Hello, I have been learning how to make jewerly and my instructor does
not know how to set stones in a tube setting. She is not as advanced,
but helpfull. I know that you use a stone setting bur to make the step
for the stone but I am not sure what size of tube you need to buy…
or does one have to draw the tube with a draw plate? I have read
articles on here about this topic and just wanted to know if anyone
had any tips or hints… or how tos.
“tube setting” is one of the easiest methods of setting, but you
gotta be careful in its practice, send me your e-mail and tonight I
will in great detail advise you on its method…please!..gerry, the
cyber-setter/teacher…in Toronto, Canada,eh!
hi- there is an excellent article from Charles Lewton Brain about tube
setting archived over at the Ganoksin site. Also, you might want to
check the Orchid archives. There was a big discussion on this subject
about a year or so ago. (Has it been two years maybe??)
I sure hope you aren’t paying your instructor a lot of money because
if she is instructing you in jewelry making and doesn’t know how to
tube set a stone then she doesn’t know much about making jewelry. You
can buy ready made tubes for small size stones from most finding
manufacturers. Otherwise the best bet is to make a simple bezel and
bur out the seat.
Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Spirer Somes Jewelers
1794 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-491-6000 @spirersomes www.spirersomes.com
I would like to thank you for making this available to
Orchid members.I am always using skills I learned in your workshop in
Garvies Point Museum several years ago Thankyou,
Bill Fetzer-Locust Valley Long Island N.Y.
One of the GIA ‘tricks’ is to cut the seat for the stone in the
tubing to the right height…Put a short length of the tubing, about
1" or so in your flex tool, place the stone in, level it…Hold a
burnishing tool at about a 45 degree angle and hit the foot switch.
The burnishing tool will force the metal over to the stone, burnish
it and set it all in a few seconds when you get used to it. I put the
tube in…hold the setting bur to cut the seat, put the stone in,
burnish the metal over, and then take my saw and cut the tubing while
it is still turning, then level with a file and on to the
next one. After a few tries, you can really turn them out.
Jane, the outside of the tube must be bigger than the diameter of the
stone and the inside must be smaller. Use a stone setting burr in a
flexshaft to grind a seat for the stone. Be sure to move at a right
angle to the tube which is already soldered to the piece. Setting the
stone should be that last thing done. The burrs that are easiest to
use are made with a tapered tip and straight sides…a cylinder with
a cone on the tip if you can visualize it. The burr needs to be larger
than the stone but smaller than the tube. Rio carries both stone
setting burrs and thicker walled tubing. Good luck,
On the subject of tube-setting, here goes, sit back and relax and
read,eh! The very first thing anyone should do is to buy a “Setters
Tube Holder” which appears in the Gesswein catalogue, page328, lower
page #840-4225. I have only two of them for each of my two benchs that
I own. I do not see them in the Rio Grande, nor in the Stullers book
either. Why?..ask them! So now that you have one, lets get going,eh?
expose only the very top of the cullet in this new clamp, you don’t
want the bottom part to “wander off” center! This "cullet holder"
prevents the sides from collapsing while setting the miniscule item
for setting, the holder clamp has 7 ranges of sizes, you pick the chuck
that will not let the item move around while setting. Insert it
carefully and tighten very securely! place the diamond on the top and
make sure that the stone does not appear to be wider than the frame,
if it is, ream the top part open with an awl. Now place the diamond
again and check if there is enough metal protruding around the
diamond, if so. Lets start the grooving for the seat, okay? use a #156c Busch burr that is about 1/2 to 3/4 size of the desired stone
size and make a bearing low enough so that the ‘table’ of the stone is
flush with the top of the bezel…! start to make the bearing, with
little increments, so that it takes about 4-5 series of cuts to make
the circle-seat. Once this is accomplished, try and place the diamond
into the hole, if not, ream out the top part of the cullet ONLY! If it
is fine, the diamond will NOW should just fall into place inside of
the hole and stay in the new made bearing.:>) If it still doesn’t,
ream it open a tad more, but use a copper stone pusher to locate the
stone into the seat. I usually file around the top, a shade, so I
won’t have so much ‘metal’ to push over. I usually push the metal with
a “thin steel pusher” that is serated with a front end, so the pusher
wont slide off while doing its job. Once this is started, check for
any spaces under the metal, I want all the metal over and absolutely
TOUCHING THE STONE. We are now almost done. Except for filing around
the bezel. I now use a rubber wheel and shape the top and sides for
being even. I also use a mini needle triangle file # 4 cut for this
procedure,also. Now if you want try and use a right-sided onglette
graver or a flat #39 and cut inside of the metal that is over the
stone. It gives a proffessional look, and its a clean view! Did I make
this an easy project? after the first 200 -300, the settings come
easier, LOL! Please call upon me for more helpful hints,eh?
I have found the diamond setting books by Robert R. Wooding to be
very informative. The three book set is available through Rio Grande’s
Tool catalog ( and elsewhere I’m sure ) I have some tricks for setting
commercial tube settings with diamonds if anyone is interested, it
takes me about 10-15 minutes to complete the slide bezels ( from start
to finish ) It’s a pretty simple procedure.
I put the tube in...hold the setting bur to cut the seat, put
the stone in, burnish the metal over, and then take my saw and cut
the tubing while it is still turning, then level with a file and on
to the next one.
Forgive my ignorance… but from there, do you solder the tube with
the stone already set to the larger piece of jewelry? Do you use some
manner of cold connection? Obviously there would be concerns about
stone selection if you’re soldering… and air cool rather than
quench.
Would you be so kind as to elaborate just a little further?
I put the tube in...hold the setting bur to cut the seat,
put > the stone in, burnish the metal over, and then take my saw
and cut > the tubing while it is still turning, then level with a
file and on > to the next one.
Forgive my ignorance… but from there, do you solder the tube with
the stone already set to the larger piece of jewelry? Do you use some
manner of cold connection? Obviously there would be concerns about
stone selection if you’re soldering… and air cool rather than
quench. <<
If the stone were an untreated diamond & the solder being used was
not too high a temp, the tube & stone could be soldered. Untreated
corundums may be able to be soldered, but most other stones would be
risky. Actually, with the myriad of treatments being used today, it’s
risky to solder close to any stone unless you’ve got the experience &
info on the stones being used.
The info in the 1st post will work to make a tube setting if the
sequence is modified.
Place the tube in the # 30.
Put a correct size setting burr in a pin vise.
While running the # 30, insert the lubricated setting burr into
the tube to the correct depth.
Remove the setting burr from the tube, & stop the # 30.
Test fit the stone for proper width & depth. Correct as required.
Using a divider, scribe a line around the tube where it’s to be
cut. The divider works well when multiple tubes have to be cut to
the same length.
Run the # 30 while cutting the tube with a saw.
Fuse or solder the tube(s) to the base.
When all soldering operations on the piece are finished, set the
stones using your favorite bezel setting technique.
There are probably as many ways to complete the bezel setting
operations as there are jewelers, but just about all procedures can
be modified to suit the job, tools or skills at hand. It ain’t rocket
science, so experiment a little & expand your skill/knowledge base.
Another version of this technique could be to hold the tube in a pin
vise & mount the tools (setting burr & cutoff blade) in the
flexshaft. A polished & lubricated beading tool of the correct size
mounted in the flexshaft could be used for burnishing the bezel.