Empiric 18K Red Gold Solder formula

Jewelry Discussion
1

All;

Here in Brazil is not so easy as in USA or other countries. There’s
no stores or retailers, then we neeed to produce our own solders. I
have many solders alloys formulas, some of them I devenloped by
myself sometimes using empiric method.

The problem is get the same karat and color of the original alloy you
intents to solder.

Here’s an 18 k solder formula for 18 k red gold:

  • gold(999.9) - 75,0 %
  • Silver(999.9) - 5,0 %
  • Copper - 12,0 %
  • Zinc - 6,0 %
  • Cadmium - 2,0 %

18 k red gold solder alloy - 100,0 %

You must take care with the meltig points. Follow this steps: 1. -
Using a torch in a ceramic crucible Melt the gold + silver + copper.

    • After this pre-alloy is melt, take of the torch and wait it get
      solid.
    • Using a plier or other tool, take of that solid but still hot
      piece of metal from the crucible.
    • Put the Zinc+cadmium(in small square pieces) inside the crucible
      under the pre-alloy piece.
    • Reduce the flame torch to a “soft” flame, then melt the
      pre-alloy again slowly. Using this process, the zinc and cadmium
      (low melting points metals) won’t burn.

hth
Christo in Brazil