• Diamonds set in pronged settings allow light to shine through.diamond drop and studs image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
  
  Basic jewelry setting tools have been used for generations of jewelers. The type of tools that will be best will depend on the type of setting. Stones are generally set using either a pronged setting, such as the settings that usually hold larger diamonds, or using a bezel, such as the settings that hold most cabochon-cut stones. Pronged settings lift cut stones to allow light to shine through the stone from the bottom. Bezel settings hold the stone flush against the piece of jewelry.
  
  

Prong Pulling Pliers

• Prong pulling pliers come in many styles and designs. Although they look much like conventional pliers, most have a thin bit of metal to slip under the prong to allow it to be pulled back away from the stone. This is useful in cases where you must remove a stone to move it to a new setting or to correct problems with the initial setting. Prong pulling pliers are very specialized tools. Do not try to use a non-specialized pair of pliers to pull or lift a prong. Non-specialized pliers can damage the prong and make proper setting much more difficult.
  
  

Prong Lifter

• Much cheaper than prong pulling pliers, a prong lifter is like a miniature bottle opener. The prong lifter is designed to move the prong just enough to allow the stone to come out of the setting. The prong lifter loosens the top part of the prong that holds the stone in the setting.
  
  

Prong Pusher

• A prong pusher is a tool that is designed to help you push prongs around a stone to secure the stone in the setting. There are many different designs of pushers, and many jewelers have several. The most basic is a smooth metal bar that presses the prongs on a new setting securely around the stone. Some prong pushes have a wooden handle to allow a jeweler to bring more pressure to bear on thicker or harder prongs.
  
  

Bezel Roller

• A bezel is a thin metal strip that secure the edge of a stone in a setting. The bezel is soldered to the jewelry base and folded over the edge of the stone. The first step in setting a stone in a bezel uses a bezel roller. A bezel roller can be either a physical tool with a hard metal wheel that rolls, or a solid tool with a rounded piece that folds the bezel over using a rocking motion. The best type of tool will depend on a jeweler's personal preference and the size of the setting. Rollers with a metal wheel are often better for larger settings, while the solid rollers are often better for small bezel settings.
  
  

Bezel Burnisher

• Once the bezel has been folded to secure the stone, a burnisher can help smooth out the setting. Sometimes, a solid roller can work as a burnisher. In other cases, a purpose-made curved metal burnisher designed for bezel settings can be better for smoothing out bumps in the bezel. Bezel burnishers usually look like thick, curved picks that do not have a sharp point.