You are here:

Jewelry Making/soldering with onyx or jet

Advertisement

Expert: Dr. Ari Roark - 9/17/2009


Question
Hi there,
I have a quick question regarding soldering a ring with onyx and/or jet. Is vigor heat shield sufficient to protect the stone, or should the stone come out before soldering? Do you also recommend soldering the ring while immersed in water?

Thank you,keep up the good work.

Answer
Hello Danielle,
I love Vigor's heat shield and  yes, it should be adequate. Water is  not necessary as it  can  wash off the flux and  ruin the  procedure. However, wet wadded newsprint is a good alternative to  protecting the stone and  in case you  run short of  heat-shield!..It is an old fashioned  practise  but works well on all soldering  operations in any metal.You can  also  use investment or plaster as a fixturing  compound if it's a complex soldering operation, just mix the investment or plaster to a creamy consistency  embed  your  pieces as you wish them arranged in the end,  and  when hardened  solder away. after finished quench in water, the  plaster/investment  will break away and  there you have it a perfectly protected  completed  solder join!
Best Regards, Ari

Jewelry Making

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

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.