Dark grey silver joint in a palladium silver ring

Hi everyone!
I was working with a palladium silver ring (90% silver 10% palladium), and I use hard stearling silver solder to make the joint. Everything seems to look great until a week after I deliver the ring, with only a week of wearing the ring, the joint turns very dark. Why did that happen? Do I have to make a special solder for palladium silver?

Can hardly wait for the answer as I have TRS silver solder in the post and had planned to use this tomorrow with the Pall/Silver alloy, that you have used.

I hope someone knows about this issue, there isn’t much information about it. By the way, at first it looks great so I delivered it, I never expected to look dark so soon because I use hard solder, I suppose it was a chemical reaction. Luckily the joint it was very thin, but it bothers me :frowning:

I’m thinking that Palladium silver is not likely to tarnish, but the silver solder would considering an environment that would promote tarnishing for sterling. It’s all relative.

I use platinum sterling, and I can’t imagine the issues are any different. It seems your silver solder oxidized. I was advised by the creators of platinum sterling to use 10k white gold solder. First of all, because of the color match. Secondly, because it doesn’t oxidize. It’s worked well for me for 8 years.

1 Like

Yes, I supposed that was it happened, but since it happened just in one week, maybe it was something else that accelerated the process.

Looking at google I find this case with a Tiffany jewelry, so maybe it was a common issue?

Do you know what is the composition of platinium stearling? And how to make 10k white gold solder? The melting point of 10k white gold solder isn’t higher than palladium silver? Too much questions :thinking:

Thanks for your answer!

I purchase platinum sterling from Allura Metals, International.
AlluraMetals.com. It’s the only place in the world to buy that metal, they
have a patent on it. I’ve been working with it for 8 years, I have a lot of
experience with it. They also make palladium sterling.

I use silver solder when I want to oxidize the piece because…10k white
gold solder doesn’t tarnish.

I use 10k white gold solder when I want the metal to be polished and for the
seams to not show. As in ring sizing. I use 10k white gold solder because
that’s what Allura told me works. They’re correct, it works.

You can purchase 10k white gold solder from any supplier like Fell, or
Hoover&Strong, or OttoFrei, or Rio, or Stuller.

I would go onto AlluraMetals.com to find the melting temp of palladium
sterling to be sure, but 10k melts pretty low. If you’re still in doubt,
call Allura Metals and ask them. Where did you buy your palladium sterling?
Call them and ask them for the melting temp. Compare that with 10k melting
temp, which you can find on any web site that sells it.

I hope that helps.

You are correct cmainne23 a white gold solder is good for the job. I will even go further and say you could use a 14 white repair solder, less expensive!
IT silver solder would be an improvement from the hard silver solder but will probably still occur but take longer to show up. Fell group has all solder in stock and ready to ship.

Ken B.
David H Fell & Co.

Thanks for all the info! I will look at those stores and will test the 10k white gold solder.

I usually make my own alloys, so I made my own palladium silver (90% silver, 10% palladium), and I thought that maybe I can make my own solder. I find the composition here:

Otherwise I will order the 10k white gold solder that you use and see how it goes.

Thanks!

If is less expensive and equally good it’s sounds like a good deal :ok_hand:

Valeria

Wow. You make your own alloys! I’m impressed!

All I know is I’ve had no problem with the 10K white gold solder and the
platinum sterling I use.

A note: it’s VERY hard to get platinum to combine homogenously with silver,
which is why ABI patented it. It’s great that palladium and silver aren’t
so troublesome. Because you alloy your own, you know the melting temp and
can adjust your white gold solders to suit. I’m sure others on Ganoksin
will be interested in what you come up with! I like David Fell solders the
best, by the way.

mailto:conni@connimainne.com%20 Conni Mainne Designer | Goldsmith

https://www.facebook.com/ConniMainne facebook |
https://www.pinterest.com/ConniMainne/ pinterest |
https://instagram.com/connimainne/ instagram

http://connimainne.com/ ConniMainne.com

tel:+17079372311 707.937.2311

1 Like

Thank you Connie! I make my own alloys, because I don’t have a lot of options here (I live in Chile), but I do buy materials online in Riogrande and others.
Thanks for the solder tip, I will test it!