Platinum finishing

Hi Folks! I have a customer for whom I’ve made a platinum band ring
with boarders…She requested that the entire ring be sandblasted
which we did, and now after a mere few weeks, the blasting is
showing wear- which it is prone to do. She is wanting a more
permanent finish- anybody have any ideas?

As always many thanks to the experience of all of you- Orchid has
been a real Godsend!

Rona

Hi Rona,

Is that 95/5 or 90/10 Pt? It can make a big difference. I have
found a coarse stone finish to outlast a fine grain sandblast,
ideally your customer will like that or a coarser sand blast as a
background for the wear every day patina that will be permanent. I’m
afraid a satin finish will not last any better than the sand blast.

You should hear the din from retailers whose clients had been told
platinum is harder than gold and expected the bright polish to last
for years with all day every day wear and tear!

Orchidians take note I get this a LOT. With rare heat treated
exceptions 95/5 is soft compared with white gold for impact
resistance and general scratch resistance. Alloys vary this is a
general rule only. I saw a Pt ring shank beat to death by a yellow
ring shank on a Sunday morning at a church. The handclapping that
went with the hymnals was just too much for the poor 95/5 shank up
against a 10kt yellow shank.

Daniel Ballard
WWW.Pmwest.us

Did you use glass beads to “sandblast” or sand? The glass beads
will provide a matt finish which is not very durable on the high
points. If you used “sand” there are several grits (and types) that
are available. Flint sand (quartz media)is more aggressive and
available in many grits. (mesh sizes) (check if your machine nozzle
can handle a coarser material) You may also try a hand applied
"emery" finish which is done with abrasive paper and is available in
many grits. The heavier the grit, the more durable the finish. There
are also some very handy texturing brushes which mount on a tapered
spindle. Try suppliers like Gesswein or Rio Grande.