It will work, but I'd definitely practice first!

BENTLEY GT . What about the soft or fragile stones one is warned against steam cleaning?

Sorry for the delay! Cleaning the soft wax off is really easy. A warm ultrasonic, steamer, even warm dish soap, warm water & a toothbrush will remove it. I learned that tip about soft wax holding stones in place while setting in a class at the Revere Academy, the SF Jewelry School. It works great for any kind of hammer setting like channel setting or gypsy setting as well.