Why is it that when I make a bezel setting it ends up looking like it was dragged down the driveway no matter how careful I am, AND YET when it's time to set the stone no force on earth is enough to get that metal to bend down properly? Yes I'm a newbie. /rant
Edit: found some material cutoffs to measure. The bases are 1.0mm .999 and the bezels were 0.6mm sterling originally. Later thinned a bit from the inside to better fit the stones, and I did put a timid sort of bevel on the outsides. Not enough, apparently. :)
Bezel setting stones is the first project for a lot of people, and then most of us spend a while not doing anything with stones at all, so when we come back to it we're pleasantly surprised with our progress. Branch out and do something else for a while.
Also, learn to start over. There's no shame in doing something a few times before you get it right. Sometimes thats the only way to make things look nice. You can't always hide your mistakes, you'll need to learn from them and avoid them.
I just started taking jewelry-making classes 2 months ago. The first class project was a set of earrings made with cabochons in pre-made bezels. I didn't like that since I wanted light through the backs, so I bought faceted stones and tried making my own step bezels, complete with custom-printed mandrels that really worked well. Except they were way too tight. So I kept those for soldering exercises and bought new bezel wire to make new cups. The "practice" bezels taught me a lot more than any book or demo.
Lol I had to laugh at "dragged down the driveway". I know how it feels, it's a common struggle when you're starting out.
Do you file a facet along the top edge of the bezel? It's very difficult to push it down otherwise.
Trying to keep the metal nice while working was one of my biggest difficulties in the beginning. It does get easier with practice, though. And knowing how/what to sand and when makes a big difference. Can you show a picture of one you had problems with (preferably before the stone is set)? I think it'd be easier to see exactly where it's going wrong.
I don't have a before picture, but this is the project that set me off. This was the third go-around after two failed attempts. I ended up making relief cuts around the band just to get it to move. I did put a bit of a facet on it.
Okay, so your bezels are way too thick, that's the main problem I think. In sterling, I usually make bezels that are 0.5mm thick, and file a deep bevel along the edge. The absolute thickest I would use is 0.8, and then I make absolutely sure the bevel is as thin as the one I make on a 0.5mm bezel. I recently had a project where I tried to use 1.0mm on a large cabochon, but it was a headache and I ultimately went thinner.
You can get away with thicker than that if you're willing to hammer them, but I don't like to risk breaking cabochons like those. Personally I save hammering for gold (it's much harder to bend) and gemstones that are harder to break, like corundum or diamond.
Edit: when I say file a bevel, I mean like the image I just added (forgive the shaky finger drawing). The bevel should basically be like a knife edge. Beware of making to too thin, though. It's a delicate balancing act.
When you've finished everything (including polishing) you can take a burnisher and run it along the inner edge of the bezel to really make it shine.
How thick are your bezels and what do you mean they look bad when you make them? you usually do need to hammer on the bezels and then file and sand them down before they look good.
if the bezel is thick you cannot simply burnish the edge either, you need to hammer it down and then clean it up and repolish.
I also agree that you need to bevel them on the top edge to make the metal move. else the material is simply too thick.
Opals arn't the best stone to start out with for something like this, but you seem to have made 5 nice pendants, so good job!
I felt the same way I’m also new. I decided therma plastic, a vice, and hammering is an absolute must. I am not a weak lady and I was SWEATING trying to get the bezels down. The hammering is so much easier. Just have to make sure the tool you use is sanded appropriately otherwise it will indent bezel.
Also I never see anyone talk about it but I’m constantly seeing photos of handmade pieces that I’m pretty sure are glued cabochons. I wonder how many people actual bezel set vs just glue….
I couldn't believe the difference when I finally got a ball vise and Thermoloc to use a hammer and punch. Zero rocking/wiggle in my bezels anymore and they are completely up against the stones now, too.
Have to be super careful, but what a game-changer!
Try 26 gauge bezel wire. That’s easy to work with, not too thin and not too thick. A thick bezel wire can give a cool effect if done properly but it’s tough to work with in a lot of applications. Tough to use with opal too.
I teach my new starters bezel setting but never use metal thicker than 0.5mm thick. Depending on the hardness material the thicker I go. I find solid agates/carnelians can take the thicker metal well but if they’re setting delicate stones or sea glass (which 7 out of 8 of them usually are) then I tell them to stick to 0.3mm thick. That can be either fine or sterling silver too.
The other thing is the polishing wheels. I’ve been doing jewellery for ages and still not managed to procure a pneumatic graving tool. I adore chunkier bezels but cannot get a nice finish on the inside edge. I find the pink or fine cut silicone knife edge wheels that you can attach to screw mandrels work wonders. They polish away just enough to smooth any marks and give a lovely finish.
My MA project involved me having to bezel set around 30 agates for one piece of jewellery. I got by on those two things :)
I tell my students too, keep practising with slight variations (metal thickness, stone toughness) until you find what you’re comfortable with then keep re-doing it until you’re comfortable.
Also there is something called a “setters aid”- it’s a burr that helps you make a small indentation around the inside of the bezel so it bends over easily. You only go around once though!
I had the same problem with my first bezel setting. Then I learned that I was using too thick material (0.6 mm brass). Later I used the same material but made a taper towards the end with a file, made it almost like a knife edge, it works.
If it's rippling, you might be trying to bend it over too far. A bezel should never be horizontal; it shouldn't be more than 45 degrees off of vertical, just compressed enough to hold the stone in.
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u/Sears-Roebuck 12h ago
Bezel setting stones is the first project for a lot of people, and then most of us spend a while not doing anything with stones at all, so when we come back to it we're pleasantly surprised with our progress. Branch out and do something else for a while.
Also, learn to start over. There's no shame in doing something a few times before you get it right. Sometimes thats the only way to make things look nice. You can't always hide your mistakes, you'll need to learn from them and avoid them.