QuestionHi,
A customer has asked me to solder their wedding rings together. Do I have to remove the diamonds before soldering? Or can diamonds stand up to the heat of the torch? Also, should I use xtra easy, easy, med. or hard solder? Do I use 'repair solder'? She said the ring was white gold. I normally work in silver and other gemstones (most of which would need removing before soldering). I hate the thought of removing diamonds from their settings and feeling responsible for possible loss down the road!
AnswerHello,
If you don't feel comfortable enough removing and resetting the stones - don't accept the job. It sounds like, and don't interpret this as a condescending statement, but you aren't experienced enough to do the work professionally- meaning, if you don't have insurance to cover the loss and replacement of the diamonds or bands don't accept the job..given that:
you would first have to know the quality and cut of the stones- if IF, then just some wet wadded newsprint would protect it /them enough to solder the bands together. If they are the same material- both white gold, and in that case I would use medium solder, as you don't want to go to the temp of a meltdown as with hard- though if using a precision torch hard would be my choice!
Also inspect the settings, if the diamonds are in a setting you can fabricate or purchase if anything goes wrong, ( i.e. they melt!) you have to be able to replace in the time promised- so if you would have to order out the settings then again, don't accept the job. If they are bead set, I wouldn't accept the job.
While gold is more forgiving than silver, white gold having nickel is a different creature all together..it has oxidation issues similar to sterling and if you used, say, easy solder it would be eaten away potentially with exposure to chemicals, detergents, pool chemichals and the like as it's zinc content is high and rapidly deteriorates with constant wear- so med or even med. hard is recommended..( hoover and strong sell it in all grades, and my unique solutions, Beth Katz' firm makes a line of pastes and powders that are great for the kind of soldering you are doing, in a number of different flow temperatures).
If you don't feel confident perhaps contract it out- that way you still gain from handling the job for your customer but don't take on an unnecessary risk in the expense involved at replacement,and I detect some hesitation in your voice!..so think about it, examine the stones or view the grading report, and then decide. Thermal pastes are an option also- anything but "kool jool-" it is trash and a very inferior product ..a number of vendors make heat shield ( vigor's is great!) but wet wadding works well too.proceed with caution- make sure the joins are even and clean and hit and run with the flux and torch..
Good luck, and best regards, Ari
