Soldering bracelets

Jewelry Discussion
1

Good morning,

I have a quick question about soldering and bending a bracelet. I am
making a bracelet that consists of 2 wires widening out and meeting
at both ends with a stone in the center. Do you solder the ends
before bending or after and if before how do you prevent them from
coming apart when being bent?

Thanks for your help
Gerry

2

Solder first - nor reason they would come apart if soldered properly

3

Hi Gerry, As the saying goes, experience is the the best teacher,
especially where it costs next to nothing to go through it. I would
encourage you to just try outyour idea using copper. The outcome
should hopefully provide you with some insight as to how to proceed
further.

4

Hello Gerry,

In general, it is best to fix in place (solder) loose parts before
shaping. IOW solder the ends together first. There are always
exceptions, though. Also, it is usually easier to solder flat
things, than pieces with dimension, ie. the shaped bracelet.

To better answer your question, tell us: Is this a bangle or cuff?
What metal? How is the stone to be secured?

I’ve made many cuff bracelets and find that evenly heating the metal
(silver and copper) to allow solder flow can be a stumbling block.

Judy in Kansas, where yesterday 3 inches of snow accumulated, then
melted. Not climate change, but weather wierding.