Ian Barnard

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Ian Barnard Diamond Setting School, I talk about tools, setting, and how to become a better setter. NIQUA Jewellery Instruments Ambassador
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17/10/2026

Carbide is far and above better than steel for drilling.
It stays sharp longer and cuts cleaner and is easier to resharpen.

But its only better at that because it’s so much harder, which also makes it brittle. As a result it’s a lot less forgiving.

When it breaks, it can be an absolute nightmare, there’s no acids that will eat it away, it’s an annoying slow process of digging all the pieces out, because if anything is left in the hole it will destroy your burs when you go to open up the holes.

Steel doesn’t last as long, and doesn’t work very well in stainless, but it’s much cheaper, and much more forgiving. So if you’re just learning, I would stick to steel drills.

If you’ve got the hand control, try some carbides. You will never look back. Just don’t break them in a piece and say I didn’t warn you 🤣

16/10/2026

I really enjoy getting stones this close. It s a great look.
It’s not typically visible to the naked eye, but it’s satisfying to do.
That said, it can introduce a whole host of problems. There’s very little room for mistakes, and requires perfectly calibrated stones. It can introduce issues with sizing down the road and durability, a good knock can push stones together and make them chip. And even going from 0.05 to 0.01 spacing, while it doesn’t sound like much, it can often take 50% or longer to set the same job.
But it sure is fun 🤣

15/10/2026

Sometimes a millegrain tool just isn’t enough. When you want large defined beads for millegrain it’s always better to go with a beading tool. Preparing it correctly can make or break how clean the beads come out 👌

29/08/2026

The app for saving time on the bench - Carit, available now on IOS and Android

28/07/2026

It doesn’t make for entertaining content to show cutting a proper seat for a bezel. But it typically takes make longer than hammering and cleaning up and bright cutting.

A princess cut especially has fragile tips, and if they take any pressure upward or downward they will chip. Cutting these seats so the stone is level and secure and the tips are protected from pressure is critically important.

Done correctly, hammering is relatively easy, let the main girdles hold the pressure, and go gentle around the tips, and you will be fine.

It’s small details that save you expensive mistakes.
I teach the whole sequence for bezel setting among many other styles in The Microsetting Academy

17/06/2026

For 10 years I’ve worked out stone counts with paper, a pencil, and pi. Now it’s a couple of taps, and so much easier. If you’re interested in trying it out for yourself, link is in my bio. 👌

17/06/2026

A 90 V on castle side cuts, every time. A 60 or a # 2 or 4 onglette I find to just be too narrow, the individual facets sparkle, but from the side look blade and dead.
I find the 90 makes them light up from the side, because both facets can reflect outward.
What’s your go to graver for these cuts?

I built .app for jewelers looking to save time on the bench, have a look 🤌

12/06/2026

This was a feature request from my stories from a couple of weeks ago, thought it was a great idea.

This is out with the new update of .app that came out yesterday, if you don’t see it, head to the App Store and update.

If you’d like to try it out, it’s live in IOS and Android stores now.

More coming soon 🙏

12/06/2026

Nothing ruins a good story like the truth. If you’re not lying to the customer in a sale, just stretching the truth for views, is that ok?

10/06/2026

This took me surprisingly long to learn!
wheels can be great for getting a clean finish after bezel or channel setting. But the reason they are great is they are impregnated with abrasive particles.

Those same abrasive particles wreak havoc on our polished gravers. Tiny scratches that you often can’t even see on the gravers itself, but leave huge marks along the bright cut.

A simple dip in an ultrasonic before bright cutting will make your life a lot easier, I do this with all settings, anytime Ive use dan abrasive, if I’m about to bright cut.

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