how to work 24K gold
Daniel Conlin
jewellery. I'm planning to make a couple of rings from fine gold (it's
cheaper than 18K due to VAT, and I like jewellery that changes a bit over
time)
What I'd like to know is if it work hardens much (at all?) and if it's
possible to join it using thin 24K wire dipped in flux like brazing rod
rather than using a lower karat solder to make the join.
The rings I'm making will be fairly heavy hammer forged plain gold bands
with visible hammer marks so I'm not too concerned with the rings getting
dented and deformed a bit from wear. I'm curious; does anyone know what the
purity of the old Celtic gold jewellery found in Ireland and England is? I
would assume it's fairly pure but there doesn't seem to be much deformation
or wear on the pieces I've seen here at the British museum. Looking at some
yellow 14K I have on hand, the colour difference between it and 24 is really
striking. I think I'll like working with (and wearing) 24K.
Thanks in advance.
Peter W. Rowe
<som...@mesquite.freeserve.co.uk (DOTHERE)> wrote:
>>What I'd like to know is if it work hardens much (at all?)
Yes, with extensive working, it does work harden some. Changes from butter soft
to at least a little bit resiliant, but never really looses it's
malleability/ductility. While it's harder than fully annealed, it will never be
anything you'd classify as actually hard or springy as compared with more
traditional jewelry alloys.
>> and if it's
>>possible to join it using thin 24K wire dipped in flux like brazing rod
>>rather than using a lower karat solder to make the join.
You can weld it just fine. You don't need the flux at all. Neutral to slightly
oxidizing flames work best, since with a sharper flame, you can better control
where it melts. It doesn't flow much like this. Small bits, placed on a joint
and strongly heated, just suddenly jump/fuse into the larger parent metal mass.
Takes some practice, but works just fine. Much like fusing platinum, or for
that matter, pewter.
>>The rings I'm making will be fairly heavy hammer forged plain gold bands
>>with visible hammer marks so I'm not too concerned with the rings getting
>>dented and deformed a bit from wear. I'm curious; does anyone know what the
>>purity of the old Celtic gold jewellery found in Ireland and England is? I
>>would assume it's fairly pure but there doesn't seem to be much deformation
>>or wear on the pieces I've seen here at the British museum. Looking at some
>>yellow 14K I have on hand, the colour difference between it and 24 is really
>>striking. I think I'll like working with (and wearing) 24K.
>>Thanks in advance.
>>
I'd guess that The old Celtic goldwork is likely to be just native gold. The
purity of that will vary greatly from one deposit to another. Usually, theres
at least some silver mixed in. The native gold from alaska and california, for
example, usually has from about 4 to 8 percent silver mixed in. Traces of
copper may also be present, but are not as common.
Either way, this is much purer than your 14K, and in addition, it will not
contain any zinc, which is often added to your 14K as a deoxidizer to make
casting easier. But it also bleaches some color intensity out.
If you wish to get a little more durability than pure gold, without sacrificing
color, I'd recommend a mix making 22K, with the alloy half and half copper and
silver. This is easy to mix up yourself. Use electrical wire as a source for
high purity copper. Silver is easy to get. Use sterling if you like, and
reduce the copper you add by an appropriate amount.
There is an advantage to working in a high karat gold like this which is not
quite pure. Pure gold is so soft that it tends to be "smeary", and hard to
polish. and odd though it seems, often it's hard to keep it from looking
slightly dingy.
The trace of copper and silver in 22K don't change the color much, but they make
the metal just enough harder and less "smeary", that it polishes well. The
difference in hardness won't bother you when making the rings, but they will
last longer.
Hope this helps.
Peter Rowe
abrasha
>
> Hi, I'm wondering if anyone has experience working with 24K gold for
> jewellery. I'm planning to make a couple of rings from fine gold (it's
> cheaper than 18K due to VAT, and I like jewellery that changes a bit over
> time)
> What I'd like to know is if it work hardens much (at all?) and if it's
> possible to join it using thin 24K wire dipped in flux like brazing rod
> rather than using a lower karat solder to make the join.
> The rings I'm making will be fairly heavy hammer forged plain gold bands
> with visible hammer marks so I'm not too concerned with the rings getting
> dented and deformed a bit from wear.
You described exactly how to make heavy bands out of 24K Gold. This is almost
exactly how I made my own
wedding bands. Make sure you start with a cross section of the ring band larger
than what you want to end
up with. Make the blank about 1 - 1 1/2 sizes smaller than the size you want to
end up with. More for a very
large zise ring.
As you correctly say, weld the ring rather than solder it. However do not use a
piece of wire, but rather a
thin piece of shit slipped into the seam tightly and sticking out about 2 mm on
all sizes. Now weld
carefully. Aafter welding forge the ring up to about 1/2 a size under the
desired size. Now adjust the shape
by filing. After that forge the ring up further exactly to the desired size and
putting on the hammer
texture at the same time. By the time you have reached the desired size the ring
will be adequately work
hardened for durability.
My ring is only about 1.5 mm in thickness and about 2.5 mm wide. In more than 10
years I have never had a
problem with distortion.
Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com
Andrzej Lubienski
<som...@mesquite.freeserve.co.uk> writes
>Hi, I'm wondering if anyone has experience working with 24K gold for
>jewellery. I'm planning to make a couple of rings from fine gold (it's
>cheaper than 18K due to VAT, and I like jewellery that changes a bit over
>time)
>What I'd like to know is if it work hardens much (at all?) and if it's
>possible to join it using thin 24K wire dipped in flux like brazing rod
>rather than using a lower karat solder to make the join.
>The rings I'm making will be fairly heavy hammer forged plain gold bands
>with visible hammer marks so I'm not too concerned with the rings getting
>purity of the old Celtic gold jewellery found in Ireland and England is? I
>would assume it's fairly pure but there doesn't seem to be much deformation
>or wear on the pieces I've seen here at the British museum. Looking at some
>yellow 14K I have on hand, the colour difference between it and 24 is really
>striking. I think I'll like working with (and wearing) 24K.
>Thanks in advance.
>
>
karat (5% gold, I kid you not) to about 22 karat
The alloying elements vary as well, but are distinctive (modern copies
use different proportions)
>
--
Andrzej Lubienski
AKoetsier
How are the rings going?
The 24k will harden while working the metal.
When you solder the joints it is surtainly better to use a piece of 24k and
fuse it in rather than using lower karat solder.
You don't need any flux as the metal is so pure and will not oxidise, however
to keep the piece in place flux can be helpful.
Good luck!
A :)