Stone Bezel Setting Tips

by Judy Larson

A lot more time is spent out of doors in the summer, which means many of us bring home beautiful found objects to use in our creations. This pendant, approximately 2¼" (57.5mm) long, was made using silver, brass, copper, and a freshwater lake beach rock found on a walk near our home.

Instructions

When searching for stones, remember that they should be relatively flat and thin enough to be held in place when bezel wire is pushed in around them. If a treasured find is too thick, the back may be able to be ground down a bit. I try to only do this in the summer in the garage with all the doors and windows wide open. Even with a breeze blowing through, I still wear a respirator as there will be a lot of rock dust flying which can irreparably damage your lungs over time if it is breathed in.

It is helpful to think of a stone in terms used to describe a cut gemstone.

The bezel wire must be wide enough to cover the girdle-the dotted line on the stones. It should also be wide enough to cover a bit of the crown-the crown and table on a rock round into each other. The arrows on the rocks show how high the bezel wire must be to capture the stone. Notice that the arrows are not pointing very far above the girdle line.

Judy Larson's Stone Bezel Setting Tips - , Metalwork, , gemstone terms

In most cases, the height of the girdle around the rock will not be the same. Many times, this will not be a problem, as in the rock on the left in the second photo. If one end of the rock is too thin - middle rock-it can be raised in the bezel with a small shim of metal soldered to the back plate - rock on the right.

Judy Larson's Stone Bezel Setting Tips - , Metalwork, , measuring bezels

Both photos are of the same rock. The girdles on either end of the rock in the first photo are the same height. Viewing from another angle in the second photo, the girdles on each side of the rock are much higher than the girdles on either end. The bezel wire should be wide enough to accommodate the side girdle height, the higher of the two.

Judy Larson's Stone Bezel Setting Tips - , Metalwork, , rock setting

After setting a few rocks, you will become more comfortable with the process. By then you will then be able to determine which widths and types of bezel wire to use that work with your design esthetic. It will also become easier to discern which stones will work and which will not.

The same principles can apply when choosing a "Tourist Rock" from the baskets of rocks by the checkout that are supposed to tempt children. Ha! I am always pawing through them to find treasures. Some real beauties were found on my last trip, and at only $1.50 to fill a little bag, these polished stones come in at less than 20 cents each!

Materials

20 Gauge Dead Soft Argentium Silver Sheet - 6 Inches

H19-20SM6

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1 Inch
Price: $79.56
Gold Club Price: $59.67

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28 Gauge 3/16" Fine Silver Bezel Wire

H9-28BZL

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
Price: $12.83
Gold Club Price: $9.62

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Tools

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Category: Metalwork
Technique(s): General Education

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Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!

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