How to fuse a wire bezel

Rather than use solder, I like to fuse fine-silver wire to make a bezel. A fused join is virtually un-detectable and less likely to split when I set my stone. I use a miniature kiln, such as a trinket kiln or Ultra Lite Beehive Kiln, to preheat my fine-silver wire, and then fuse the seam with my torch.

1. Ensure that you have an even, tight-fitting seam; a seam with gaps will not fuse fully.

2. Preheat your miniature kiln for at least 20 minutes.

3. Using tweezers, carefully place the bezel in the center of the kiln with the seam facing you. Allow the bezel to heat up for a few moments.

4. Gently heat the entire bezel with your jeweler’s torch. Gradually concentrate the heat of your flame on the bezel’s seam, but don’t leave it in one spot for too long. Remove the torch as soon as you see the bright flash (glossy and wet) of the fine-silver seam fusing. If you leave the torch on it any longer, you could melt your bezel.

5. Using tweezers, pick up the bezel and quench it in water. Check the seam to ensure that it’s fully fused. If necessary, repeat the above steps until you no longer see any gaps at the join.