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[Orchid] Platinum joined with gold solder
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Riccardo Accurso Sunday, June 18, 2000
   
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    In a recent issue of AJM, Jurgen Maerz of Platinum Guild International
    shows how to retip a platinum prong setting by attaching new platinum
    tips with gold solder. 

    This provoked some questions on my part, and I sent him the following
    email.  Jurgen is apparently too preoccupied to reply at the moment,
    so perhaps some Orchid members would like to comment on the issues. 

========

Jurgen,

    Your article on prong retipping with platinum in AJM caught my eye. 

    A technical question for you:  in attaching the new platinum tip, the
    cross section of the piece to be soldered on must be on the order of 1
    mm x 1mm or so, perhaps a bit larger.  What is the strength of the
    bond between the gold solder and the two platinum sides that are
    joined? 

    This generates a more general question:  What is the nature of the
    bond when platinum pieces are joined with gold solder? 

    I am thinking of the difference in melting points between the platinum
    and gold here.  With gold being joined to gold with gold solder, the
    differential is relatively small, but with the platinum the
    differential is very great.  So I would imagine that in soldering
    gold, there is some "wetting" of the pieces to be joined allowing at
    least a small amount of interpenetration of molecules from both sides
    at the join.  But this wouldn't be true with the platinum.  Add to
    that a very small cross section in the case of attaching a prong tip
    of platinum with gold solder and aren't you asking for trouble?  Have
    strength tests been made for this situation? 

    I appreciate your generosity with your expertise. 

Thanks,
Riccardo  Accurso
Ricco Gallery of Contemporary Art Jewelry
125 W German St /PO Box 883
Shepherdstown, WV 25443-0883 



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