In the 19th century diamonds were cut by hand, rather than machine, making it almost impossible to recreate a uniform shape. When setting more than one diamond together tightly, Victorian jewellers would combine many different sizes, resulting in a speckled, or in some cases graduated, appearance, full of character and interest. This is the effect replicated in Lucy Delius’ Victorian-set pavé, a tribute to this lineage. The setting itself involves carving a small divot into metal, and then using a tool to create tiny prongs, or beads, to secure the diamond in place.
