Platinum Guru

Marketing Platinum

Marketing Platinum

Platinum Guild International

Thursday April 24th & Saturday April 26th

Platinum = Profits!  Learn how to take full advantage of The Platinum Opportunity in this unique seminar from the Platinum Guild International.  The high price of platinum today makes it more important than ever to know how to inform your customers about all the advantages of platinum jewelry.  The future is poised for tremendous opportunity to grow your platinum business.  Platinum Guild International is here to help you tap into the power of the platinum brand and to build an even more profitable business.

This seminar is part of the program at the Bench Jewelers Conference & Expo, April 24 – 27, 2008 in Los Angeles.  For details on all the seminars offered, more conference & expo information, and to register go to: www.BenchConference.com.

Making a Forged Platinum Ring - Part 2

Step 1 - Annealing the Platinum Stock

We begin by annealing the platinum stock.  The stock is heated to about 900 C, which gives it a bright orange color.  We are holding this temperature for one minute and then quench.

Be sure not to over anneal, as that will cause grain growth.  However, if you under anneal, the stock may not be dead soft.

Step 2 - Pre-Shape the Stock

Using a rolling mill, we can roll the center of the stock thinner and thus wider, to begin the shaping of the ring.  We also roll one end in the opposing direction, to make it wider vertically.

Be sure your rollers have been cleaned, so that you can avoid contaminating the platinum.  Contamination will happen, if small particle's of another metal, which may cling to the rollers, gets pressed into the platinum surface.  If you then anneal, these particles will melt into the platinum and contaminate it.

Step 3 - Forging the Platinum Stock

Having started the shaping with the rolling mill gave us a good indication where to forge the stock to blend the shape into an attractive form.  I am using a Chasing hammer for this.

A hammer with a rounded plane would be the best choice here.  We want to shape the metal as smoothly as possible, without doing too much damage to the stock

Overlapping blows will do fine.  We forge the one end flat in a horizontal manner and the opposing end in a vertical manner.

Next time we'll shape the ring shank.

Jurgen

Making a Forged Platinum Ring - Part 1

by Jurgen Maerz

This project has many advantages for the  jeweler who doesn’t have very muchexperience working with platinum.  This project demonstrates Platinum’s malleability, employs high temperature soldering technique and is a challenge to polish.

To make this ring, you will need a torch, using either Propane/Oxygen, Natural Gas/Oxygen or Hydrogen/Oxygen.  I was using a Hook torch, with Natural Gas/ Oxygen for this project.  Do not use Acetylene for working with platinum.

I use the back of a Wesco dish crucible as soldering surface, but any fused silica or alumina block will do.  Be sure not to use a charcoal block.  Carbon will contaminate your metal.

You will need a pair of safety goggles, with a #5 or #6 rating to protect your eyes.  If you like to work with a soldering pick, be sure you are using one that is made of Tungsten.

You will also need a set of files, a sand paper stick, assorted silicon wheels, a jeweler’s saw with blades, a ring mandrel, a bench block or bench anvil and a hammer.  I used a chasing hammer for this ring.  A pair of bow-closing pliers are also required.

Assorted polishing wheels, like a brush, a felt, a buff, an inside ring buff will be needed.  Be sure to include platinum polishing compounds.  I use 800 for the first finishing after the sand paper, then 1500, followed by 4000 grit with a final polishing compound of 8000 for luster.

A stone setting bur of the right size for the stone, a 41 flat graver for the bright cutting after the setting of the stone and a flat bezel pusher, or setting punch to set.

Materials include a 3x3mm piece of square Platinum stock 2” long, 1/2”x1/2” piece of 20 gauge platinum stock, ( Pt900, Platinum Iridium), some 1700 platinum solder and some 1500 platinum solder, and a 1/4 ct diamond.

I am assuming that you do have a flexible shaft motor at your disposal.  Be sure you have cleaned out your tray and start with a clean workspace.

We'll begin the project in the next post.  See you then,

Jurgen

Platinum Casting

Platinum Casting

with Jurgen Maerz CMBJ

Thursday April 24th & Sunday April 27th

Today, platinum casting for the small shop is easier than ever - as long as you are sufficiently prepared.  Platinum casting is different from gold or silver casting, and insufficient preparation and understanding of the process can still lead to many hours of frustration.  Success depends on having good, functional equipment and learning all you can about the process.  This seminar will emphasize ways to improve your casting process by discussing how to recognize and eliminate common mistakes and improve efficiency in time and materials.

