Hi! I am new to this forum. I just started making jewelry. First, I was only focused on silk knotting, but slowly I am venturing into cold connections. I would like to bezel set some stones, however I would rather not solder them (no experience doing that!). I bought a piece of jewelry at a local arts festival which was bezel set. The jewelry told me that she does not do any soldering because she has small kids at home. I am still trying to figure out how this was done. Anybody have and suggestions?

 I just did this using Art Clay and bezel wire.  I set the bezel wire half-deep in the art clay and then set the stone after finishing -- I just used a burnisher to close down the bezel.  I can't say it was a great product, being both my first bezel and first Art Clay piece, but... it is functional!  You can also buy premade bezel settings you can use this way.  I think you can't get away from using heat, though, unless you buy the setting.

I hesitate to add that I'm a newbie as well, so there may be other options! 

 maybe she was splitting hairs and fused the metal rather than soldering....

I have seen premade cup bezels that you can put a stone in. I think that Fire Mountain Gems sells them or someone like them.

 I think lots of places sell the premade cup bezels.  I think "Cool Tools" has them.

Of course another route entirely is polymer clay.  I bet you could combine PC with bezel wire, using glue, and get a bezel that, if not cold, was at least cooler than soldering....

I remember seeing an article or book that had an all cold connection bracelet with a stone set with out heat. Not to get the folk here at AJ upset but I think it was at the Interweave site. Basically you have a back sheet and a front sheet. In the front sheet you cut a hole slightly smaller than your cab and then cold form a bezel in the sheet and then rivet it to the back sheet. Sounds easy but takes a fair amount of work to form the bezel and get it to hold the stone. Looks nice in the end though. I think that Joanna Goldberg does it.

As mentioned metal clay is a good option if you have a kiln. I think though you couldn't consider metal clay as a cold process ;) I get what youre after because it's something that has been on my mind too - I love the concept of cold connecting! LOVE the idea of a two part piece overlayed on the stone and riveted!! Must play with that one!

Anyway! There are a few methods of bezel setting for PMetalClay including the one mentioned (embedded bezel wire) - now I haven't done any of these yet but there are heaps of books out there with really good step by step advice - the outcome is pretty fantastic

You can also:

• rather than embed a bezel wire, simply attach ('contact') wire on with metal clay paste to the metal clay (syringe works best) (or if using an existing silver piece to attach your bezel wire to you should use oil PMC paste)  and fire, set after firing
• press the fire resistant stone (check which stones, not all will fire and survive) into the clay so its surface just under the clay surface - fire. Will created a natural bezel 'lip' over the stone/glass as the clay shrinks but it must be so that the stones surface is below the clay surface enough to 'catch' when shrinking
  
• place your stone on the clay, syringe a lip over the edge of the stone making sure the paste is both covering where the bezel needs to be and touching the clay surface, fire

In all cases you need to let the piece cool off in the kiln, and don't quench as doing otherwise will most likely shatter or fracture the stone.

Let me know if you want me to recommend any books with certain methods as I have a fair few.

Hope you share your cold bezel results whatever you choose to do!

Good luck! Cynth :)