How To Set A Cabochon In A Bezel

bezel cups

Set made bezel settings are a approval, particularly in smaller sizes where they are super fiddly to create yourself. They are a not bad time saver and if you are just starting out making your ain jewellery yous may discover them a good fashion to innovate stones into your designs, without having to solder bezel strip to a metal sheet back plate cut to the shape of your gemstone cabochon.

The bezel settings that are pictured hither and that we have referred to are sold equally loose settings so they can exist soldered to your designs to make pendants, rings etc. The manufacturing procedure (dice struck) ways that these are made of a thin sheet of metal, notwithstanding other ready-made settings, for instance, pendant, earring and ring settings may be cast, in which case they are usually thicker.

Often these settings will fit your stones perfectly merely that cannot be taken for granted and from time to time the setting will non always be equally perfectly uncomplicated as placing the stone in the setting and either gluing in or rubbing over the bezel to hold the rock in identify - sometimes yous will demand to make some adjustments.

On this page we will give you some ideas of the ways in which you lot can practice this if needed, to ensure a good fit. Learning these uncomplicated techniques will be essential to your skillset as a jewellery maker.

Shop recommended supplies

Bezel cups and loose settings
Stone setting tools
Cabochon settings

Is size variation common in cabochon stones?

Commercially cut stones will accept a slight tolerance in size variation. For instance, some of our 5mm cabochon stones measure with rarely more than 0.2mm tolerance over or under 5mm (i.e. measuring iv.8mm - v.2mm - this variance is not usually noticeable to the eye).

This can vary and there will commonly be enough of stones that sit bang on the exact measurement, but they could vary up to 0.5mm (though unremarkably much less than this) and this variance is influenced by the style they are cut, the supplier and where they are cut.

The best solution is to design and make custom settings for individual stones, but this isn't always your preference or applied. Sometimes taking a shortcut and using a ready-made setting is the best selection, just information technology is worth understanding a little most the expectation of commercially cut stones, the settings and the right techniques needed to make adjustments if necessary. Sometimes if a stone is a fraction larger or smaller due to the slight tolerance variation, information technology will seem like it will not readily fit the setting.

Getting scale completely exact with no tolerance is costly, and so if you wanted truly perfectly calibrated sizes with absolutely no tolerance of size variation this would cost considerably more than than y'all may expect to pay. This is the dilemma between buying a costly custom cutting stone vs commercially cut gems. Fifty-fifty with an incredibly minor size tolerance of +/- 0.01mm on a stone and +/- 0.01mm on a bezel cup, you lot could still have an oversized stone with a fractionally undersized bezel cup. Basic maths and engineering principles. So you lot take to weigh up cost vs precision. This is why nosotros have put this page together for you, to aid sympathize these things and add together a few more skills to your arsenal.

How to accommodate a bezel setting for a cabochon

There are several means that you can arrange a bezel setting to fit a rock that has a minor plus tolerance. Usually, you are only talking about a fraction of a millimetre and often a very pocket-sized adjustment will brand all the difference in allowing your stone to fit.

Conduct in mind that when y'all solder your setting onto the piece of jewellery you are annealing the metal (softening), this will assist somewhat in partially helping the stone fit easier equally the metal will be a chip more pliable.

Cylinder Stone Setting Burr

Rock Setting Burrs

Stone setting burrs are not just for making your own settings or for flush settings, they accept a multitude of uses and are brilliant for gradually grinding away a little metal allowing the stone to accept a better fit. Burrs are essential if using bandage settings which are mostly thicker as the methods above would not exist suitable for these. Using a burr would also exist much neater and efficient.

Go carefully though if you are using die struck bezel settings every bit these are fabricated from thinner metal so y'all don't want to exist heavy-handed and find you lot have burred right through the wall of the bezel! Rock setting burrs come in various shapes and sizes, a cylinder burr (pictured above) is a good shape to use for this method.

Dremel 4000 Multi Tool With Flexible Shaft & 45 Accessories

Dremel 4000 Multi Tool With Flexible Shaft

Our stone setting burrs are perfect for using with a Dremel Multi Tool, ideally, utilize them with a flexible shaft equally it will permit you more than control.

The Dremel 4000 Multi Tool with flexible shaft is a must have for jewellers, the flexible shaft enables precise, detailed work. Brilliant for detailed sanding, carving, engraving, cutting, grinding, cleaning and polishing.

Another corking choice is using a coarse silicon polishing cylinder which is impregnated with fast cutting abrasives for grinding away excess metallic.

special instructions

Tin can you check the size of stones before sending them out?

Yes! We accept a 'special instructions' in the basket for your requests such as request for the cabochon to fit in the bezel cup.

We want to exist as helpful equally we can then if you specifically request that you want an exact size or you lot need a stone to hands fit in a setting nosotros volition be happy to help notwithstanding we can - inside reason. Our team at Kernowcraft want you to be happy with your orders from usa and nosotros know that when y'all are a beginner and just starting out you may like to start with an easy setting where trivial or no adjustment is necessary, if and then just talk to u.s.a. (give the states a call on 01872 573888) and nosotros will be happy to propose and brand sure y'all get the best rock or setting for you lot.

Add 'Special Instructions' on your website order with Kernowcraft

In the shopping handbasket y'all volition notice a pencil icon and the words 'Add special instructions' next to each item in your shopping basket, you tin can use this feature to add together a message regarding that product which the person personally picking your society will be able to see.

We would suggest that you do brand sure your phone number is included on your order in case we need to contact you about your request - nosotros will only contact yous if there is a query on your lodge.

If calculation notes to your order, do be aware that if adding multiple requests to your order this could take longer to process and get on its way to you. We can brand some checks within the role when selecting stones for you, just ultimately this will be something you demand to appraise yourself when making your pattern and setting your stone. For example nosotros can bank check some stone sizes against our office gear up of bezel cups, but cannot bank check everything or completely remove the need to brand adjustments when setting.

stone setting tool kit

Shop Rock Setting Tool Kit

Of course, these are a just a few of the tools which you will demand for setting stones and depending on the extent of your project you may need soldering and polishing equipment besides, only these essentials are slap-up so ensure that you take them in your kit.

bezel cups

Store Bezel Cups

Our range of sterling silvery, 14ct golden and copper loose settings, bezel cups and mounts are perfect for when you lot desire to solder a pre-fabricated setting onto a pattern, such as a ring band or pendant.

cabochons

Shop Cabochons

Nosotros stock over 500 high quality, precious and semi precious gemstone cabochon stones. We specialise in supplying beautiful, high quality, cabochon and faceted stones that are carefully picked by our buying team for setting in your jewellery pieces. You lot may besides like to explore our range of settings for cabochon stones too in a range of styles.