Bezel setting with no back

Jewelry Discussion
41

Hi Helen, and all,

The surest way to know that there are no tight spots is to have a
little jiggle space between the stone and the bezel. The amount of
jiggle should be small enough that it does not matter if the stone
moves one way or the other, but carefull bending of the bezel from
opposite sides usually ensures the stone ends up central.

Tight spots can cause a stone to chip just trying it out for fit. I
like to have the bezel tight before soldering it to the base, that is
I know the fit is very close but the stone will not drop in
completely. After soldering I undercut the inside of the bezel (using
a ball burr or bullstick graver) to releive the tight spots and the
stone drops in freely.

I also like the stone to bear evenly on the base or ledge so that it
cannot rock when one end is pressed down. If the stone tips up when
one end is pressed then there is an overhang, or in other words a
see-saw, so by rocking the stone i see where the fulcrum is and cut
it away, repeating two or three times until rocking is barely
perceptible.

The bezel needs to be thick enough for some inside undercutting but
a thicker bezel may be too hard to bend. What I do is thin the top
portion of the bezel by filing or carefully using a rubber wheel. By
tapering the bezel thinner towards the top it will bend from the top
down rather than bend at the bottom. This is a good method for
fragile stones because I know that nothing will touch the stone
except the top portion of the bezel which can be seen. I often partly
close the bezel and then thin it some more before the final closing.
A rule of thumb for me is: if the bezel does not yield under the
pressure I am comfortable with, then thin it (tapered to the top)
until it does. This applies whether I am using a hammer handpiece or
rocker or burnisher.

The final step of getting the top edge of the bezel to touch the
stone so there are no gaps is to press the tool almost directly into
the edge, almost at a tangent to the surface of the stone where it
meets the bezel. The tool is not putting any pressure on the stone,
the pressure goes into the metal curling it down to meet the stone.
If a hammer handpiece is used for this on thicker bezels then the
edge will need trimming with a graver; if a small rounded point
burnisher is used on thinner bezels it leaves a good finish.

For bezels with no backs…

If the stone is freeform with a wavy edge of varying thickness, I
make a bezel out of a strip that is wide enough to cover the highest
spots on both sides, and thick enough to stand some thinning later on
as well as to have a strong central band around the stone. I form it
as close as possible to fit around the circumference and then solder
it closed a little tighter. A good fit is obtained all around by
hammer stretching and fine tuning with round pliers. The bezel can
follow concave spots but it must be wider there because it will have
to reach further later on when the bezel loosens up. Small concave
spots can be bridged completely.

Holding the stone centrally in the formed circle of metal I scribe
lines on the inside letting the scriber follow the contours of the
stone on each side. I trim the edges so that they swoop and curve
artistically and not necessarily follow the scribed lines precicely.
Curved tinsnips are great, or saw, then file. Eyes bales and fittings
are then soldered on and all annealed.

For the reasons described above for backed bezels I thin the edges
of the two bezels. Squeezing the two edges together with an inward
push, using flat and curved pliers, they begin to curl together over
the stone. Working around the stone a few times it becomes trapped,
and the fit around the circumference will be looser because the metal
stretches upon closing the bezels, and any concave bits will
straighten out a little. Now for some cheating! I mix 5 minute epoxy
and rub it all around inside the bezel. As soon as the epoxy gells I
continue closing the bezels by hammering all around one face and then
all around the other face a few times. I use a hammer handpiece and
have various found objects to rest the bezel (and never the stone)
against while hammering. This is important because the bezel must
continue being pinched even though a hammer is being used.

By now the epoxy is hard but mostly it has been squished inside or
outside the setting and it has done it’s job of keeping the stone
central. The bezel has been roughly closed and the stone cannot move.
I then smooth and refine the outside with files/emery/rubber wheels,
and thin the very edges of the bezels if necessary for the final
closing. For this I stand the setting on edge at an angle and hammer
downwards across the face of the stone into the bezel edges curling
the metal against the stone and closing any gaps.

Cheers, Alastair

42 
The surest way to know that there are no tight spots is to have a
little jiggle space between the stone and the bezel. The amount of
jiggle should be small enough that it does not matter if the stone
moves one way or the other, but carefull bending of the bezel from
opposite sides usually ensures the stone ends up central.

