1. Begin by deciding where you want to set the stone on the band and then glue the stone there upside down using Super Glue. Once the glue is cured, use an X-Acto knife to carefully mark the edges of the stone. Make sure the blade is vertical and the scribe marks are as close to the actual size of the stone as possible. Once you’ve clearly marked where the stone should sit, put the ring in an ultrasonic cleaner and the Super Glue will release the stone. (This technique works best for setting diamonds, sapphires, and rubies, as all three stones hold up well against both Super Glue and the ultrasonic.)

2. Drill two holes within the scribe marks to start to remove metal from the ring. I like to use drill bits that are not quite as wide as the narrow part of the stone. Drill all the way through the back of the band.

3. Gently stir around the inside of the cutout with a 1 mm Krause bur to combine the two drill holes and remove some of the excess metal.

4. Next, use the end of a 0.6 mm inverted cone bur to cut and clean up the seat. I focus on cutting an almost vertical wall all the way through and getting crisp corners. Once the seat is clean, I test fit the baguette and continue to trim the seat with the inverted cone until the stone drops in properly. You will know that the seat is close when the girdle of the stone drops below the surface but the table is just above the dome of the band.

5. Take a 0.5 mm ball bur and cut four pockets in the corners of the seat where the corners of the baguette will go. You want to keep the stone’s points protected from any metal. Then cut a very slight groove across the long sides for the girdle of the stone to sit. This is the final detailing of the seat. Leave the short ends of the stone floating.

6b. Drop the stone into the setting and push it down gently with a soft tool, such as a brass pusher, thumbnail, or even a wooden chopstick, until the girdle fits tightly into the grooves. Next, use a flat punch to tap down on the metal along the long sides of the baguette.

6b. Drop the stone into the setting and push it down gently with a soft tool, such as a brass pusher, thumbnail, or even a wooden chopstick, until the girdle fits tightly into the grooves. Next, use a flat punch to tap down on the metal along the long sides of the baguette. Tap straight down on the band, moving the punch along both long sides until the stone is tight. As you tap down, the metal will spread inward over the sides of the stone, securing it similarly to a channel setting.

7. You should now have a baguette securely flush set in the domed band. The final step is to polish the ring as you normally would.