[Jewelry making - Article 01192] - Re: [Orchid] Coloring 18k yellow gold

[David L. Huffman]

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>         dear list does anyone have a favorite way of raising the color
>     of 18 karat yellow gold to the color of 22 karat? thanks bill 


    Hello Bill; My technique only works for articles that don't have
    stones or enamel in them, as these materials would become subject to
    thermal shock.  I clean the article, then heat it until it turns
    black, which is generally just below a visible red, probably around
    700 degrees, farenheit.  Then I let it cool to the point where I can
    touch it.  I then submerge it in a small container of muriatic acid
    (hydrochloric acid and water) and suspend the container in the
    ultrasonic cleaner.  This I do by means of a plastic strainer that
    hangs across the top of the sonic and in the solution.  After a
    minute or so in the acid, the black color is gone.  I rinse the
    article in clear water, then lighly brush with a brass wire brush and
    repeat the entire heat/acid/wire brush process as many times as
    needed to achieve the color I desire.  The final color tends to be on
    the green side when used on a standard 18K yellow alloy, so if you
    need to get a more orange hue, you'd need to, I believe, use
    alternately immersion in acid then silver nitrate, then acid, then
    silver nitrate.  You could substitute ferric chloride for the
    muriatic acid, but it would be a slower process requiring heating and
    pickling a greater number of times. 

David L. Huffman


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