[Jewelry making - Article 00012] - Re: [Orchid] White Gold - needs some plaining

[Matthew Crawford]

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Hi Craig,

>     If any one else has experience with this alloy or knows it's
>     composition I would really like to benefit from your experience. 

    I've been casting X1 for over a year, and it is the only white gold I
    use now (unless my customer has a nickel allergy). I have never had
    to rhodium plate it for a customer. In fact, it is white enough that
    I made a ring which had cast platinum/ruthenium heads attached to a
    cast 14X1 shank (at the customer's request, I'll add), and he could
    not see the difference in color. It is by far whiter than my most
    recent palladium white casting. 

    I have found that it is absolutely necessary to use at least 50% new
    shot for each melt, and occasionally I'll do a 75% new mix to
    freshen up the buttons (about every 20 or so melts). Otherwise, the
    raw castings are not as clean as I like them to be, which are
    typically so white and smooth-grained that I can practically throw
    them into my magnetic tumbler with no other surface finishing (I'm
    really keen on a highly finished wax, though). 

    I find that it is no harder than any other nickel white gold that
    I've cast, and actually have found it to be slightly more malleable
    than some (especially Stuller's standard white alloy). 

    I've used the mill products as well, and am equally pleased with the
    consistent white color from batch to batch. However, I have not had
    much success with the X1 solder. I have a sheet of medium, and find
    that is does not flow as smoothly as I'd like, so I end up using
    standard white solder when required. 

    All told, I am very happy with this product. 

Matthew Crawford
www.MatthewDesigns.com


 
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