Hello, I have an opal ring one size too small and I like to put a
piece to make it larger and I know opal is heat sensitive so what
should I do? Thank you in advance for your advice.
Anna C
Remove the opal
Resize and finish the ring setting
Set the opal
John
Anna- When sizing an Opal or any other very heat sensitive stone I
hold the top with my fingers and try to solder as fast as possible.
I keep a glass of water handy to quench the shank. If it’s too hot to
hold, it’s too hot for the Opal. You can also buy some heat shield
at any good jewelry supplier.
Have fun and make lots of jewelry.
Jo Haemer
www.timothywgreen.com
You can also buy some heat shield at any good jewelry supplier.
Heat shield will protect against radiated heat, but not against heat
conducted by the metal itself. I use a small ceramic or metal
container filled with sand that is totally saturated with water. Fill
the container to the brim with sand, then slowly pour in water until
it starts to overflow. Put the ring in the wet sand, head down and
shank protruding; make sure the opal is totally covered. Apply the
flux and solder, then use a hot flame to melt the solder. Work as
quickly as you can - the water will boil a bit on the surface, but
the opal will be OK as long as you are quick.
Regards, Gary Wooding
Anna, my standard practice when sizing/soldering up or down with any
ring with stone[s] I have any doubts about as to whether they can
take any heat is -
I use a small baby food tin, packed to the top with fine white sand
and add enough cold water to wet the whole contents, drain off any
surplus water, then push the ring head/stone just under the surface,
then lay a thin piece of pumace onto the area above the stone- which
will soak up some of the water also.Then stand a pumace piece behind
the area being soldered to help reflect the heat back to the rear of
the joint to stop heat loss.
Just make sure the pumace and sand surface does not dry out too much
if you try this system.
colin
Remove the opal Resize and finish the ring setting Set the opal
thats one option but without knowing the style of setting, the size
of the stone, what metal it is and how heavy the shank is it is
probably the hardest method, most time consuming and most expensive
to the customer. you can usually piece up one size without distorting
the shape of the ring or fracturing the stone without removing the
stone. submersing the stone side of the ring in water (in a bottle
top or a tin can cut in half) and holding it upright in tweezers is
an effective way of adding a piece to the ring without removing the
stone. to size it with the least risk to the stone you could file out
the inside of the ring, although i wouldn’t recommend it. if you
decide to take this route let the customer know there will be some
weight loss first!
? Are we enlarging an oVal ring or an oPal ring I dont want to go at
this like a bull at Agate as I cant carve stone.
Not a freudian slip I trust I can make oval mandrills but not the
simian kind. That would be unkind. I am just too undisciplined.
Love all the argi-barge.
Keep it up.
David