I really need help! I remember quite vividly that stone must fit in
the bezel in such a way that when placing bezel with the stone in
it, in front of the eye and looking at the bright light, one should
not see any light coming through. I remember it well because, every
time when I showed completed bezel (before the setting) to my teacher
and he would see the light, he smashed it with the hammer!

Did I imagined it all ? Was it all in my head ? Or may be I was
kidnapped by the aliens and I am reading Orchid in a parallel
universe when black is white and top is down.

Leonid Surpin

43

Hi Alastair,

The amount of jiggle should be small enough that it does not matter
if the stone moves one way or the other, but carefull bending of
the bezel from opposite sides usually ensures the stone ends up
central.

I can’t bend the metal by hand due to lack of strength so I’m a
hammer wielding stone setter! This means that if there’s any jiggle,
the stone jumps out of position when the first blow is given. I am
careful not to distort the bezel too much initially, otherwise the
stone wouldn’t be able to sit properly again, but I do find it
frustrating, having to “tame” the stone before successfully catching
it in the bezel where it can no longer move.

Tight spots can cause a stone to chip just trying it out for fit.

Yep done that, usually with emeralds! Yep those green stones again -
they are somewhat temperamental.

I obviously need to find a balance between jiggle room and too tight
a fit. I’m currently experimenting with using ready made tube and
using setting burrs to cut seats. It’s working out well but I was
surprised how hard it was to use bezel closing punches to close the
bezels, although I’m sure it’ll be easier to do so on larger stones.
I was setting 3.25mm CZ’s at the time, in OD 4mm, ID 3mm tubing,
using a 3.25mm burr to cut a seat. It was a compromise as it meant
that there wasn’t much of a “shelf” for the stones to sit on
(although they weren’t going anywhere), and the wall thickness was
reduced from 0.5mm to 0.375mm. I wondered whether it would have been
better to solder a bearing inside the tube and use 3mm stones, but
that would have defeated the object of buying ready made tubing.

Helen
UK
http://www.hillsgems.co.uk
http://www.helensgems.etsy.com

44 
that if there's any jiggle, the stone jumps out of position when
the first blow is given

You’re using punches or chasing tools I believe? You should be able
to use the pinky on the hand holding the punch to put a little
pressure on the stone. Or if that’s too cumbersome, slip a little
wedge of paper(just thick enough to limit movement) between the stone
and bezel opposite where you are going to start hammering. Don’t go
under the stone or you won’t be able to remove the paper easily. An
alternate would be top use something like clay, that you could soak
or wash away before cinching the bezel all the way.

Consider buying a hammer handpiece. Lots faster, and more
consistent.

45 
to my teacher and he would see the light, he smashed it with the
hammer!

That’s kind of a brutal teaching method. And apparently he taught
you his way is the only way. Did he ever give you a reason why no
light? Or were his students expected to not question anything? Sounds
like he wanted to make little jewelry automatons.

46

Leonid,

You are correct. I had to look at that post with my head tilted and
think. I think that the bezel should always be like you said.

'stone must fit in the bezel in such a way that when placing bezel
with the stone in it, in front of the eye and looking at the bright
light, one should not see any light coming through'

You aren’t caught in a parallel universe.

I set opal and many soft stones and have no jiggle room. I think if
you had the bezel loose the pressure it would take to really tighten
it would tend to put too much pressure on the stone and breakage
would be more likely. I know if the bezel fits properly then setting
is a DREAM.

Susan
www.ThorntonStudioJewelry.com

47 
That's kind of a brutal teaching method. And apparently he taught
you his way is the only way. Did he ever give you a reason why no
light? Or were his students expected to not question anything?
Sounds like he wanted to make little jewelry automatons.

Yes. And I think it’s interesting that this brutal destruction-style
teaching method had became part of jewellery apprenticeships almost
worldwide last century. Here in New Zealand there are a few who will
almost proudly tell similar stories from their learning experiences
of the destructive results from their small, ultimately forgiveable,
variances. Pity those who would dare challenge ‘the way’; presumably
they got out while they could and tried another trade… maybe the
Marines :wink:

Brian
Brian Adam
Auckland NEW ZEALAND
www.adam.co.nz

48

Hi Helen,

I use a carbon-fibre rod (about 1.5mm dia obtainable from kite shops
or model shops) to press a stone out of a setting and to hold a stone
in while hammering with the handpiece. If you are using a hammer and
punch you will be short of one hand. In that case a little sticky
substance is needed to keep the stone from jumping out. I find
beeswax is good because it will stick long enough but will wash out
in the ultrasonic.

and Hi to Leonid

Your teacher was certainly of the old school. I read that work
received from employees or sub-contractors by the house of Faberge
would simply be destroyed and returned with without explanation or
payment if the work was not satisfactory. The universe has turned
upside-down since then and I wonder whether that is good or bad. It
does not matter really because the overall balance of good and evil
remains today about the same as those days long ago.

