Is it magic or is there a trick to setting a jewel "under" a
fabricated piece of metal?
Ways to do this are, as you suppose, to bend the metal into place
over the finished bezel after the bezel is set, or to design the
bezel so that the gem slips under a section. In some cases, that
hidden section does not then have to be a burnished over bezel (your
moon flower example is one such. The hidden part of the bezel isn’t
visible, so you don’t actually even need the bezel to fully extend
under that part, only appear to do so. If it does extend under that
part, it need not be burnished over fully, if you cannot reach it. In
many cases, you can reach the bezel from the side or even the back,
especially if you use self made burnishing tools, which can easily be
much smaller than a standard burnisher. Old burs can be bent and
ground, etc, into small tools that will reach almost any area you can
see, for example.
Other options are that the gem, though it appears normally bezel
set, may actually be set from the back. The bezel if fully formed to
it’s finished shape during fabrication (before the overlays are
added. The gem inserts from the back, held by another bezel, or
prongs, or whatever. Sometimes it’s done with an “insert” layer that
holds the gem up into the setting. That insert layer then can itself
be held with rivets, small prongs, or another small bezel that may
not actually look like a bezel to a casual glance.
And another way, often found in antique work where sometimes the
overlay totally wraps over a gem or enamel, or otherwise is such that
the gem cannot be slipped under it in any visible way, is simply that
the gem is set first, and then the entire overlay is added, but
affixed with cold connections, ie rivets, screws, or some such. That
connection method would then only be visible from the back, and in
some antiques, is itself then hidden by some additional construction
added to the back. With enamels, low temp (lead) solders are another
means to attach overlays when needed. Often found on antique work of
various types, both original work, and as a repair method. Somewhat
distateful to modern jewelry standards, but nevertheless useful at
times, and some of the modern versions of low temp solders (Tix, Stay
Clean, etc) are higher performance materials than the classic
tin/lead solders once used.
And then, of course, there are the most modern and high tech methods
of affixing things while avoiding issues of heat. Overlays can easily
be affixed after setting a bezel if you happen to have, or can
contract out work with, a laser welder, or one of the various types
of capacative discharge welders (PUK, or others). These can weld an
overlay onto a gem setting without risking damage to the gem or
enamel. If you don’t have one, you may be able to find local
jewelers or workshops that do, who’d be willing to help you do that
part of your assembly. If you can’t find such locally, feel free to
email me. I’ve got a laser, with which I happily do work for other
jewelers around town when they need…
Peter Rowe
Seattle