Step 1: Position one end of the fine silver strip in the middle of one side of the cabochon. Tightly wrap the strip around the cab; it should be a snug fit. Use bench shears to cut off the excess wire.
Step 2: Slide the silver bezel strip off the cab, then use a flat needle file to smooth the cut ends of the strip. Fit the bezel back around the cab, making sure the filed ends meet and the overall size is accurate.
Step 3: Slide the bezel strip off the cab.
Snip a small piece of hard silver sheet solder and place it on a hard charcoal soldering block. Position the bezel on the solder so that the seam is sitting directly over the solder chip. Using a flux brush apply some My-T-Flux™ to the seam and the solder. Light your torch and evenly heat the bezel so the solder melts and flows up the seam. Place the bezel in the pickle.
Step 4: The gold-filled wire may need to be annealed to soften it and make it workable. Coat the wire with barrier flux and heat with a torch. As the alcohol in the flux is burning away you will see a green flame. Heat the entire length of wire to a dull red. Hold at a dull red for about 30 seconds. Remove the flame and quench the wire in water. Place the annealed wire in the pickle.
Step 5: Use copper tongs to remove the bezel from the pickle. Rinse the bezel in water and dry with a towel. Press the cabochon into the bezel for a final fitting. If necessary, use a bezel roller along the bottom edge of the bezel to ensure the bezel fits snugly around the cab, with no gaps between the bezel and the stone.
Once you're satisfied with the fit, remove the cab from the bezel again.
Step 6: To make the bottom edges of the bezel flush, place a piece of 280-grit sandpaper flat on your bench top. Gently sand the bezel by dragging it across the sandpaper in a figure-8 motion. This will evenly sand all edges.
Step 7: Clean the sterling silver square stamping to remove any dirt or oils, then coat with the barrier flux to help the solder flow.
Set the square stamping on the charcoal soldering block. Place the soldering block on top of the heavy-duty rotating work surface (rotating the piece as it's being soldered will help the solder melt evenly). Center the bezel, sanded side down, onto the square sterling stamping. Clip several pieces of the hard solder and place them on the inside edge of the bezel. Evenly heat the piece with the torch, rotating as needed, until the solder flows. Place the piece in the pickle.
Step 8: Use a flat hand file to file a flat spot onto the sterling band. This is where you will solder the bezel assembly to the band.
Step 9: Coat the band with barrier flux. Use cross-locking tweezers to hold the band so the filed area is facing up toward you. Clip several pieces of easy silver sheet solder and place them on the flat area. Using a flux brush, apply some My-T-Flux™ to the solder chips. Heat the ring with the torch just enough to pre-flow the solder. This will help when attaching the bezel assembly to the ring.
Step 10: Using a jeweler’s saw, trim one end for the gold-filled square wire so the end is flush.
Step 11: Straighten the wire and lay it up against the cabochon. Use a marker to mark the wire where it meets one corner of the onyx.
Step 12: Use-flat nose pliers to make a 90-degree bend in the gold-filled wire at the mark you made.
Step 13: Place the bent gold-filled wire along the outside edge of the bezel. Mark the wire at the next corner, then make another 90-degree bend using the round-nose pliers.
Continue to wrap the wire around the bezel, making 90-degree bends at the corners, until the wire forms a square that fits snugly around the outside edge of the bezel.
Step 14: Once the square is formed, use a jeweler’s saw to trim away any excess wire.
Step 15: Coat the gold-filled square with barrier flux. Cut a small chip of gold solder and place it on the seam; brush on some My-T-Flux. Heat with the torch until the solder flows and the seam closes. Place the gold-filled square in the pickle.
Step 16: Using a white AdvantEdge knife-edge wheel attached to a flex shaft, clean up the outside edge of the sterling bezel at the solder joint.
Step 17: Place the gold-filled square onto a steel bench block. Use a rawhide mallet to gently tap it until it is completely flat.
Step 18: Use the flat hand file to gently smooth the soldered corner of the gold-filled square.
Step 19: Slide the gold-filled square over the bezel, making sure it fits tightly around the bezel. Use flat-nose pliers to adjust if necessary.
Step 20: Coat the gold-filled square with barrier flux. Clip several pieces of easy silver solder and place them onto the gold-filled square, then use the torch to pre-flow the solder.
Step 21: Place the gold-filled square solder-side down onto the bezel. Press it into place so it lies completely flat on the square silver stamping. Use the torch to finish soldering the gold-filled square into place. Place the entire bezel assembly into the pickle.
Step 22: Coat the bezel assembly and ring band with barrier flux. Lay the bezel face down onto the charcoal soldering block. Brush some My-T-Flux onto the center of the silver square stamping. Center the flattened side of the ring band onto the bezel and solder in place with the torch. Place the ring in the pickle.
Step 23: Using the flat hand file, round out the edges of the square stamping, as much or as little as desired.
Step 24: Use the cross-peen face of the goldsmith’s hammer to gently tap the edges of the square stamping, creating texture along the outside edges.
Step 25: Using a progression of polishing wheels attached to a flex shaft, finish the bezel and ring band as desired.
Step 26: If the cabochon needs to be raised inside the bezel cup, fill the cup with an even layer of cob meal.
Step 27: Place the cab into the bezel cup. Use a burnisher to press the edges of the bezel over the stone to set it in place.
Step 28: Use the 400-grit 3M radial bristle disc to polish the bezel, taking care to not touch the cabochon.
Your "Jet Setter" ring is complete!
