How To Make A Gemstone Ring With A Bezel Cup
Make Your Own Gemstone Ring!
This project is brilliant if you're a beginner metalsmith, showing you how to solder a bezel cup onto a ring band and how to set the stone for a simple yet beautiful design.
Once you've tried this method, you can then move on to making your own bezel setting from scratch!
This tutorial is in collaboration with Kim Thomson as part of our 12 Months of Metal Series, where Kim shares free metalsmithing video tutorials - with each month focusing on a new technique.
Follow Kim's ring project below and have a go at making your own ring!
Recommended Tools & Supplies
- Ring band (see our tutorial on how to make a ring band here)
- 5mm sterling silver round bezel cup
- 5mm cabochon
- Files
- Third hand
- Soldering block
- Flux
- Solder strip
- Gas torch
- Safety pickle
- Soldering tweezers
- Plastic tweezers
- Wet & dry sanding sheets
- Pusher or bezel rocker
- Burnisher
- Polishing papers or a power tool (such as Dremel Multi Tool) with silicone burrs
Watch Kim's tutorial below
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the ring band
The first step is to make the ring band - you can follow our step by step tutorial with photos on how to do this here.
Choose a bezel cup and your favourite gemstone cabochon to set!
Step 2: flux & position
Flux the area where the ring band will join to the bezel cup and use a third hand to position the band on top of the cup.
Place a pallion of solder strip next to the join, opposite to where you will be heating the join.
Step 3: solder & pickle
Use a gas torch to heat the air surrounding the piece, then circle around the entire ring band in slow circles until the solder flows. Using tweezers, quench the ring in water then put it in the pickle solution. Once the ring is white and all signs of firescale are gone, remove the ring from the pickle using plastic tweezers and rinse in water. File away any excess solder on the join with your metal file then with wet and dry paper.
Step 4: set the stone
Check that the stone fits nicely in the bezel cup - if the height of the bezel cup is too high, remove the stone from the cup and use files to reduce the height, or pop a circle of wire at the bottom of the bezel cup to raise the cabochon up. Read our advice page: how to adjust bezel cups for more information.
Use a pusher or a bezel rocker to push the bezel over the stone.
Step 5: polish
Next, use a burnisher to push and rub over the curve of the bezel setting to smoothen the setting and make it lovely and shiny. You can also take the tip and gently rub it on the top edge of the setting to make it neat and shiny - be careful not to damage your stone during this step.
Finally it's time to polish the ring! You can use polishing papers or a power tool (such as Dremel Multi Tool) with silicone polishers to do this.
Shop Essentials With Kernowcraft
Shop Bezel Cups & Loose Settings
Discover our selection of loose settings, including bezel cups in a range of metals, shapes and sizes, snaptite settings, claw settings, pre-notched settings and backset settings.
Pusher
A pusher is a workshop essential and an affordable tool for pushing bezels and claws over stones during setting.
Burnisher
Use a burnisher to rub over metals to smooth and shine. It's also great for hardening metals and using on metal clay designs.
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!