Bezel setting a stone on top of a stone

Jewelry Discussion
1

What is the best way to bezel set a stone on top of another bezel set
stone? I was thinking that I carve a hole in the bottom stone so the
bezel for the second stone will fit through it and solder to the
base. Am I thinking correctly?

Thanks - Joy

2

Many older traditional men’s onyx rings were bezel set with a bezel
set diamond in the center of the onyx. In this case the onyx is
drilled, with a hole smaller than the diamond bezel The bezel is then
is soldered to tubing that will fit threw this hole. The diamond is
set into the bezel, then the tubing on the underside of this bezel is
pushed threw the hole and burnished tight. The larger stone can be
counter sunk to set the bezel down neatly, and often the hole on
underside of the onyx was countersunk slightly, or cross grooved to
allow the burnished metal a better hold to prevent rotation.

We used to solder the bezels onto the tubings, hold each in a
watchmaker’s lathe to set and tighten the diamond, and then assemble
them on thefinnished onyx ring.

Today with access to a laser many variations on this bezel set on to
be= zel set could be immagined, with little risk of damage to heat
sensitive gemstones.

3

Joy,

There are a number of ways to do what you propose. The easiest might
be to use a diamond core drill, and slowly (and with a water
coolant) drill a hole through the stone. Your stone to be set on top
can have a tube soldered onto the back of the bezel cup, which fits
tightly into the hole you’ve drilled into the lower stone. Sometimes
a second hole and tube is required to keep the bezeled stone on top
from spinning. You can drill out a small impression in the back of
each of your stone’s drilled holes and spread the end of the bezel
tubes behind the stone to keep the tubes from coming back out the
hole, which will secure the bezel to the stone’s top, but keep the
stone flat on its bottom to make for easy setting into a bezel. Does
this make sense?

Jay Whaley

4

in the past i drilled a hole through the larger bottom stone,
soldered a wire in the larger bezel cup that lined up with the hole
drilled in the stone. next i created the bezel cup for the smaller
stone and drilled a hole in the bottom on the cup for the wire to go
through. the wire is then tapped down to form a rivet to hold the cup
in place. then the stone is set in the cup.

5

Joy;

that is an option if you want the stone recessed into the other stone
however a much easier way if you want the stone to set atop the other
stone is to drill a hole through the bottom stone with a diamond
drill bit or there are a lot of doughnut beads out there which will
work nicely in some instances. Solder small tubing to the bottom of
the top bezel the same size as the drilled hole. After you have set
the bottom stone drill a hole on through the lower bezel.using the
hole you drilled through the stone. Insert the top bezel with tube
and set as a rivet to the bottom stone. If it is a large stone you
can make two rivets.

Dave

6

Meghan, thanks for the on setting a stone on top of a
stone. What kind of drill did you use to drill the hole through the
larger bottom stone? I would imagine that the drill would have to be
the same size as the bezel cup for the smaller stone. I looked in
Reo catalog and they have a lot of diamond drills for drilling
stones, but I am puzzled as to which to get. Some are described as
core drills. Are these better?

Alma Rands

7 
What kind of drill did you use to drill the hole through the larger
bottom stonee I would imagine that the drill would have to be the
same size as the bezel cup for the smaller stone. I looked in Reo
catalog and they have a lot of diamond drills for drilling stones,
but I am puzzled as to which to get. Some are described as core
drills. Are these bettere

Yes, Alma, get a core drill. I did this on my latest piece, and it
worked very well. Drill under water, pecking in and out of the hole
to clear debris. I think my core drill is about 4mm. This is SO fun!

M’lou