I understand your point of view because I have done work on bezel
set items made to the standard you have been taught. I am amazed that
the stone will not budge if the slightest sliver of metal overhangs
the stone. More commonly I am able to open up a bezel with a scalpel,
and close it again with a quick rub after the repair is done. The
first example will have withstood a hunderd years of wear, the second
may be less than one year old. When working on the first example I
will make a new bezel that will last for 100 years if the present
owner requests and is willing to pay, but the owner is usually happy
to have it last for just a lifetime.

By ‘jiggle’ I mean a non-interference fit. It can be 0.01mm, (giving
a movement perceptable by touch, bot not visually), or 0.1mm, but
0.3mm will be will be sloppy. A perfect non-interference fit means
the stone will drop in with no interference and no jiggle, with a
mean deviation around the circumference that is…well somewhat
bigger than the wavelength of white light.

Cheers, Alastair

49 
Did he ever give you a reason why no light? Or were his students
expected to not question anything? Sounds like he wanted to make
little jewelry automatons.

The reason was is when you break stone in USA it is just that. You
simply go and get another one. In Russia it is almost impossible to
replace the stone, so you go to any length to avoid breaking it.

Leonid Surpin

50 
'stone must fit in the bezel in such a way that when placing bezel
with the stone in it, in front of the eye and looking at the bright
light, one should not see any light coming through'

I didn’t quite understand this when it was first posted but now I
do, thanks to Susan. When I set my stones, there’s NEVER enough space
that any light could bet through. It’s not possible as I build my
bezels with a nice “shelf” for them to sit on so light can’t
possibly get round the corners and if I do have any jiggle room, it’s
not very much at all. I prefer the type of fit that Alastair
mentioned - a non- interference fit where the stone is not so tight
that it’ll chip when turning the bezel onto the stone.

Helen
UK
http://www.hillsgems.co.uk
http://www.helensgems.etsy.com

51

To Leonid Surpin

Some “Old World” (Old School) teachers were brutally rigid and stuck
on tradition. And while you might have imagined this, this behavior
was a form of tradition. Someone smashed his bezels too. If it wasn’t
his teacher, it was his daddy. Maybe his “bezel” was the way he set
the table or something.

My point is, your teacher was “Extreme”. I am self taught, I always
concluded that the tighter the fit the better. But I’ve noticed that
sometimes something happens where there is a shift in soldering the
bezel to the back that deforms/relaxes a tight bezel just enough to
cause the stone to no longer fit. In that case I have to cut down
the stone. I don’t like to do that. So I leave just a little bit of
slack.

Your brutal teacher probably gave you an A+ education, but he also
seemingly gave you PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Sorry
about that.

TL Goodwin
Lapidary/Metalsmith
The Pacifik Image

52

Hi Neil,

Or if that's too cumbersome, slip a little wedge of paper(just
thick enough to limit movement) between the stone and bezel opposite
where you are going to start hammering.

Yep, that’s an option. I also like someone else’s suggestion of
using a little beeswax which will wash away in the ultrasonic
afterwards. I think ultimately I need to find the mid point between
too tight where the stone could chip when the bezel is closed and too
much wiggle room - somewhere in between. However, there’s no room for
light to leak through in my settings, but I’m sure Leonid’s boss
would crush them with a hammer for other reasons! :wink:

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll try the pinky on the hand holding
the punch first.

Helen
UK

53 
Your brutal teacher probably gave you an A+ education, but he also
seemingly gave you PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Sorry
about that.

In defense of the “brutal” teachers!

I consider myself very lucky because I had somebody who cared enough
to get upset when I screwed up.

A teacher who is polite, and pleasant to talk to, and never raises
his/ her voice probably does not care whether student succeeds or not.
Personally, I would want to learn from somebody who is passionate
about the subject. Those “brutal” lessons served me thousands times
better than hand- holding sessions which are so popular these days.

