers.

See also: Settings (jewelry), gemstone setting, bezel setting, prong setting.