Back to Ganoksin | FAQ | Contact

Silver and platinum billet

Jewelry Discussion
#1

Hi, I have a couple of questions.

I am looking for some on making seamless rings. how do
you cut the washers to gain a certain size? I have experienced in
the past with this group that you are all very passionate about
books, so recommendations are appreciated.

Second, is there a place where you can buy “silver and
platinum"and"gold and platinum” mokume game billets? I know Rio
sells sheet but it is leopard spots rather than wood grain.

I would really like to surprise my wife with a new wedding band that
I made my self.

Thanks, Richard

#2

Get a Swanson’s Disc Die cutter and buy the center- positioning kit
for it as well. Using both you will be able to cut washers.

If you are planning to make a ring out of Mokume kame- don’t do it.
If the two combined metals get wet, even once, the metal will
corrode due to an electrolytic reaction between the two. Your wife
would be sad to lose your firsteffort at a wedding band!!!

#3 
Second, is there a place where you can buy "silver and
platinum"and"gold and platinum" mokume game billets? I know Rio
sells sheet but it is leopard spots rather than wood grain.

This particular combination, especially gold and platinum, is easy
to “fake”.

Normal mokume work is done by diffusion bonding, which isn’t quite
as simple to do. but you can exploit the vast difference in melting
points with platinum and gold. roll out many pieces of gold and
platinum, to suitable size for the billet you wish, and anything from
foil on up in thickness. Stack them up, lightly fluxed, alternating
platinum and gold layers as you wish, and use a moderately reducing
flame to heat this up till the gold melts. Essentially, you’re sweat
soldering all the pieces of platinum together using your desired
quality of gold as solder. Keep the gold layers fairly thin, like you
would with solder. May not be quite as slick as mokume done “the
right way”, but this is quick, easy, and works fairly well,
especially with smaller pieces. I’ve made several rings this way,
with a woodgrain pattern. I made what was essentially heavy square
billets that I could roll in a square wire mill, then forge/twist a
bit to get enough pattern. If there are flaws or delaminations in
spots, just heat them up again with a very small flame and reflow
just that spot…

Peter

#4 
If you are planning to make a ring out of Mokume kame- don't do
it. 

If the two combined metals get wet, even once, the metal will
corrode due to an electrolytic reaction between the two.

The OP asked about making a ring with Mokume made with platinum and
silver or gold. Those combinations make a fine ring with no
corrosion. That problem only occurs with more reactive base metals
like Mokume where one of the metals is copper or the like. The copper
would corrode. But gold and platinum? No.

#5 
If you are planning to make a ring out of Mokume kame- don't do
it. 

If the two combined metals get wet, even once, the metal will
corrode due to an electrolytic reaction between the two. Your wife
would be sad to lose your firsteffort at a wedding band!!!

This is not correct! There is a problem if the laminate includes
base metals like copper or shakudo, shibuichi etc. but as long as
the laminate is made from precious metals (silver, gold, palladium,
platinum and their alloys) there is no issue with the galvanic
corrosion.

#6 
This is not correct! There is a problem if the laminate includes
base metals like copper or shakudo, shibuichi etc. but as long as
the laminate is made from precious metals (silver, gold,
palladium, platinum and their alloys) there is no issue with the
galvanic corrosion.

I had never thought about this, since I don’t use laminates in my
work, though I might be persuaded to at some point. It makes me
wonder why anyone would bother with a laminate including copper or
copper alloys for anything. Jewellery owners/wearers are not always
(not often - never??) overly careful with their jewellery. They swim
in it, shower in it and what not, and they even (horrors!) wear it in
the rain! So how can a hapless maker ensure their work is properly
cared for? Lord knows I try, but it sure isn’t easy! So in my
experience at least, it’s unlikely to help much to tell a purchaser
not to allow a piece to get wet - though best to do so anyway, so at
least you have a retort when they come back to you complaining the
piece began to corrode after that dip in Mediterranean… !

A question arises, though - does the same problem apply to a
copper/silver appliqu/onlay piece?

Janet

#7 
A question arises, though - does the same problem apply to a
copper/silver appliqu/onlay piece?

Yes it makes no difference how the copper is joined to the silver or
gold as long as they are in electrical contact with each other.

I have written more about this here:
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep7zsa

Jim

#8 
... it's unlikely to help much to tell a purchaser > not to allow
a piece to get wet - though best to do so anyway, so at > least you
have a retort when they come back to you complaining the > piece
began to corrode after that dip in Mediterranean... !

Janet, some of them do not give the purchaser that - and
in my case, did not take it kindly when I contacted them to complain
about the corrosion that was progressing in our mokume gane rings and
creating exposed knife-edged layers.

By which time, I was armed with James Binnion’s very helpful

They did finally agree to refunding our two ring purchase when I
pointed out to them that this particular laminate was unsuitable for
the purpose of daily-wear wedding rings!

Long live Jim and Orchid!!

Pam Chott
songofthephoenix.com

#9

Hi,

I have written more about this here:
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep7zsa

Very informative.

Umesh