Hi, I’m just pondering if a prong get work hardened and the stone is already in place.
Can it be anealed in an Argon atmosphere by induction without affecting the diamond or the polishing of the metal?
Bear with me, sometimes my mind wander off and end up with these kind of questions.
Diamonds can go in the fire as long as they’re coated with a good layer of boric acid to protect them from oxygen. Similarly, the polish on the metal will not be affected if the boric acid coating is uninterrupted.
Mix up a thick paste of boric acid (not borax) and denatured alcohol. Apply it and let the alcohol burn off leaving the boric acid layer. Then heat the piece slowly until the boric acid melts and forms a glass. Then you can increase the heat and anneal the prongs.
Allow the piece to cool slowly. Keep it away from possible breezes or cold air from an AC unit. Diamonds, while resistant to heat, can crack from thermal shock, so be sure that it can cool down gently.
This is also how one can retip worn down prongs with solder while still keeping a diamond in the setting.
Best to practice with the boric acid first on a bit of polished metal without stones, to get the hang of it.
What I described and pondered was an inert Argon atmosphere, is Boric acid needed then?
Will the induction heat the Diamond?