What is inlay jewelry?

This is an example of a flush-cut inlay, and is made with sterling silver and agatized coral.

What is a gemstone inlay?

Inlay jewelry is a special subtype of jewelry that involves cutting a stone (or many stones, like with the earrings pictured here) to a precise shape that will perfectly fit a metal recess that has already been fabricated—out of either gold or sterling silver.

Because of this, inlay jewelry vastly differs from typical jewelry settings (like an engagement ring with a prong-set diamond) which are designed to fit around a stone that has already been cut and polished.

How is inlay jewelry made?

In the majority of stone settings, metal (whether gold, silver or copper) is pushed down over a stone to hold it in place. This could be anything from a prong setting to a bezel setting--but there are many other types as well.

Inlay jewelry is made by first making the metal setting, then cutting the stones to fit the recess. The inlaid stones should fit tightly on their own, but they are then glued in place with a water-clear, high-strength epoxy.

(Pictured is an example of what one of my cobblestone inlay pendants looks like before the stones are inlaid. You can see the 1/8 inch recesses that are ready for stones).

What is inlay jewelry made with?

Essentially any type of precious or semi-precious stone can be used in inlay jewelry, from jaspers to dinosaur bone or even fossilized coral!

If you’ve seen Native American inlay jewelry, most of them are made with stones like turquoise, red coral, onyx, jet, and spiny oyster shell among other traditional Native American inlay materials.

Pictured is a cobblestone inlay pendant where each stone is cut, domed, and polished individually so it creates an interesting texture. This inlay pendant "Sunset Dock” is one of my signature figurative inlay pendants.

 Are there different types of inlay jewelry?

 There are three different kinds of inlay jewelry

1.     Flush-cut inlay

2.     Cobblestone inlay (also referred to as a cobbled inlay or pillow inlay)

3.     Chip inlay

 A flush-cut inlay is where the surfaces of each stone are cut and polished at the same time, creating a smooth, flush surface.

A cobblestone inlay is where each stone is cut, domed, and polished separately, creating a more interesting surface texture.  

A chip inlay is like a flush-cut inlay but instead of being made with bigger pieces of hand-cut stone, a chip inlay is made with crushed stone before being cut smooth.

A chip inlay is a considerably less expensive option because there aren’t any hand-cut stones involved.

(Pictured is a sample of my chip inlay stud earrings using upcycled pieces of stone from other inlay jewelry pieces.)

Is inlay jewelry fragile?

 Inlay jewelry is generally durable—depending on the type of adhesive the jeweler used in your inlay jewelry. They aren’t any less fragile than other pieces of jewelry since all jewelry requires careful wear and some maintenance.

Chip inlays are typically less durable than the types of inlays I do because those ones are usually done with a CA glue (something like Super Glue) which is not an adhesive that can withstand the test of time. My chip inlays use a two-part epoxy unless otherwise noted.

Your best bet is to work with a reputable inlay jewelry artist that uses a water-clear, 2-part epoxy in their designs instead.

How to take care of inlay jewelry?

Here are a few preventative measures to keep your inlay jewelry staying in top shape for longer:

 -Don’t wear in pool, shower, or ocean. Just washing your hands wearing an inlay ring is fine.

-Limit exposure to high heat.

-Avoid abrasive and chemical cleaners.

-Don’t put your inlays in an ultrasonic cleaner. This cleaner can damage soft stones that may be present in your design, like opal or turquoise. It’s best to hand-clean or use an ionic cleaner instead.

See my full list of how to take care of your inlay jewelry here.