Manufacturing Jewelry in Platinum Some Basic Facts

By Gwen TorresMore from this author

Updated on February 12, 2018

Properties of platinum

• To get one ounze of pure platinum you have to process 11 tons of ore.
• Platinum (Pt) is one of the heaviest precious metals.
• Pt has an extremely low thermal conductivity, it doesn't bend or twist even under the effect of heat.
• Platinum doesn't tarnish or oxidise on air.
• Pt has a very good wear restistance.
• It can disolve only in hot aqua regia.
• Pt has catalytic properties. It's always needed to start chemical processes, without participating in this process.
• Pt and platinum group metals are the only material for the production of glasfibres and melting crucibles for glass.
• Regarding on high melting point and resistance to attack, Pt is famous for the measurement of high temperatures.
• Pt has an excellent skin compatibility.

Platinum casting

• The weight of platinum castings will be about 30% higher than for 18 karat gold.
• The weight of casting trees are between 100-3000 gr, in average 300 gr.
• Different tree and sprue design, regarding on total different feeding behaviour.
• Centrifugal spin-casting machine required, torch or induction melting. Ultraviolet lenses for melting platinum is recommended.
• Special investment (phosphat or acid based investment) required.
• High preheat temperature, up to 1000°C necessary. Special heat resistante flask required.
• Oxidation and gas resistance of platinum is extremly good.

Casting

• Even 100% scrap can be melted.
• Special crucibles made of calcium or magnesium stabilized zirconia required.
• Casting process allows no waiting time, melted platinum has to be poured quickly.
• Rapid loss of heat during the casting process.
• Use hydrofloric acid to dissolve the platinum investment from the cast product.

Handworking

• Use a separat tooling kit for Pt, and keep them clean.
• Avoid any contamination during the manufacturing process, work clean.
• Use rolls and dies (tungsten carbide) highly polished.
• Pt tends to smear or drag wear on working tools.
• Pt can be extensivly deformed, without becoming brittle. Most platinum alloys allow coldwork 80% and more.
• Reduction less than 30% should be avoided.
• General annealing temperature is about 1000°C, a stress relieve at about 600°C is possible. (Guideline: for each mm thickness, heat min. 1 minute, bright orange heat)
• Annealing with a torch: use a broad flame and heat up to a dull red.
• Binary Pt alloys don't age harden, so quenching is not necessary.
• Metal contaminations of Pt surfaces has to be removed by pickling in hot 10% nitric acid.
• Iron contaminations can be removed with hydrochloric acid.
• Pt/Co oxides can be removed with hot hydrochloric acid 20%.
• To enamel Pt is not possible, only Pt/Pd with limited special colors.
• Pt doesn't tarnish or oxidise on air.
• Regarding on elasticity Pt is ideal for settings. Pt bends easily and does not spring back.
• Tension settings are speciality for Platinum.
• Always polish the setting, before you cut the seat for a stone.
• Color combinations are easy to produce.
• Etching of gold inlays are easy to produce.

Joining techniques

• Useful joining techniques for platinum are: Fusion welding, pressure welding, spot welding, laser welding, soldering, sintering, bi metal casting, puddeling, mechanical processes.
• Principle: welding is better than soldering, solder seams to be polished out easier and are visible, they don't match the colour.
• Before joining operation, clean Pt in an ultrasonic cleaner to remove oil, grease and metallic residues.
• During welding/soldering you may not need a flux.
• If you weld, use a filler of the same alloy.
• The wettability between Pt and solders are excellent.
• Use a heat source with less carbon, like hydrogen/oxygen.
• Pt has a relatively low thermal diffusivity, the heat stays near the working area.
• Regarding on the low heat conductivity it is possible to repair without damaging stones.
• Use a ceramic (alumina) brazing pad, no charcoal blocks.
• Don't use iron binding wire and dirty steel clips, this will contamine the Pt.
• Use tungsten twisters and tungsten solder picks to place solder on hot platinum.
• To bond Pt with gold there are special fluxes (free of borates) available.
• Use welding lenses when brazing or welding Pt.

Finishing

• No short cuts for filling and polishing
• Choose the minimum grade of abrasive that totally remove the deepest defects.
• Emery/polish across line defects or solder seams to reduce dragout.
• Change always the working direction at 90° to the previous direction.
• Frequently use fresh abrasive surfaces Avoid the transfer of coarser particles to the next finer process. Good housekeeping is necessary.
• Before surface texturing, prepare a highly polished surface.
• Electrolytical polishing and tumbling are not possible.
• Plating with Rhodium or Pt is recommended, the coating increases the wear resistant and eliminates color differences at the solder seams.
• If Pt will be combined with gold, finish the Pt before you join it to the gold, otherwise the gold will be overpolished, because it will finish faster.

Refining

• Keep Pt fillings and scraps separate from other precious metals.
• Hold platinum/gold combination scrap separate.
• Don't seperate your fillings with a magnet, Pt/Co is magnetic.
• Clean material from sheets, wire etc. and the same alloy can be remelted and used again, without problems.

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