Gold Inlay into Onyx

Jewelry Discussion
1

Does anyone know how to inlay gold into onyx? I know that sounds
weird, but we have an old ring that the customer would like
duplicated and it ahs an onyx tablet with a gold letter inlaid into
it and small diamonds set in the gold. We had the tablet cut, but we
want to make sure the inlay stays in the onyx,

Any ideas? Thank in advance
Aaron A Tracy

2

I am accustomed to soldering a silver tube to the back on the
insert, then drilling the onyx and flaring the tube. On other jobs
that can not be drilled, such a delicate gold initial set into an
engraved stone, I use slow setting epoxy (instead of fast setting (5
minute) epoxy which does not hold as well). Here I am speaking about
inlay vs. onlay. If the gold piece is placed on the top of the onyx,
a method to stop the gold from spinning is to cut a slot into the
backside of the stone through the drilled area. When the silver tube
is flared, sections of the tube are pushed into the slot.

Jeffrey Everett

3

he way of old is to use a stone graver, then gum Arabic, followed by
gold leaf. Otherwise today’s laser and having both pieces cut to fit
then a small chamfer, some high karat gold and burnish it till it’s
set. Ringman John

4

an onyx tablet with a gold letter inlaid into it and small diamonds
set in the gold.

My son had a ring like that once and when it broke, I discovered
that the letter was on a hollow rivet which went through the onyx.

Donna in VA

5

I think that I would solder a post on the back of the gold & diamond
piece, and drill a hole in the center of the onyx tablet. Insert the
post through the onyx to the backside,then cut the back of the post
in 1/2 or 1/4 if poss, and split it open to hold the gold in place
in addition to some 2 part epoxy.

My first time writing back to this WONDERFUL site, I hope I did it
right. ;> Laura Guptill Jewelry

6

I had a broken one of these some time ago. The tablet had one hole
pierced through it and the back of the hole was countersunk to hold a
nut. The gold initial had a threaded post and was screwed onto the
nut and held in place. The unit was then bezel set.

Tony Konrath