How can you use bezel punches to make your work shine?

Bezel punches were a revelatory tool when I first learned about them. It felt like a secret being unlocked. I had struggled to make small, round bezels for faceted stones look as smooth as the pros made them. 

Using the usual methods of bezel setting – using a rocker or steel tool to push down four corners, and then follow up with a burnisher to press the metal all around – resulted in decent bezels when working on a larger cabochon, but anytime I used the same method on tiny round and faceted stones, my results felt lumpy.

How the bezel punches made my settings look better

The concave shape of the punches and the fact that they are steel means that you have an even and round surface pressing the metal down all around, while also making the metal smooth and bright.

How do you need to start your setting?

For tube settings specifically, I start the same way – use a setting bur to cut the seat, and evaluate the top edge to make sure it is level.

For this video, I had a partially complete piece that I made as a test piece for a tube-setting class; I had already cut the seat and made the top edge even all around. 

I ensure that the stone is level in the setting, and make sure that the top edge of the bezel is even with the stone. I then start the bezel setting in the usual way, by using a steel pusher to press down four corners of the metal against the stone. This results in a stone that is locked in place but also creates some lumps in the metal.

From here, I can go in one of two directions. I can either attempt to set it freehand with a bezel rocker or a burnisher, or I can move straight to the bezel punches.

For the sake of this video, I went straight to the punches. It turned out that my stone was not tight enough in its seat for me to really forge that far ahead in the process. I likely should have paused and used a bezel rocker to push the metal over more definitively. Ah well. Live and learn from my mistakes.

What are the limitations of bezel punches?

Part of the reason why I cut the seat and made the top edge even before the video was because, and this is true, these are the two steps that a bezel punch can’t do for you.

In fact, if you don’t:

A- cut your seat cleanly and evenly and make it tight for the stone 

Or

B – make that top edge even and flat,

Then there’s no amount of using a bezel punch that will help you out. 

You still need to take all of the necessary steps to make a clean-looking bezel for your small stones. But these punches can really help make that final product look clear and shiny.

When should you use bezel punches and when shouldn’t you?

I liked using bezel punches even more back when I didn’t have an engravers ball. Using an engravers ball vise meant that I could spin the setting around while using my burnishing tools, resulting in a smoother setting. The bezel punches are a nice alternative if you haven’t worked your way up to an engravers ball yet, though I think that the two tools work best when used together.

They are best used as a finishing touch tool when you mostly have the setting complete. Though, with a tight seat, you may be able to use them for the whole setting process.

And my caveats for when you should consider not using them:

One way I have tried to use these punches is on prong settings. This is risky for a lot of reasons, including more exposure of the edges of the stone to the steel tool itself, meaning that chipping is more likely. Also with softer prongs, there is a pretty high likelihood that the prongs will get off-center.

Another method I have seen used and have tested on occasion is to use the punches without the handle and then use a chasing hammer to actually punch the bezel down. It is also risky – this kind of sharp and sudden pressure with the wrong stone can result in chipped and broken stones.

While I don’t wholeheartedly recommend either of these processes, I have tried both. Sometimes with success and sometimes it has resulted in broken stones. It is a real mixed bag of results, so if you decide to try either method, then use test pieces, scrap metal, or stones you don’t care about to practice and discover the limits.

As I mentioned in the video, I don’t recommend this tool at all for a cabochon setting. The stone sticks up too high and is likelier to be scratched or chipped by the tool. This is a method best used for faceted stones.

Watch this video below, or see it over on my YouTube channel