How to Adjust Bezel Settings to Fit Cabochons

Ready made bezel settings are a blessing, particularly in smaller sizes where they are super fiddly to create yourself. They are a great time saver and if you are just starting out making your own jewellery you may find them a good way to introduce 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 here and that we have referred to are sold as loose settings so they can be soldered to your designs to make pendants, rings etc. The manufacturing process (die struck) means that these are made of a thin sheet of metal, however 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 but that cannot be taken for granted and from time to time the setting will not always be as perfectly simple as placing the stone in the setting and either gluing in or rubbing over the bezel to hold the stone in place - sometimes you will need to make some adjustments.

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

Shop recommended supplies

• Bezel cups and loose settings
• Stone setting tools
• Cabochon settings

Use A Burnisher

Running the tip of a burnisher around the inside of the setting can sometimes be all you need to enlarge the bezel cup. Sometimes just this little flaring out of the top of the setting is enough to allow the stone to fit into place.

Use Half Round Pliers

You can also ever-so-slightly gently ease the top of the setting out using the tips of half round pliers to allow your cabochon to fit.

Stone Setting Burrs

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

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

Dremel Multi Tool

Our stone setting burrs are perfect for using with a Dremel Multi Tool.

The Dremel Multi Tool is a must have for jewellers, enabling precise, detailed work - brilliant for detailed sanding, carving, engraving, cutting, grinding, cleaning and polishing.

Another great option is using a coarse silicon polishing cylinder which is impregnated with fast cutting abrasives for grinding away excess metal.

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Needle Files

Needle files are also a great way to remove excess metal, such as using a flat file for filing down the height of a bezel to make it fit your gemstone cabochon neatly and can also be used to make the inside of the bezel finer and easier to push over the cabochon.

Can you check the size of stones before sending them out?

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

We want to be as helpful as we can so if you specifically request that you want an exact size or you need a stone to easily fit in a setting we will be happy to help however we can - within reason. Our team at Kernowcraft want you to be happy with your orders from us and we know that when you are a beginner and just starting out you may like to start with an easy setting where little or no adjustment is necessary, if so just talk to us (give us a call on 01872 573888) and we will be happy to advise and make sure you get the best stone or setting for you.

Add 'Special Instructions' on your website order with Kernowcraft

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

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

If adding 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 make some checks within the office when selecting stones for you, but ultimately this will be something you need to assess yourself when making your design and setting your stone. For example we can check some stone sizes against our office set of bezel cups, but cannot check everything or completely remove the need to make adjustments when setting.

Shop Stone Setting Tool Kit

Of course, these are a just a few of the tools which you will need for setting stones and depending on the extent of your project you may need soldering and polishing equipment as well, but these essentials are great so ensure that you have them in your kit.

Shop Bezel Cups

Our range of sterling silver, 14ct gold and copper loose settings, bezel cups and mounts are perfect for when you want to solder a pre-made setting onto a design, such as a ring band or pendant.

Shop Cabochons

We 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 may also like to explore our range of settings for cabochon stones too in a range of styles.

HAVE A QUESTION?

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our friendly team who will be more than happy to give you advice over email or on the phone.

You can learn more and find inspiration by visiting our Jewellery Making Tutorials, Jewellery Making Kits and YouTube Channel. Don't forget to follow us on social media and tag us in your designs on Instagram & Facebook, we would love to see!