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A bezel is a wider and usually thicker section of the hoop of a ring, which may contain a gem or a flat surface (usually with an engraved design, as in a signet ring).^[1] Rings are normally worn to display bezels on the upper or outer side of the finger. In gem-cutting the term bezel is used for those sloping facets (also called sides or faces) of a cut stone that surround the flat table face,^[2] which is the large, horizontal facet on the top.^[3]

More broadly, bezels are found on tools and appliances. The sloping face of a chisel is known as a bezel.^[2] In vehicles, it is the part of the bodywork that surrounds a headlight or turn signal.^[4] On a cell phone or tablet, it is the back surface that frames the LCD screen.^[5]

The word may also refer to a bezel setting for a stone, which is a general term for a setting holding the stone in place with a raised metal rim for the stone, the rim's lip encircling and overlapping the edges of the stone, thus holding it in place.^[6] Modern bezel settings typically use a band of metal containing a groove and a flange (i.e. projecting lip) to hold a watch crystal or gemstone in its setting. This was the earliest method of setting gemstones into jewelry. In historic examples, such rings were often made by leaving a hole or slot in the ring with a thin lip which was bent over once the stone was inserted, holding it in place.

Other types of bezel settings, less used in modern jewelry, are swivel bezels where the bezel, perhaps just formed of a stone with a metal rod through it, can rotate, and box bezels, where a "box" or cage forms the bezel, often sitting on the main ring hoop, and perhaps open at the top where there is a stone.^[7]

Etymology

The word bezel, with an earliest attribution from 1605 to 1615,^[4] derives from the Old French *besel (13c.; Modern French biseau), cognate with Spanish and Portuguese bisel; of uncertain origin, perhaps literally "a stone with two angles," from Vulgar Latin *bis-alus, from bis- "twice" (from PIE root *dwo- "two") + ala "wing, side" (see alar).^[8] Bezel is akin to French biseau, meaning bevel or chamfer.^[4]

The noun meaning "slope of the edge of a cutting tool," and also "groove by which a stone is held in its setting" was from the 1610s. The verb meaning "grind (a tool) down to an edge" is from 1670s.^[8]

The noun meaning "oblique face of a gem" is from c. 1840.^[8]

Bezel settings

In making a typical modern bezel setting, the bezel is shaped into the size and shape of the gem and then soldered into place on the metal of the jewelry. The prepared stone is then placed into the bezel and the metal is pressed down over the edges of stone, locking it into place.

A cabochon stone, a gemstone that is not faceted, usually relies on the shallow angle cut into the side of the stone, which helps the metal to stay in place. With a clear, faceted stone, such as a diamond, a shallow groove is cut into the bezel itself. The girdle, or widest part of the gemstone, is placed in the bezel, which is then pushed down over the girdle. The pressure of the bezel over the edge keeps the stone in place.

Bezel settings for diamonds are also called rub-over settings; they have a diamond completely surrounded by a precious metal band which fastens the diamond securely into place. Bezel settings use a type of elevated collar which wraps the rim of the diamond in a complete metal edging. This type of diamond ring setting is the most secure fastener for the stones. The bezel setting also protects the diamond better than other types of settings, such as the prong setting. A flush setting for diamond rings is a variation on the rub-over or bezel setting. In the flush setting, the stone is placed into an opening and affixed at the bottom of the stone. The top of the diamond is extended above the base.

Bezel setting advantages

One advantage of the bezel setting, as compared to the prong setting, is that the diamond is better protected from accidental rubbing or blows, and is less likely to allow the diamond to scratch whatever it may come into contact with. The bezel setting is also more secure, so the diamond is less likely to be dislodged.

Watch bezel

Video of a diving watch having an adjustable bezel to mark the start time of a dive

An extension of the term bezel setting can refer to a rotatable rim on a clock or watch used to indicate certain data such as elapsed time.^[9]^[10]

