You are here:
- Home
- Style
- Jewelry Making
- Jewelry Making
- Repairing elephant hair gold ring
Jewelry Making/Repairing elephant hair gold ring
Advertisement
Question
I have a gold ring that has elephant hair set into the band. the elephant hair is set into a separate band within the ring and this centre band has split. See very bad photo
)
How can I repair it without sizzling the hair. I've tried epoxy glue but it only holds for a couple of days. I have other photos too
Hello Denise,
wow, it is a tricky fix, particularly not knowing the karat..I would use some wet wadded newspaper all around the hair covered parts, and solder from underneath the ring using an outside ring holder so you can diret the flame right where its needed. there are a bunch of heat proofing compounds out there too,I use one called heat block, but i think it would not be as effective as good old wadded wet newsprint.pack it on there well and then hit and run with your soldering operation. use a paste type flux to hold the paillion of solder in place and also to alert you when the 1400 degrees is reached ( the fluxes generally clarify at that temp.).Fixturing compounds will also help- there are some that help hold the piece in position and absorb some heat as well..avoid " cool jool" goop- it is useless and messy and will not tolerate the temps needed for gold work.Asf or epoxies, not really the way to go either: every time you heat them to remove the old it will damage the elephant hair further.
Embedding in non-vitreous enamel may work too- remove the entire elephant hair and set aside, solder the ring to perfection and then apply some room temperature curing enemel like colorit or colores, and after the curing time ( using clear I would guess) that should do it permanently.Those enamel like products must be fresh though so it may be worth it to buy a new bottle if you have some that has been lying around for years unused..same for the catalyst..if its old the results may not be as good as they could be.
Other than those suggestions, I can get a piece of elephant hair from a friend that is a Kiissi tribesman in Mt.Tsavo National park..he runs a safari service and is a craftsman himself..Brayogo safaris is his company and Okeno his name..if you come to that point I will contact him if you haven't already..he is online at brayogo safari's, kenya..
then burning the hair isnot as tragic as it may seem...as long as there are elephants left on the planet!
best regards,Ari
Related Articles
- Straighten Natural Hair Without Heat - How to Straighten Natural Curly Hair Without Heat
- Henna Hair Coloring - Mixing the Henna Hair Treatment
- How to Blowout Your Hair Like a Professional - Professional Blowout at Home
- Customizing 101: Let's start at the top! - Barbie® Doll Collecting - 06/19/98
- How To Volume Dry Short Hair
Answers by Expert:
Dr. Ari Roark
Expertise
Metalsmithing, Goldsmithing,Jewelry Making, Gemology,Metallurgy,Art Jewelry,Jewelry Appraising,Metal Mill Work,Jewelry Education,Group Projects Adaptable to Special Populations as well as ordinary groups,Ethnobotany,Metal Clays, International Jewellery Law,Trade Law,Rock hounding,Industrial Health and Safety Assessment and Education as it pertains to Jewelry Studios (of all sizes and manufacturing concerns relative to the Trade, Jewellery Trade Organisations,Objective US Jewelry School critical Analysis,Applied Anthropology,goldssmithing,lapidary,metals,refining
Experience
More than 35 years experience in the Jewelry Industry, Juris doctorates, PhD's in Anthropology, Cultural History, Cultural Geography, Mining Locations Assessments, Industrial Health and Safety Inspector to the Jewelry Industry, Montessori Educator, Occupational Therapy, Natural Historian, Scholar of Jewelry Evolution, PhD in Creativity ( the analysis of the divergent genres of thought on the process and impetus of the essence of creativity as a state of being expressed tangibly),Extensive Fieldwork with populations of Traditional craftsmen worldwide, former Peace Corps volunteer, Former VISTA volunteer, Etc.
Organizations
too numerous to list
Publications
prefer not to answer for reasons related to plagiarism
Education/Credentials
PhD Anthropology( Applied(1), Cultural(2)Ethnobotany(1),PhD -Physics (Metallurgy 1)( Wave and Particle Dynamics 1),,JD,MD,MFA-Metals/Jewelry,,MFA-Printmaking, MFA-Sculpture, Extensive undergraduate degrees, extensive post doctoral work, Montessori Educator Certification (Primary and Secondary)..many, many Degrees, Grants, and Awards in my past as an Academic turned Jeweler, OSHA Certifications
Awards and Honors
too numerous to list including 3 Honorary Doctorates, Two Humanitarian Related Awards, and Service on Many Boards of Directors
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.