Leonid Surpin

54

Dear Alastair,

More commonly I am able to open up a bezel with a scalpel, and
close it again with a quick rub after the repair is done.

Hello. In the post above you mention use of a “scalpel” to open a
bezel. Is this a surgeons scalpel?

I purchased gravers and handles to make a tool for cleaning up the
tiny burs that sometimes appear on the inside edge of a bezel after
setting a stone. Never did make the tool and they are still sitting
in my drawer. I was wondering if a scalpel would work for this
purpose? What kind?

Thank you.
Best regards,
Lois

55

Leonid,

I have been yelled at when I was just a beginner at my first job and
in the first week. I stayed with it and I still remember it. I
didn’t quit the job and now I have my own shop. I was also used to
being yelled at as I was an athlete for many years in school before
college.

Susan
www.ThorntonStudioJewelry.com

56 
In the post above you mention use of a "scalpel" to open a bezel.
Is this a surgeons scalpel?

The point here is that to open a bezel without damaging it, you need
(besides care and your complete attention) a hard, slender, flat
steel tool. You also want something that isn’t too brittle. I
haven’t used scalpels, but Exacto blades and the like break too
easily, IMO.

What I like best is a little dentist’s tool with a profile a bit
like a golf club but flatter-- the end is a spatula about a
quarter-inch long with a not-quite-sharp edge. It inserts easily
without cutting the metal or scratching the stone and is strong
enough and thick enough at the base to run around the stone and
loosen the bezel.

I’m fairly sure the one I like is the second from the top in the set
of 12 on this page (not in the set of 6):

Noel

57 
More commonly I am able to open up a bezel with a scalpel, and
close it again with a quick rub after the repair is done.

I use a “bench blade”, which in my case is an old, dull pocket knife
with customized blades. Dull so you can choke up on the blade and
not cut yourself. Just a thin blade of steel, not really a knife. I
use scalpels for rubber molds and I’d never, never ever use one for
that. That makes me assume Alistaire is referring to a different
sort of scalpel than what I have - an old, steel handled scalpel
with a fine blade, likely. Mine are disposable, flexible, easily
broken and wickedly sharp.

58 
A teacher who is polite, and pleasant to talk to, and never raises
his/ her voice probably does not care whether student succeeds or
not.

Leonid, you seem to be king of sweeping generalisations. Teaching is
a vocation and the vast majority of teachers care VERY much about
their students’ success and they go into the profession because of
their passion. True there are those who aren’t passionate and who
see teaching as just a “job”, but they are very few indeed. You can
be passionate about your subject and about helping your students to
succeed, without the need for such bullying tactics.

Helen (qualified teacher and passionate about my students’ success,
whilst still calm and polite).

UK
http://www.hillsgems.co.uk
http://www.helensgems.etsy.com

59

Hi Lois,

I use a scalpel for opening thin bezels in order to remove the
stone. I carefully wedge the blade into the join between stone and
metal and work around the stone to gradually bend the bezel out. I
use a cheap craftwork scalpel and not a surgeons! The blade is
shortened to give it more strength, and the sides of the blade are
rounded and polished to prevent damaging or scratching the stone.

If the bezel is thick and strong, or the stone is fragile, then a
scalpel is likely to put too much pressure on the stone and damage
it. In that case the bezel is sawn off to release the stone and a new
bezel is soldered on, and the stone is set in it’s new setting.

I remove stones from a setting in order to peform repairs on the
item or to replace a worn out bezel. A worn out bezel can be cut off
because it will be replaced anyway.

The gravers that you have are very useful for trimming the edge of a
bezel (I will not use a scalpel for this), and for many other tasks.
A search in the archives will get you tips on how to set up and
sharpen a graver. Once a graver is set up, and sharp, practise
shaving off corners and edges on scrap pieces. When a file cannot
reach into the point of a ‘V’ your graver will!

All the best, Alastair

60 
More commonly I am able to open up a bezel with a scalpel, and
close it again with a quick rub after the repair is done.

I have made a tool for lifting bezels from the old favourate - an old
burr shaft.I have ground the end down a bit like the back of a
little plough share so it turns the edge away from the stone and
have put a graver handle on it. It lifts the bezel nice and cleanly
without too many burs and scratches. It makes a nice little
burnisher for edges of sheet as well.

Scalpels frighten me for jobs like this - too many scars from them
:slight_smile:

Regards
Robin Key
Clavis Jewellery
Aberdeen, Scotland.