References

Citations

^ McConnell, 104.
^ ^a ^b OED, "Bezel" noun, 1 and 2; "In lapidary usage, the oblique sides or faces of a cut gem", Campbell.
^ "Gemstone Facets: Terminology and Functions". International Gem Society. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Definition of bezel | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, LLC. 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
^ Strange, Adario (July 11, 2013). "LG intros world's thinnest smartphone screen" Archived 2013-08-12 at the Wayback Machine. DVICE.
^ "A bezel setting is a metal rim that holds the gem in a finger ring. The term is used in a transferred sense by horologists to denote the ring that secures the glass in a watch or clock, and by metal specialists to describe the ring inside the lid of silver and pewter objects", Campbell.
^ Examples in the British Museum, with descriptions: Gold ring with movable circular box-bezel decorated with a griffin Archived 2015-10-18 at the Wayback Machine (also swivels); box bezel, no stone Archived 2018-11-19 at the Wayback Machine; The "Ashburnham Ring", with swivel bezel Archived 2018-11-19 at the Wayback Machine.
^ ^a ^b ^c Harper, Douglas (2022). "bezel | Etymology, origin and meaning of bezel by etymonline". www.etymonline.com. Pennsylvania, US. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
^ Oxford English Dictionary (all editions to 2013), "Bezel", n. 3. However the OED definition misses the primary sense given in its own citations, such as: "1616 J. Bullokar Eng. Expositor, Bezill, the broad part of a ring, in which the stone or signet is set.", only defining it as "The groove and projecting flange or lip by which the crystal of a watch or the stone of a jewel is retained in its setting." For examples of "bezel" referring to flat, thick parts of rings with no gems, flanges or lips see the over 2,000 uses of the word (in records with images) in the British Museum collection database Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine.
^ Webster's New World College Dictionary (2005)

Sources

Campbell, Gordon, "Bezel", Grove Art Online, Oxford Art Online, Oxford University Press, Accessed 4 July 2013, Subscription required

[1] McConnell, 104.

[oed2-2] OED, "Bezel" noun, 1 and 2; "In lapidary usage, the oblique sides or faces of a cut gem", Campbell.

[3] "Gemstone Facets: Terminology and Functions". International Gem Society. Retrieved 29 June 2022.

[Dict-4] "Definition of bezel | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, LLC. 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.

[5] Strange, Adario (July 11, 2013). "LG intros world's thinnest smartphone screen" Archived 2013-08-12 at the Wayback Machine. DVICE.

[6] "A bezel setting is a metal rim that holds the gem in a finger ring. The term is used in a transferred sense by horologists to denote the ring that secures the glass in a watch or clock, and by metal specialists to describe the ring inside the lid of silver and pewter objects", Campbell.

[7] Examples in the British Museum, with descriptions: Gold ring with movable circular box-bezel decorated with a griffin Archived 2015-10-18 at the Wayback Machine (also swivels); box bezel, no stone Archived 2018-11-19 at the Wayback Machine; The "Ashburnham Ring", with swivel bezel Archived 2018-11-19 at the Wayback Machine.

[etym-8] Harper, Douglas (2022). "bezel | Etymology, origin and meaning of bezel by etymonline". www.etymonline.com. Pennsylvania, US. Retrieved 30 June 2022.

[oed-9] Oxford English Dictionary (all editions to 2013), "Bezel", n. 3. However the OED definition misses the primary sense given in its own citations, such as: "1616 J. Bullokar Eng. Expositor, Bezill, the broad part of a ring, in which the stone or signet is set.", only defining it as "The groove and projecting flange or lip by which the crystal of a watch or the stone of a jewel is retained in its setting." For examples of "bezel" referring to flat, thick parts of rings with no gems, flanges or lips see the over 2,000 uses of the word (in records with images) in the British Museum collection database Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine.

[10] Webster's New World College Dictionary (2005)

