STONE SETTING
Stones can add colour, light and allure to a piece of fashion jewelry, but choosing the right style of setting for a particular stone and securing it permanently in position are crucial to the success and longevity of a piece, especially as the stone often forms the focal point. The method of setting will depend either on the type of stone, which may determine how it is set due to its hardness or shape, or the design that may dictate the way in which a stone or stones are incorporated into a piece of jewelry to maximize the effect. fashion jewelry that is worn on a daily basis must be durable and comfortable, so the stones must be resistant to wear and tear and the setting robust so that it doesn’t loosen over time. Occasional jewelry need not be so practical, so the range of settings that can be used is much greater, allowing a greater arena for creative solutions to fixthe stones in place with metal.
A bezel is the’wall’that sits around a stone and, once it has been rubbed over, holds the stone securely in position.The bezel may be used with both cabochon and faceted stones, and bezels can be constructed from sheet metal, or made from tubing.
Setting a cabochon in fashion jewelry
Cabochons are usually domed, unfaceted stones that come in a variety of shapes and sizes .The bezel used to set a cabochon must be accurately formed to fit the shape of the stone, whedier round, square, pear-shaped or freeform ? round and oval are the least challenging forms to make. Soft or fragile stones should be set with a bezel made from fine silver or gold, as these metals are softer than Standard alloys. A flat-ended pusher, which has been matted with emery paper to keep it from slipping, is used to gradually compress the metal around the diminished circumference of the curve of the stone.
Setting a faceted stone
Faceted stones can also be set using the rub-over method, but the construction of the setting must account for the difference in shape of the stone. Often tubing is used to form die bezel - choose a size of tube that has a smaller inside diameter than that of the stone, and a larger outside diam
