video:
Supplies |
Order # | Quantity |
| Fine-silver bezel cup | shop metals | 1 |
| Foredom® SR/30 flex shaft system | 117-534 | 1 |
| Foredom® 15D hammer handpiece | 117-020 | 1 |
| Bezel roller & prong pusher set | 113-030 | 1 set |
| Straight burnisher | 113-029 | 1 |
| Cob meal | 336-036 | as needed |
| Carnelian cabochon; 40 x 30mm | 065-217 | 2 |
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| Steps: |
| Choosing a bezel setting When bezel-setting a cabochon, you will be forming the setting wall just over the edge of the cab. Therefore, the wall of the setting should be high enough to hold the stone in place, but not so high that its beautiful domed edge is covered. If the setting wall is too high, you can either file down the wall, or you can add a backing to the base of the setting, such as a layer of cob meal. If the setting wall is too short, you can file down the back of the cab until it reaches an appropriate thickness for the setting. |
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Setting the cabochon in a fine-silver setting |
| 1. Place the carnelian cabochon in the bezel setting. The cab should fit snugly |
| 2. Using the rocker bezel roller, start at the stone’s 12 o’clock position and begin pushing the setting wall over the cab. Proceed to the 6 o’clock position, the 3 o’clock position, then the 9 o’clock position, sliding the end of the pusher up and over the wall. If you are using a fine-silver bezel setting, you do not need to push hard to bend the metal. NOTE: Be careful that you do not run the roller across the cab; softer stones will be damaged. Try placing your fingers against the setting and the stone as support to keep from slipping. |
| 3. As you form the setting around the cab, small creases will begin to form in the setting wall. To smooth them out, roll the rocker bezel side-to-side on top of the creases, making your way around the entire setting. Change the angle of the bezel roller and press the setting wall a bit more from the top to continue to form the setting. |
| 4. For a smooth, secure finish, tightly grip the straight burnisher close to the tip, then in long strokes, press the wall around the cab while supporting the setting from the back until the wall is flush against the cab. If you still see gaps, use the rocker bezel roller again along the very edge of the setting, rocking back and forth. |
| Setting the cabochon in a die struck/hardened metal setting |
| If you are using a die struck, cast or hardened metal setting, you will need to use a mechanical tool such as a Foredom® flex shaft to push the bezel down. Load the Foredom® 15D hammer handpiece into the flex shaft (make sure the anvil part of the hammer handpiece is polished). Begin "hammering” the setting wall, allowing the flex shaft to do the work to bend the setting over the cab, working on opposite sides of the stone and rolling across the wall as described above. |
bezel setting tool
I have found a very good tool for bezel setting can be made from an old 8 or 6 inch flat file.
Place the file tang first down, about 1/2" of the wide bit into a vice, place an old rag over the file to stop fragments flying about and with a heavy hammer and a firm slow swing will snap the file off above the vice.
Using a bench grinder, shape it straight across pushing face, using the finer wheel to grind a concave shape into the setting face, slightly round top face and smooth all edges with emery paper.
Fit into a graver like handle and you will have a tool that has much more control (as you are not trying to push a rounded tool against a round setting)
A piece of cardboard cut to fit over bezel can protect item below from marking, and by simple rotation of your wrist the pusher will fold the metal around the stone with out too much risk of distortion to the rim of setting.
Done properly it doesn’t need burnishing as the metal goes down in a smooth sweep. Using a flat graver with a correctly rounded and polished heal, done properly will leave a mirror finish around the stone. As per usual care and common sense is needed.