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Section on the hoop of a ring}}
+{{distinguish|Bezel (disambiguation)|Bevel|Bezant}}
 [[File:Ring fish MNMA Cl2886.jpg|thumb|[[Signet ring]] with engraved bezel]]
 [[File:Fig 262 bezel.jpg|thumb|Ring with an [[engraved gem]] in a bezel setting]]
+A '''bezel''' is a wider and usually thicker section of the hoop of a [[Ring (jewellery)|ring]], which may contain a [[gemstone|gem]] or a flat surface (usually with an engraved design, as in a [[signet ring]]).<ref>McConnell, 104.</ref> Rings are normally worn to display bezels on the upper or outer side of the finger. In [[gem-cutting]] the term ''bezel'' is used for those sloping facets (also called sides or faces) of a cut stone that surround the flat ''table'' face,<ref name=oed2>[[OED]], "Bezel" noun, 1 and 2; "In lapidary usage, the oblique sides or faces of a cut gem", Campbell.</ref> which is the large, horizontal facet on the top.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gemstone Facets: Terminology and Functions |url=https://www.gemsociety.org/article/gemstone-facets/ |website=International Gem Society |access-date=29 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
+More broadly, bezels are found on tools and appliances. The sloping face of a [[chisel]] is known as a bezel.<ref name=oed2/> In vehicles, it is the part of the bodywork that surrounds a headlight or turn signal.<ref name="Dict">{{cite web |title=Definition of bezel {{!}} Dictionary.com |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/bezel |website=www.dictionary.com |publisher=[[Dictionary.com]], LLC |access-date=29 June 2022 |language=en |date=2022}}</ref> On a cell phone or tablet, it is the back surface that frames the LCD screen.<ref>Strange, Adario (July 11, 2013). [http://www.dvice.com/2013-7-11/lg-intros-worlds-thinnest-smartphone-screen "LG intros world's thinnest smartphone screen"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812080304/http://www.dvice.com/2013-7-11/lg-intros-worlds-thinnest-smartphone-screen|date=2013-08-12}}. [[DVICE]].</ref>
-The '''bezel''' of a ring is a wider and usually thicker section of the hoop, which may contain a flat surface, usually with an engraved design, as in a [[signet ring]], or a [[gemstone|gem]].<ref>McConnell, 104</ref>  The ring is normally worn to display the bezel on the upper or outer side of the finger.  The word may also refer to a '''bezel setting''' for a stone, which is a general term for a [[Stonesetting|setting]] holding the stone in place using a raised surrounding for the stone with a lip encircling and overlapping the edges of the stone, thus holding it in place.<ref>"A bezel setting is a metal rim that holds the gem in a finger ring. The term is used in a transferred sense by horologists to denote the ring that secures the glass in a watch or clock, and by metal specialists to describe the ring inside the lid of silver and pewter objects", Campbell.</ref>  Modern bezel settings typically use a band of metal containing a groove and a flange (i.e. projecting lip) to hold a [[watch crystal]] or gemstone in its setting. This was the earliest method of setting gemstones into [[jewelry]], in historic examples often made by leaving a hole or slot in the ring with a thin lip which was bent over once the stone was inserted, holding it in place.  An extension of the word used in this sense can refer to a rotatable rim on a clock or watch used to indicate certain data such as elapsed time.<ref name=oed>''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' (all editions to 2013), "Bezel", n. 3. However the OED definition misses the primary sense given in its own citations, such as: "1616 J. Bullokar Eng. Expositor, Bezill, the broad part of a ring, in which the stone or signet is set.", only defining it as "The groove and projecting flange or lip by which the crystal of a watch or the stone of a jewel is retained in its setting." For examples of "bezel" referring to flat, thick parts of rings with no gems, flanges or lips see the [https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?searchText=bezel&images=true over 2,000 uses of the word (in records with images) in the British Museum collection database].</ref><ref>''Webster's New World College Dictionary'' (2005)</ref>
+The word may also refer to a '''bezel setting''' for a stone, which is a general term for a [[Stonesetting|setting]] holding the stone in place with a raised metal rim for the stone, the rim's lip encircling and overlapping the edges of the stone, thus holding it in place.<ref>"A bezel setting is a metal rim that holds the gem in a finger ring. The term is used in a transferred sense by horologists to denote the ring that secures the glass in a watch or clock, and by metal specialists to describe the ring inside the lid of silver and pewter objects", Campbell.</ref>  Modern bezel settings typically use a band of metal containing a groove and a flange (i.e. projecting lip) to hold a [[watch crystal]] or gemstone in its setting. This was the earliest method of setting gemstones into [[jewelry]]. In historic examples, such rings were often made by leaving a hole or slot in the ring with a thin lip which was bent over once the stone was inserted, holding it in place.
