I'm a new to much of this - teaching myself by reading a lot - and am looking for detailed instructions for the following; 1. how to make a bezel for a flat stone that leaves both the front and back exposed (e.g., no back plate included)?  It seems to me it would be quite tricky applying pressure to round over the bezel wire on the the front side without pushing the stone through the back side.  Is that only possible by using a "step bezel"?  2.  How does one actually make use of a step bezel?  3. Also need to secure attachment points on the side of a bezel (something like a half of a jump ring?) in order to link multiple 'bezeled' stones together with jump rings as in a bracelet.  My concern is using a torch to solder these attachment points after the bezel and stone (or wood, or gems, etc.) is assembled. 

I've seen bezeled stone bracelets with linked segments like this in recent journal galleries and would like to learn how to do it.  (My wife is waiting, so the pressure is on.)  Any source of instruction for doing these things would be greatly appreciated.

 It's a bit difficult to answer your questions. But I'll try.

Solder the bezel on a piece of sheet metal. Sawing out then the inside of the bezel so that remains standing around an approximately 1 mm wide rim. You can put in the stone and push the frame over the stone.

Most of the gems and all organic material is sensitive to heat. Therefore, all soldering must be finished before you set in any stone etc.  

If you make the  bezel from an about 0,3 fine silver strip, the bezel can easily pushed over the stone etc.

Edmund

www.emailkunst.de

Thanks for your thoughts, I'll give it a try.

Rick 

I assume that you have seen the videos on the art jewellery website... I liked looking at those. But I wouldnt out anything in to the bezel setting until all the silver peieces are connected so that you can still pickle and put it all in the tumbler before putting the stones etc in the bezels. Then after doing the bezels you can add attachments like rings with easy solder ro something. Thats the key - to make the solder work for you. I have to admit the kneclace that I made I cheated and used holes in the twig setting that I used that the the bezel setting was attached to and then ensured that the rings were soldered to try and stop them come apart. But it gave the piece a nice fluidity. I must admit I would like something that compared various types of connections for attaching bezel elements together. Tim's cold connections book is great about giving details of the howtos but not what they are best for.

cheers

Anne also very much a newbie:-)

Anne,

Been away for awhile and without a computer.  Thanks for your thoughts.  Actually in the mean time I found a set of instructions in the Rio Grande catalog, probably the one for Findings, etc. (not Tools or Packaging).  They were marketing some pre-made bezel cups and gave illustrated instructions on making a bracelet (using their products and tools of course).  They described a simple technique where you cut a segment out of a silver jump ring, the cut ends mirroring the arc of the bezel side.  Then CAREFULLY solder them in place on a charcoal block.  (Solder the half jump rings after the bezel is joined and fitted to the stone.  Need to do this to located where the attachment points are to be located on a non-round stone.  Solder the rings onto the bezel with the stone removed, clean, then set the stone in the bezel.)

I've tried both medium sheet solder and silver solder paste.  Both work fine.  I tend to use the latter more; the solder seems to "flow" better as it melts around the joint rather than trying to suck sheet solder up a seam.  But I'm sure with practice, either technique can be used.

The key here is not to over heat (which I tend to do with sheet solder) and risk melting the shortened jump ring (I've used 18 gauge Argentium silver wire). Need to whip the flame away JUST as the paste solder flows.

The partial rings appear to be very tightly bound to the the bezel through only these two contact points.

Now if only I could do better getting the circumference of the bezel exactly right; either slightly too small or slightly too big.

Rick