Hi Caroline. You do have some problems , perhaps at this point for
your customers sake find a friendly crafts person who is willing to
take over at this point and you can file the knowledge you have gained
from this experience for future reference. On reflection as an
apprentice, all of my problems were carefully turned around by the
journeyman responsible for my training. But when you are on your own
I guess that sinking felling is part of the equation from time to
time. But, you do become a more knowable crafts person after the
experience. When a ring is unstamped never take the customers word for
what they think the alloy might be. John Burgess gave some helpful
hints on identifying alloys some weeks ago. Perhaps your local
jewellers suppliers will have an acid testing kit that would be
helpful in the future. When a piece is unstamped it is a good idea to
approach it with suspicion. After a lot of years you seem to acquire
an “early warning system” and I would sometimes advise the customer
that I would attempt the job but at there risk, or even better decline
the potential problem. You should have been able to stretch an 18ct.
plain half round, one size but first anneal the whole ring as it may
be hard from previous work. There is a tool that expands the ring from
the inside by the use of a leaver, it is an essential part of the
workshop for the crafts person accepting repairs . If the join starts
to crack saw through the join and resolder, there are rose gold
solders, shop around, I’m sure other replies will offer you names of
local suppliers
Old rose gold that bubbles I’m familiar with, porosity I’m familiar
with and I have a few hammers, but I don�t make the connection between
the three.
Aquatint your engraver with the problems with this riung, you may be
giving him a few of his own.
I know the fact that while the rings reaction to soldering was not of
your making it does not make it easier to confront the customer. I had
the identical situation with bubbly rose gold about thirty years ago
and still remember it well. At least you can show your customer the
lengths you have gone to, to resolve the problem.
All the best
Bruce. New Zealand