-Other types of bezels, less used in modern jewelry, are "swivel bezels" where the bezel, perhaps just formed of a stone with a metal rod through it, can rotate, and "box bezels", where a "box" or cage forms the bezel, often sitting on the main ring hoop, and perhaps open at the top where there is a stone.<ref>Examples in the British Museum, with descriptions: [https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/g/gold_ring_with_box-bezel.aspx Gold ring with movable circular box-bezel decorated with a griffin] (also swivels); [https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=670721&partId=1&searchText=box+bezel&page=1 box bezel, no stone]; [https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=116521&partId=1&searchText=Swivel+bezel&people=&place=&from=ad&fromDate=&to=ad&toDate=&object=&subject=&matcult=&technique=&school=&material=&ethname=&ware=&escape=&bibliography=&citation=&museumno=&catalogueOnly=&view=&page=1 The "Ashburnham Ring", with swivel bezel].</ref>
+Other types of bezel settings, less used in modern jewelry, are ''swivel bezels'' where the bezel, perhaps just formed of a stone with a metal rod through it, can rotate, and ''box bezels'', where a "box" or cage forms the bezel, often sitting on the main ring hoop, and perhaps open at the top where there is a stone.<ref>Examples in the British Museum, with descriptions: [https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/g/gold_ring_with_box-bezel.aspx Gold ring with movable circular box-bezel decorated with a griffin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018125644/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/g/gold_ring_with_box-bezel.aspx |date=2015-10-18 }} (also swivels); [https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=670721&partId=1&searchText=box+bezel&page=1 box bezel, no stone] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119223728/https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=670721&partId=1&searchText=box+bezel&page=1 |date=2018-11-19 }}; [https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=116521&partId=1&searchText=Swivel+bezel&people=&place=&from=ad&fromDate=&to=ad&toDate=&object=&subject=&matcult=&technique=&school=&material=&ethname=&ware=&escape=&bibliography=&citation=&museumno=&catalogueOnly=&view=&page=1 The "Ashburnham Ring", with swivel bezel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119223759/https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=116521&partId=1&searchText=Swivel+bezel&people=&place=&from=ad&fromDate=&to=ad&toDate=&object=&subject=&matcult=&technique=&school=&material=&ethname=&ware=&escape=&bibliography=&citation=&museumno=&catalogueOnly=&view=&page=1 |date=2018-11-19 }}.</ref>
-In [[gem-cutting]] bezel may also refer to the sloping faces of a cut stone round the flat "table" face (another meaning of the word is the sloping face of a [[chisel]]).<ref>[[OED]], "Bezel" noun, 1 and 2; "In lapidary usage, the oblique sides or faces of a cut gem", Campbell.</ref>
+==Etymology==
-More broadly, bezels are found on tools and appliances. It is the diagonal face at the end of the blade of a chisel, or similar implement, leading to the edge. In vehicles, it is the part of the vehicle's bodywork that surrounds a headlight or turn signal.<ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bezel "bezel"]. [[Dictionary.com]]. Based on the [[Random House Dictionary]]. Retrieved July 11, 2013.</ref> On a cell phone, it is the back surface that frames the LCD screen.<ref>Strange, Adario (July 11, 2013). [http://www.dvice.com/2013-7-11/lg-intros-worlds-thinnest-smartphone-screen "LG intros world's thinnest smartphone screen"]. [[DVICE]].</ref>
+The word ''bezel'', with an earliest attribution from 1605 to 1615,<ref name="Dict" /> derives from the Old French ''*besel'' (13c.; Modern French ''biseau''), cognate with Spanish and Portuguese ''bisel''; of uncertain origin, perhaps literally "a stone with two angles," from Vulgar Latin *''bis-alus'', from ''bis-'' "twice" (from PIE root *''dwo-'' "two") + ''ala'' "wing, side" (see ''[[:wikt:alar|alar]]'').<ref name="etym">{{cite web |last1=Harper |first1=Douglas |author1-link=Online Etymology Dictionary |title=bezel {{!}} Etymology, origin and meaning of bezel by etymonline |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/bezel |website=www.etymonline.com |access-date=30 June 2022 |location=Pennsylvania, US |language=en |date=2022}}</ref> Bezel is akin to French ''biseau'', meaning [[bevel]] or [[chamfer]].<ref name="Dict" />
+The noun meaning "slope of the edge of a cutting tool," and also "groove by which a stone is held in its setting" was from the 1610s. The verb meaning "grind (a tool) down to an edge" is from 1670s.<ref name="etym" />
+The noun meaning "oblique face of a gem" is from c. 1840.<ref name="etym" />
 ==Bezel settings==
+{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2022}}
-[[File:Diamond Bezel Set from Jens Hansen.jpg|thumb|Diamond Bezel Set in 18ct White Gold from Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith]]
+[[File:Diamond Bezel Set from Jens Hansen.jpg|thumb|Diamond held in its setting with a bezel]]
