Silver solder for inlays.

This is my first post on this forum - hello!
I want to make 'silver' inlays in CZ121 brass by chemically etching the brass and infilling the etched image with some sort of silver solder. Obviously I can't use pure silver as the brass would melt first. I'm looking for an eye-catching contrast between the brass and silver.
I've tried using 'engineering' silver solder (Johnson Matthey Silver-flo 55) because I have the stuff. It works, but it's quite yellow and there isn't enough contrast with the brass.
It looks like jewelry grade silver solder might be what I need but I've not been able to find info on the colours of easy, medium, and hard solders. Maybe they're all OK - I just don't have any experience with these alloys.
I have also tried 95/5 tin/silver solder, but it doesn't seem to polish up so well as silver.
Any advice would be welcome.
Bob.

Depending on how thick your brass is you get away with Argentium, it has a lower melting point, normally inlays are held in position mechanically e.g. by under cutting the edge with dovetail.

You can also melt snips of jewellery grade hard silver solder directly into a well defined depression in brass. Then pickle, sand back and polish.
You will get a good sterling colour and as much contrast as available. Dennis

Now that sounds interesting, Dennis. Something to play about with.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dennis

You can also melt snips of jewellery grade hard silver solder directly into a well defined depression in brass. Then pickle, sand back and polish.
You will get a good sterling colour and as much contrast as available. Dennis

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Thanks Dennis - that's exactly the sort of thing I had in mind. I guess there's no reason why I shouldn't use jewellry grade hard solder, there's a big enough difference in the melting points. But I wondered about the colours of the of the three grades of solder available - medium seems to have a higher silver content than hard, but from what you say hard is the most 'silvery'. I guess it's to do with the alloying elements, not just the silver content. I've never used this stuff before.
China - thanks for your suggestion of argentinium, but I think the melting point is too close to that of brass - the brass I want to tart up with silver is only about 1.5mm thick. I take your point about traditional inlay methods, but what I want to do is 'inlay' from a digital image by etching. From what I've done so far I think Dennis' 'well defined' point is well made - I'm not sure if I can get the definition I want by etching, but I'll give it a go and report.
Thanks for replies, Bob.

An interesting thread and looking forward to seeing pics of your inlay results.