In short: To set most cabochons you need a bezel pusher, a burnisher and a bezel roller. Add a claw lifter and setting burrs when you move into faceted stones, and buy a loupe before anything else, because you cannot set what you cannot see clearly.
Stone setting is where jewellery-making gets precise, and it has a small family of specialist tools that confuse beginners — pushers, rockers, rollers, burnishers all sound similar. Here's what each actually does, so you can buy the few you need rather than a drawer full of near-duplicates.
Bezel pushers and rockers
A bezel pusher is a square-faced steel tool you press against the bezel wall to fold it over a stone, working around in small steps. A rocker (or rocking pusher) does the same job with a curved face you roll. Both push metal; neither should scratch — keep the face smooth. These are the core tools for bezel setting.
Bezel rollers and burnishers
A bezel roller has a polished curved head that rubs a bezel down smoothly and evenly — gentler and more controllable than a pusher on softer metals. A burnisher is a hard, mirror-smooth steel blade that does double duty: tightening the very edge of a setting and bringing it to a bright shine. A burnisher and setting-chisel set covers both straight and curved work. A burnisher polishes by compressing the surface, so keep its face flawless — any nick prints straight into the metal.
Claw lifters and setting burrs
For claw settings, a claw and bezel lifter opens claws to seat or release a stone, and setting burrs (used in a pendant motor) cut the seats the stone rests on. A fine steel pusher/scribe is handy for fine adjustments and marking out. Setting burrs come in cup and bud shapes across a range of sizes; match the burr diameter to the stone so the seat holds the girdle at the right height — too large and the stone sinks too deep, too small and it perches proud.
What to buy first
Start small: a pusher, a burnisher, and a bezel roller will set most cabochons. Add a claw lifter and setting burrs when you move into faceted stones. And buy a loupe before anything else — you can't set what you can't see clearly, as our guide to loupes explains. Whatever you buy, keep the working faces mirror-smooth and rust-free, store the tips so they don't knock together, and hold the work in a ring clamp or on a setter's sandbag so both hands are free to control the tool. Setting tools are spread across Polishing & Finishing, Bench Tools & Accessories and Punches & Stamps.
Browse setting tools in Polishing & Finishing and Bench Tools & Accessories.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between a bezel pusher and a bezel roller?
A bezel pusher is a square-faced steel tool pressed against the bezel wall to fold it over a stone in small steps. A bezel roller has a polished curved head that rubs the bezel down smoothly and evenly, making it gentler and more controllable on softer metals.
What does a burnisher do in stone setting?
It tightens the very edge of a setting and brings it to a bright shine. A burnisher is a hard, mirror-smooth steel blade that polishes by compressing the surface, so keep its face flawless, as any nick prints straight into the metal.
What size setting burr should I use for a stone?
Match the burr diameter to the stone, so the seat holds the girdle at the right height. A burr that is too large sinks the stone too deep, and one that is too small leaves it perched proud. Setting burrs come in cup and bud shapes across a range of sizes.
How should I hold a piece of jewellery while setting a stone?
In a ring clamp or on a setter's sandbag, so both hands are free to control the tool. Keep the working faces of your setting tools mirror-smooth and rust-free, and store the tips so they do not knock together.