Can you pickle and solder diamond earings?

[Louise]

I am new to making jewellery and so far I have had great success, how ever a friend asked me to try and repair her earings as the post fell off. We are unsure of metal and stone as they were a gift and are unhallmarked. I was going to try and solder on a silver post. But worried about the stone etc. Will I just cover it in thermal gel before heating, also is it safe to pickle or tumble?


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[marna]

I would be really, really wary of going near a mystery-stone in a mystery-metal, in case I ended up with a puddle of melty metal embedded with glassy splinters.

If they're unhallmarked, though, you could try weighing them and seeing if they *should* be hallmarked (minus a guess for the stone, I suppose) - that might help you eliminate them being gold, at least?

[Dennis]

Newbies are always being flattered into accepting a poisoned chalice. Treasure your friendship and politely decline. Dennis.

[ps_bond]

You don't know what the metal is, how are you certain what the stone is?
Per Dennis' suggestion - avoid it.

[Louise]

Yeah prob best, but as a rule what happens to stones if they are in the pickle or under heat?


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[metalsmith]

Yeah prob best, but as a rule what happens to stones if they are in the pickle or under heat?


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The Mrs asked me to improve upon her cheap-tack ear-rings (no 'stone') in silver. I thought a brief pass of the flame should be ok to render the metal soft and then I could reproduce it's outline as a starter. However, the metal 'over-reacted' shall we say. It appeared to soften quickly, so stupidly I gave it a prod with my finger. Unfortunately it had the consistency of solder - at that temperature, liquid and stuck to my finger-tip. Even my where-there's-no-sense-there's-no-feeling levels of asbestos finger tips were tested to the limits. [-X

Depending on the stone it would dissolve, dull the finish or pit the surface in pickle. Metal as above or in pickle, again, might do anything from nothing to dissolve. If you wish to proceed, given all the warnings, then I suggest you try the reverse of the object with dilute pickle. In heat, the unknown stone may do nothing, change colour, crack or melt even.

Ensure you have a 'best-endeavors agreement' in place before you proceed.

[Louise]

Yip think I'll hand them back with my apologies, shame looks so simple but would hate to waste them! Thanks for the advice


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[emsterv]

I thought a brief pass of the flame should be ok to render the metal soft and then I could reproduce it's outline as a starter. However, the metal 'over-reacted' shall we say. It appeared to soften quickly, so stupidly I gave it a prod with my finger. Unfortunately it had the consistency of solder - at that temperature, liquid and stuck to my finger-tip.

:-O :-O :-O :-O I have absentmindedly almost tried to readjust something after pre-heating to dry out flux but haven't actually made contact ... yet. Sometimes its easy to forget what temperatures we're working with when it becomes rote.

As everyone's been saying I'd leave it versus risking the possible (likely?) outcome.

[Louise]

I genuinely thought a bit thermogel would see me through, I just worried abt the stone as never worked with them. But glad I thought to check, saves a red face and apologies [emoji106] still leaves me wondering how a proper jeweller would fix it? Do they take stones out when working on them?


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[enigma]

If they *are* diamonds then you could get away with coating in thermogel or similar but the issue is more if they aren't diamonds.
Many jewellers also have more intense , controllable flames too or even PUK welders which allow you to work right next to a stone without heating it so much.

[enigma]

BTW if they are claw set in silver it should be fairly easy to remove the stone and solder- always providing it is silver and the claws don't break as you are doing so…….

[Louise]

Thanks x


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[metalsmith]

Sometimes its easy to forget what temperatures we're working with


If its not red then a gentle touch after a quick lick of a clean finger-tip should tell if its too hot. If it sizzles on contact [-X come back later :-"

I'm sure I could invent a tool for this ... like a damp cotton bud but obviously more expensive, perhaps

[Dennis]

Keep a steel block nearby and put hot metal on that. It will be cool almost at once. Dennis.

[Tabby66]

This is a nightmare in the making....often people are unaware of what they are giving you, silver plated ring....offer means copper plated below....and what is referred to in the trade as b*st'rd metal in the main.....it is referred to as that for a reason.....it is a "*******" to work with.....and it can be mad up of any mix of materials.....it melts and drips, forms bubbles, but basically disintegrates.....You need to know what you are dealing with....

As for the stones,.....if they are diamonds, sapphires or rubies, you can often get away with a bit of heat.....but if they have inclusions, etc....they can blow or crack.....and as for too much heat ......no no.......most stones need unsetting before work is undertaken on the metal.....

Hope this helps :)

As others have advised......say no

[Patstone]

Well my idea is to leave them away from anything. Can you drill a small hole in the top (where the post was) and make a silver ear wire so it drops from a dangly bit. Then do the same to the other one by cutting off the post.