I use a “bench blade”, which in my case is an old, dull pocket knife
I use a jumbo bobby pin that has been bent and the end shaped to do
the job. I like it best because it gives me something to hold and its
not sharp at all.
I have made a tool for lifting bezels from the old favourate - an old burr shaft.I have ground the end down a bit
I took a half round needle file and curved the end, then I concaved
the flat side and then removed any file markings from where the tool
would touch a gem. You can make the edge thin and smooth and polish
well. The concave inside convex outside allows the tool to move
around a tight corner of a triangle or a small oval gem. I have used
this on faceted gems and opal.
When doing this there is a good chance you will damage the gem
unless you are very, very careful and have really good control and
really pay attention to where you put the tool and how much pressure
you use.
Open up the bezel at the very top and gently work down and moving
side to side. Sometimes I can pull the tool along the side of the
gem, sometimes I have to push straight down to get the bezel opened
to get started. I also have a pocket knife where I rounded the end,
slight dome shape on both sides, end is curved (not pointed), the end
is ground and polished so it is very thin, and I can use this to
start opening the bezel. Do not push in the direction so the pocket
knife closes on your finger if it does not have a locking blade. I
never do this unless I am willing to replace the gem if I break it
Richard Hart
Perhaps the best tool for lifting bezels is a small stainless steel
spatula, used in the chemistry business. These can have two ends,
one half-round and one narrow but also rounded. The steel in these
is strong and flexible, plus quite thin as made, so you don’t need
to modify it at all. It will easily fit between the bezel and any
cabachon stone and is strong enough to lift the bezel away from the
stone, By wiggling it gently back and forth, you can follow the
first insertion all the way around any stone, even narrow portions.
I have used one of these to remove thousands of stones over the past
38 years, especially handy when it come to repairing sterling silver
jewelry and more specifically native American jewelry. I have only
broken one of these over that period!
Chris van Laer
Asterism Services
www.asterism-services.com
Dear Alastair, Noel, John, Richard, Robin, Candy,
Thank you all for the great tips. I saved them in a special file I
keep. Here is part two of the question: Any more tips on how to
remove a tiny bit of metal that is in a groove?
When I set stones I sometimes get a tiny bur of metal on the inside
edge of the bezel near the stone. Alastair has sent me in the right
direction-get friendly with gravers, and I am and will. “Engraving
on Precious Metal” by A. Brittain and P. Morton and “Creative
Stonesetting” by John Cogswell, are new additions to my library.
Best regards to all,
Lois
Perhaps the best tool for lifting bezels is a small stainless steel spatula, used in the chemistry business.
That’s interesting. I should have one of those buried in the bottom
of a cupboard somewhere - knowing me, it’ll still be in the pocket
of my lab coat! I’ll look it out as it does seem like a useful tool
for the studio.
Helen
UK