Stone setting is one of the more common bench procedures today. This section will help you evaluate the craftsmanship related a popular stone setting style: flush setting.

You’ll be better prepared to identify needed stone setting repairs and have the knowledge and confidence to discuss repair options in a way that builds a customer’s trust and loyalty.

FLUSH SETTING
Flush setting (sometimes referred to as “burnish setting”) is a relatively new style of stone setting, which has grown in popularity in the last few decades. Flush set stones are actually sunk into the mounting until they are level or flush with the surface. The technique of flush setting allows the jeweler to scatter gemstones across a piece of jewelry without the need for prongs, channels or groupings of stones to hold the gemstones securely in place. Jewelry with flush-set stones is often modern and stylish with a scattering of brilliance from randomly positioned gems.

Flush setting begins with the cutting of an opening or seat into metal. The seat must exactly match the diameter of the gemstone. A well-cut seat is so tightly cut to match the diameter of the gem that a brass pushing tool must be used to pop or push the stone into the seat. Because of the need for strong pressure to push the stone into place only very hard and durable gems like diamonds, sapphires and rubies are used.

Once the gem is in place an appropriately sized burnisher is used to push metal from the edge of the seat down over the gemstone. Very little metal is actually pushed over onto the stone, so it is the tightness of the seat itself that helps hold the stone in place. Once a narrow bezel of metal has been created around the diameter of the stone, the burnisher is turned upright and run around the edge of the gem further pushing the metal onto the gemstone.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
When inspecting a stone that has been flush set, it’s important to note that the stone and seat match perfectly and that the small metal bezel, created by pushing the edge of the seat onto the gem, is consistent all around the stone’s edge. The metal should not extend past the very tips of the gem’s bezel facets.