This seminar sponsored by Platinum Guild International, is part of the program at the Bench Jewelers Conference & Expo, April 24 – 27, 2008 in Los Angeles.  For details on all the seminars offered, more conference & expo information, and to register go to: www.BenchConference.com.

Burnishing Platinum - an important step in finishing platinum

One of the most important steps in finishing a platinum casting is burnishing.  Burnishing will work-harden the surface, compress it, close small cavities and make polishing easier.  This step, when done properly, will reduce rejects from the final polish and save time.

When cast and no other step has been performed, the platinum casting has the hardness of the alloy in an annealed state.  Burnishing will add extra hardness to the casting, preventing a score of problems that may show up later if this step is not taken.  Castings may bend and take on the shape of the finger and the rings will scratch more easily when not burnished.

Therefore, as a general rule, all platinum castings should be burnished.  The best way to burnish a platinum casting is using a tungsten burnisher.  The highly polished tungsten burnisher is rubbed across the surface of the piece.  This is done with considerable pressure.  This action will move the surface, compress it and close small porosity holes in the process.

When platinum is being cast it is almost impossible to avoid some minor porosity from affecting the casting.  This may be caused by the structure of the metal, the alloy combination, the temperature, the atmosphere; in short, there may be many reasons for it.  As you know, porosity is defined as small cavities in the surface or the interior of the metal.  When polished, micro porosity may appear as a haze, larger porosity may appear as small holes.  A good caster can use several techniques to reduce this problem to a minimum and produce fine castings.

Since the burnisher is highly polished, it will also create a high gloss polish on the surface treated.  The rubbing action hardens the surface and thus, final polishing becomes a much simpler task.  It is important to remember that any scratch on the burnisher will be transferred to the piece.  So the better the polish of the burnisher, the better the surface of the piece being burnished.  It is advisable to use a small amount of oil to lubricate the burnisher.  This prevents scratching and makes a smoother better surface possible.

Besides the manual method of burnishing, burnishing can also be done with a rotary burnisher, using a motor tool.  Rotary burnishers are available commercially, but can also be easily fabricated by grinding an off center surface on the end of a tungsten rod and polishing it.  The rotary motion will create the burnishing action.  Another way is to bend the end of a burr to an L-shape configuration and again giving it a high polish.  When placed into a rotary hand piece, the shape of this tool will be a very effective burnisher.

In large production, some burnishing can be accomplished by placing the castings in a rotary or magnetic tumbler, where the steel beads and/or steel needles create the burnishing action.  It may, however, still be necessary to burnish the pieces by hand.

As burnishing prepares the surface for the final polish and eliminates many minor flaws, it is an indispensable tool for every manufacturer to consider.

Jurgen

Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness

When working with platinum cleanliness is not only next to Godliness, it is an essential work habit.  Because of the high temperatures involved in soldering, other metals can easily contaminate platinum.  Platinum can also become contaminated from other metals on your files, saw blades, emery paper, and buff wheels.  To properly work on platinum you MUST have a clean work area and have separate tools reserved for platinum use only.

Brad

Creative Platinum Fabrication

Creative Platinum Fabrication

with Jurgen Maerz CMBJ

Thursday April 24th, Friday April 25th & Sunday April 27th

Learn cutting-edge techniques and insights for fabricating intricate platinum jewelry.  Acclaimed platinumsmith Jurgen Maerz will provide instruction on a variety of platinum fabrication procedures using a torch to do traditional soldering and welding and innovative new techniques using a Laser Welder.  Revolutionize your platinum techniques and expand your design capabilities by learning platinum’s unique properties to create jewelry.

This seminar sponsored by Platinum Guild International, is part of the program at the Bench Jewelers Conference & Expo, April 24 – 27, 2008 in Los Angeles.  For details on all the seminars offered, more conference & expo information, and to register go to: www.BenchConference.com.

Welcome

Welcome to this new blog on Working with Platinum.  Here you will learn all about creating and repairing jewelry made with platinum.  Platinum Guru Jurgen Maerz from Platinum Guild International and I will be posting short tips and tricks as well as full length articles on various techniques, and probably some videos so you can see how it is done.  Platinum Fabrication, Alloys, Casting, and More, we’ll have it all here on this blog.  I’ll also keep you informed about different events including seminars, workshops, and TV shows that can help you improve your platinum bench skills.

 

Don’t forget to sign-up for updates to this blog.  Then you will be notified every time I add a new post.

 

  Brad