Tom Hello! Any chance for setting stones (gravers) in this alloy?
Could we raise the 24k to a point to allow setting of stones?
Any info appreciated.
Tim
Any chance for setting stones (gravers) in this alloy? Could we raise the 24k to a point to allow setting of stones? Any info appreciated.
So long as you’ve got a purple color, your dealing with the
intermetallic compound, not a normal alloy structure. This mix
will never be even close to ductlile enough to raise a bead. But
you could drill a hole with abrasive bits (probably not so well
with true drill bits, but it’s worth a try. Might be clean
enough.). Into that hole, you could solder in a more
conventional alloy tube, into which you could burnish the stone.
Considerable care would be needed to avoid shattering the purple
gold. It’s important to note that the colored compound needs
specific ratios of gold atoms to copper atoms, for best color.
There are several ratios that work. the 1:1 given by the 18K
mix is the brightest purple. Other ratios give less intense or
lighter colors. But they are still brittle. The compound
doesn’t form homogenous mixes with excess 24 gold becoming, as
you hoped, more ductile. Stays pretty brittle. You’re best off
treating this as a material which is inlaid, such as stones
would be, except you can solder to it.
Peter Rowe
Hi Tim, I’m going to try something next week. I intend to make a
23K alloy with gold and aluminum. If it is malleable, I’ll cut it
to 22K and so on.
I’ll let you know what happens. Tom
Hello Tom! Now that’s the spirit! Since your going first; would
you consider an addition of fine silver of any improvement? I
tend to look at jewelry as a place to put gems, my own
limitations I suppose. I don’t think I can appreciate an alloy
without this feature. From what has come by on this thread so
far, the aluminum (consequent alloy) does some backflips when
added to gold. See what happens and let me know. When you find
something that works, I believe you are one step closer to the
title “metallurgist”. Regardless if you can explain why.
Go for it!
TimHi Tim, Well, I’ve been making a mess with gold and aluminum. At
23 1/2k, the metal was vaguely yellowish white. I rolled a 3mm
button down to 1 1/2mm before it cracked. At 23k, the alloy was
greyish white and could not be rolled at all. The testing went
downhill from there. 22k showed a reddish cast. By the time I got
down to 18k, the color was truly wonderful. An electric purple-
totally useless as a metal. I then alloyed it down to 14k with
fine silver. I got a still brittle pale violet color. A lot of
fun.
Tom Arnold
Tom:
You say you started out with 24k pure and slowly brought it down
to 18k by alloying it with aluminum? At this point you had a
blob of beautiful purple but thouroughly usless 18k metal. When
you then lowered the carat to 14 with fine silver, it was then a
nice violet color. Was the metal more mallable and could it be
used to smith or even cast??? Would you perhaps suggest using
only fine silver to obtain the desired color and carat?
Waiting with anticipation;
Steve Klepinger
I mixed 22k with aluminum at a ratio of 3 to 1 respectively and
got an absolutely georgeous electric purple color, but I tried to
bend it with pliers and it literally turned into a pile of dust.
Is it possible that when heating the aluminum that it is turning
into aluminum oxide, which in itself is extremely hard and
brittle (i.e. sapphire), making the purple gold brittle? If it
were alloyed in a special furnace could this be avoided? just a
thought. --Jordan
Hi Steve, The metal was still useless for any work at all at
14k. I did not try making an alloy of silver and aluminum. It
sounds like a neat idea. I’m going to try it today! I’ll let you
know what happens. Tom Arnold
Hello Tom! Saw your other post also. Molecular madness seems to
be the nature of aluminum! If you have pure zinc you may
consider a small percentage addition as well. Since your
currently involved in coming up with a more versital rose’ metal
alloy. Zinc is used in alloying as a temperature reducer, and
primarily for improving the viscosity of the mix. Past those two
I’m clueless. I have pure on hand if you’d like some, for this
project, let me know.Good luck! Tim
I have talked to many of the tech people at almost all of the
gold suppliers I could get a phone number to and almost everyone
told me the same thing about trying to make a purple or in my
case blue colored gold, " don’t waste your time or money". They
all told me the mteals you would need to make a intermatalic
metal are just not meant to be. The closest was a cobalt blue
platinum. But hey if anyone can get something to work , please
let me know. What one guy told me simply was " you can’t get
there from here", so maybe someday, I mean we are going into the
next millennium, it could happen.
Matt the Catt @ Contemporary Industrial Arts
Matt, Blue gold is possible. I have seen it in finished jewelry.
A client of mine was importing it from Italy. The big drawback to
it is that it is brittle and will not take ANY heat. The jewelry
I saw the gold was attached by set of small hidden screws for
removal for sizing and repair. design wise it was used as an
aplique or set like stones i.e. onyx. The color was a royal blue
and was amazing. It was also patented. Don’t give up. There is
always more than one way to skin a cat. P.S. I was told the blue
color was a patina and if heated changed. Frank
Can you give more on the cobalt blue platinum.
Formula? Is it available commercially? Is it available by
special order? What company did you get this info from? Guess I
am just full of questions! And, is it malleable? _____Barbara Bequette