Hope you good folks can help, as I’m working on a birthday gift
that’s due to be presented this Friday. I’m trying to set small oval
stones (two emeralds and a spinel) into a cup made with 18K bezel
wire, 30 gauge. Forming a good fitting cup hasn’t been too difficult,
calculating the length of the bezel where C 3D L X W/2 + .254 X pi.
However, after soldering the bezel and seating the stone using an
internal bezel wire as a seat, I am having great difficulty bending
the bezel over the stone. I expected that after all that heating,
the gold would be more pliable. Perhaps using a bezel roller isn’t
the best method to bring the gold down onto the stone. I’ve read of
using a punch, but am afraid of damaging the stones. Can anyone
offer a suggestion, as I am almost out of time. Thanks for any
suggestions.
Cathy Flory
JEWELWORKS
http://www.jewel-works.com