-In making a typical modern bezel setting the bezel is shaped into the size and shape of the gem and then [[soldered]] into place on the metal of the jewelry. The prepared stone is then placed into the bezel and the metal is pressed down over the edges of stone, locking it into place.
+In making a typical modern bezel setting, the bezel is shaped into the size and shape of the gem and then [[soldered]] into place on the metal of the jewelry. The prepared stone is then placed into the bezel and the metal is pressed down over the edges of stone, locking it into place.
-A [[cabochon]] stone, a gemstone that is not faceted, usually relies on the shallow [[angle]] cut into the side of the stone which helps the metal to stay in place.  With a clear [[facet]]ed stone, such as a diamond, a shallow groove is cut into the bezel itself.  The girdle or widest part of the gem stone is placed in the bezel, which is then pushed down over the girdle. The pressure of the bezel over the edge of the diamond keeps it in place.
+A [[cabochon]] stone, a gemstone that is not faceted, usually relies on the shallow [[angle]] cut into the side of the stone, which helps the metal to stay in place.  With a clear, [[facet]]ed stone, such as a diamond, a shallow groove is cut into the bezel itself. The girdle, or widest part of the gemstone, is placed in the bezel, which is then pushed down over the girdle. The pressure of the bezel over the edge keeps the stone in place.
-Bezel settings for diamond rings are also called rub-over settings; they have a diamond completely surrounded by a precious metal band which fastens the diamond securely into place.  Bezel settings use a type of elevated collar which wraps the rim of the diamond in a complete metal edging. This type of diamond rings setting is the most secure fastener for the stones.  The bezel setting also protects the diamond better than other types of settings, such as the prong setting.  A flush setting for diamond rings is a variation on the rub-over or bezel setting.  In the flush setting, the stone is placed into an opening and affixed at the bottom of the stone.  The top of the diamond is extended above the base.
+Bezel settings for diamonds are also called ''rub-over settings''; they have a diamond completely surrounded by a precious metal band which fastens the diamond securely into place.  Bezel settings use a type of elevated collar which wraps the rim of the diamond in a complete metal edging. This type of diamond ring setting is the most secure fastener for the stones. The bezel setting also protects the diamond better than other types of settings, such as the [[prong setting]].  A flush setting for diamond rings is a variation on the rub-over or bezel setting.  In the flush setting, the stone is placed into an opening and affixed at the bottom of the stone. The top of the diamond is extended above the base.
+===Bezel setting advantages===
-==Advantages==
-One advantage of the bezel setting as compared to the [[prong setting]] is that the diamond is better protected from accidental rubbing or blows, and is less likely to allow the diamond to scratch or mar something it comes in contact with. The bezel setting is also more secure, so the diamond is less likely to be dislodged by the wearer's activity.
+One advantage of the bezel setting, as compared to the [[prong setting]], is that the diamond is better protected from accidental rubbing or blows, and is less likely to allow the diamond to scratch whatever it may come into contact with. The bezel setting is also more secure, so the diamond is less likely to be dislodged.
-==Notes==
+==Watch bezel==
+<!-- 'Watch bezel' redirects here -->
-{{Reflist}}
+[[File:Turning the bezel on a diving watch to mark a point in time.webm|thumb|Video of a [[diving watch]] having an adjustable bezel to mark the start time of a dive]]
+An extension of the term ''bezel setting'' can refer to a rotatable rim on a clock or watch used to indicate certain data such as elapsed time.<ref name=oed>''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' (all editions to 2013), "Bezel", n. 3. However the OED definition misses the primary sense given in its own citations, such as: "1616 J. Bullokar Eng. Expositor, Bezill, the broad part of a ring, in which the stone or signet is set.", only defining it as "The groove and projecting flange or lip by which the crystal of a watch or the stone of a jewel is retained in its setting." For examples of "bezel" referring to flat, thick parts of rings with no gems, flanges or lips see the [https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?searchText=bezel&images=true over 2,000 uses of the word (in records with images) in the British Museum collection database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924165248/http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?searchText=bezel&images=true |date=2015-09-24 }}.</ref><ref>''Webster's New World College Dictionary'' (2005)</ref>
 ==References==
+===Citations===
+{{Reflist}}
+==Sources==
 *Campbell, Gordon, "Bezel", ''Grove Art Online'', ''[[Oxford Art Online]]'', Oxford University Press, Accessed 4 July 2013, [http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T2070917 Subscription required]
+{{Gemstones|state=autocollapse}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bezel Setting}}
 [[Category:Jewellery]]