Your Guide To Stone Setting Burrs For Jewellery Making
What are stone setting burrs?
Stone setting burrs are used in jewellery making for removing small areas of excess metal and other materials. There are many shapes and cuts available which we will discuss within this post. Many stone setting burrs are suited to particular jobs but can be used for various tasks depending on your needs.
What do I use a burr with?
Burrs are best used with a pendant motor, such as the Dremel Multi Tool due to providing a speedy way to remove metal. They can also be used with a pin vice which is great for precise work, when working by hand would be more suitable than working with a multi tool. For more information on these tools, head to the bottom of this page.
How to store burrs
Burrs are stored best when kept upright such as being placed in a rack, ensuring they are not touching. It is also recommended to keep your burrs lubricated to keep them sharp and prolong their life span.
This stone setting burr is great for adjusting setting depths, enlarging and putting a bevel on holes as well as adding pattern and texture to metals.
Available in a choice of diameters with Kernowcraft.
The cone burr is perfect for removing small areas of metal that are in need of small adjustments. It's ideal for sculpting and reducing the size of claws, shaping and adjusting setting depths to custom fit stones as well as adding pattern and texture to metals.
Available in a choice of diameters with Kernowcraft.
This round burr can be used at high speed to cut a round bowl-shaped recess into your metal to your desired depth. It's ideal for adjusting setting depths for stones to sit in, creating grooves in silver, enlarging and putting a bevel on holes as well as adding pattern and texture.
Available in a choice of diameters with Kernowcraft.
This intricate mounted saw burr can be used to cut away excess metal from claws and settings, as well as cutting grooves and adding pattern.
Use this cylinder burr for getting into those tricky spots. Ideal for getting inside of bezels and other hard to reach places. This burr is also great for adding pattern and texture.
Available in a choice of diameters with Kernowcraft.
A cup burr is a perfect choice for smoothing ends of wires - much quicker than using files! Great for smoothing the ends of earwires or the ends of prongs and claw settings. The burr has small teeth inside of the cup which grinds away at the wire end with only a few twists - don't forget to always turn the burr clockwise in the same direction to make the burr last.
Tip: A 1.2mm diameter cup burr works best for 0.8mm wire, which is the most suitable size for earwires.
Use With A Pin Vice Or Multi Tool
A pin vice is a handy tool which can be used with stone setting burrs, for creating precise stone setting adjustments and for neatening holes.
It's best used for when working by hand is more suitable than using an electric drill or multi tool, it can also be used with various attachments such as twist drill bits and diamond tipped bead reamer points.
Dremel Multi Tool
The Dremel Multi Tool is perfect for both hobbyists and professional jewellers. Using a multi-tool with stone setting burrs allows you to work speedily and easily.
You will also need a multi chuck which takes accessories with shanks from 0.4mm up to 3.4mm so they can be swapped easily without the need to change the collet. The burrs available with Kernowcraft have a shank size of 2.3mm.
Our Recommended Stone Setting Books
Keep reading! Check out our favourite stone setting books below with brilliant practical guides and step by step demonstrations. Whether you are using pre-made settings or wish to make your own, you will find invaluable information in these books.
Also in this section:
- The Essential Tools For Setting Gemstones
- Your Guide To Stone Setting Burrs For Jewellery Making
- What Is A Bezel Rocker?
- Types Of Settings & How To Use Them
- Types Of Settings For Calibrated Cabochon Stones
- Types Of Settings For Faceted Stones
- Types Of Settings For Free-Form Stones & Crystals
- Calibrated Gemstones & Size Tolerance In Jewellery Making
- Ready Made Settings vs Making Your Own Settings
- 7 Ways To Make Your Own Gemstone Ring
- How To Set Earstuds For Half Drilled Beads
- How to Set Flat Plates and Milled Edge Jewellery Settings
- How To Set Snaptite Settings
- How To Set Gemstones In Gallery Wire Settings
- How To Set Backset Settings
- How To Set Wraptite Settings
- How To Use Huggie Claw Settings For Crystals & Sea Glass
- What Are Bell Caps For Jewellery Making?
- How To Set A Pre-Notched Setting
- How To Set Claw Settings
- How To Make A Decorative Ring Setting For A Free Form Cabochon
- How To Make A Tube Setting For A Faceted Stone
- 4 Drilled Sea Glass Earring Projects
- Jewellery Making With Sea Glass: Drilling & Stone Setting Tutorials
- How To Drill Sea Glass For Jewellery Making
- How Much Bezel Strip/Gallery Wire Do I Need?
- Types Of Bezel Cups
- How to Adjust Bezel Settings to Fit Cabochons
- How To Set A Cabochon In A Bezel Setting
- How To Make A Gemstone Ring With A Bezel Cup
- How To Make A Bezel Set Cabochon Ring With 'Made By Oonagh'
- How To Make A Sea Glass Ring With Bezel Setting
- How To Make Bezel Set Cabochon Earstuds
- How To Make A Sea Glass Necklace With Backless Bezel Setting
- How To Bezel Set A Free Form Cabochon Onto A Textured Silver Pendant
- How To Make A Textured Pendant With A Freeform Gemstone Slice
- How To Make A Claw Set Cabochon Pendant
- How To Make A Prong/Claw Setting For Irregular Shapes Stones
- How to Make A Wire Edged Setting
- How To Make A Balled Claw Ring Setting
- Making An Australian Boulder Opal Pendant With Stardust Mine
- The Process Of Remodelling A Gemstone Ring With 'Honey Bee Design'
HAVE A QUESTION?
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our friendly team who will be more than happy to give you advice over email or on the phone.
You can learn more and find inspiration by visiting our Jewellery Making Tutorials, Jewellery Making Kits and YouTube Channel. Don't forget to follow us on social media and tag us in your designs on Instagram & Facebook, we would love to see!