Hi Julie,
Thank you for the time you have taken and the valued points.
Re point 1 -I used Rawhide Mallet to hammer over a flat-ended bezel pusher. Yours is the second suggestion to adapt something like a rod/nail so I am guessing what I did is not best. I think I might try a nail.
Re point 2 - I did think, wrongly perhaps, that if I file the top of the bezel at an angle, and therefore thin the silver sheet, that it would be easier to push in. You are right, that when I started hammering with the Mallet , the bezel ended up moving towards the stone horizontally. I think I was just desperate at that point. I take again, that jewellers don’t do that? I mean, taper the top of the bezel to push in easier.
Re point 3 - I will definitely look into stones hardness. I’ve used turquoise , lodolite, labradorite and cantera opal so far and the turquoise has responded best.
Re 4 -is this the case even if your stone is tall and has completely vertical walls?
5 and 6 I couldn’t quite understand
At the Bench with Andrew Berry is a great suggestion -I have watched some of his free YouTube
videos -(I am also based in the UK) but didn’t know he has a paid option. I will definitely investigate further.
Thank you so much for taking the time -your comments are so helpful. I have a stash of gemstones that I am dying to make into something and really felt like I have hit a wall as I knew what I did wasn’t right, but didn’t know why.
Mila