Covering solder seams on vermeil

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi,

I have been working with sterling and 14k gold fill (at this time I
cannot afford to move into gold) and also have some chains made from
large links in 22K vermeil. I have found a number of creative uses
for these links by themselves but when I cut a link to remove it
from the chain, I have to solder every other piece to make it
useable. Does anyone know if I could use disposable pen plating in
24K to cover the solder seams and any areas which need a light touch
to cover the sterling? I would like a solution that is quick, easy,
and doesn’t involve a lot of expensive equipment. Since I would only
use it for this application, the cost per use is less important than
the overall up front investment. The pieces I am making will be
earrings or pendants and the vermeil will be layered on sterling to
avoid everyday wear and tear, diminishing the life of the plating. I
didn’t ever plan to use vermeil, but I made a few pieces with these
links and they are selling really well.

I saw an ad from Cohler and looked into their disposable plating pens

Don’t know the pricing yet, but this is a totally new area for me.
Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Tracy

2

Tracy,

I’ve used 14k yellow gold solder on vermeil and gold fill. I’m no
technical genius, so I can’t vouch on whether this is the correct
thing to do, but the results look good and appear secure. On the
other hand, I’ve never had good results with pen plating.

Good luck,
Jamie

3

Tracy,

Since you’re already soldering the rings closed, how about using the
corresponding karat solder? 14k, 22k, etc. When I worked with gold
filled I always used the matching karat gold solder and it worked
well. All you’ll need to invest in is a couple dwts of solder which,
I assume, would cost less (and be significantly safer) than a
plating system.

Andrea