[Jewelry making - Article 00548] - Re: [Orchid] 14K Bezel frustrations

[james newton]

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    Have you tried annealing the bezels before you set the stone? We were
    taught many years ago to make a small punch from square steel stock,
    and work down and in with firm but cautious hammer strokes. These
    days I use a Graver Max to work the bezels. You will need to clean up
    the top edge with a SHARP graver, which after cutting foreword to
    remove the waviness, you can then draw backwards, with slight down
    press, pushing away from the stone surfaceslightly. This burnishes
    the metal down onto the stone. The rubber wheel, etc the clean up
    outside of bezel. I also use a burnisher made from a stainless steel
    fork tine, an idea from one of the New Approach School videos. Agreat
    burnisher for the inside surface of the pushed down bezel, to get it
    tight to the stone surface, and it will not scratch most gemstones.
    If you haven't seen Blaine Lewis' New Approach videos they might be a
    big help. 

    Also slightly thinning the top area of the bezel, and giving the
    upper edge a "bevel" away from the stone, for you to place the punch
    or burnisher, is a big help, as the metal is going to thicken as you
    drive it down and toward the center and that makes it want to buckle. 


Good luck. Jim
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