Setting Bezels and Cleanup

Lesson: Setting Bezels and cleanup

Bezel Setting Wisdom:

• Be patient!
• Regular shaped stones are easier to set!
• The thinner the wall the quicker it is to set. Think about how the wall thickness adds to the design of your piece.
• Leave an opening in the bottom of the bezel. This way you can get in to clean the stone after it is set. Stones in rings and earrings especially pick up body oils and dirt very quickly. Thinking about this while creating a piece makes it easier for you to take care of it.
• Make sure that your bezel fits the stone properly! If the stone sits correctly, setting is much easier- trust me. It is well worth the extra time to get it right.
• To set the bezel, work opposite sides during setting. This keeps the stone centered and the pressures balanced.

Setting Thin Wall Bezels:

• Place the stone into the setting, and hold with clear tape.
• With a burnisher, push the wall into the stone at 12 o’clock, then 6 o’clock. Follow at 9, then 3.
• Rock the burnisher from almost perpendicular to almost parallel to the bezel wall.
• Continue this cross pattern until you have gone all the way around the stone.
• Once the stone is held securely, go around the setting in a circular pattern smoothing the bezel out.
• Mask your stone with tape or rubber cement.
• File and sand any bumps or nicks out of the bezel.
• Polish the bezel if desired.
• Remove masking from stone

Setting Thick wall Bezels:

• Place the stone into the setting, and hold with clear tape.
• Tap with the steel setting punch to set.
• Only tilt the punch less than 20 degrees- it should be almost straight up and down.
• Start on the small ends of the stone for oval cuts.
• Work from the ends toward the center.
• File. If needed, you can retape the stone and file through the tape.
• Guide the file with your other hand to prevent slippage.
• Use your flat graver on the inside to take down the high spots on the chamfer.
• Refile the top, and clean with pumice wheel.