Platinum Repair
Platinum work requires special skills on the part of the metalsmith and a "dedicated" set of tools for work on platinum only.
Unlike gold or silver, platinum becomes so hot during heating that the metalsmith must wear special goggles to protect the eyes during soldering.
Platinum requires extensive knowledge and expertise to properly work with. Most retailers equipment are for working gold only.
- Intense heat is required to solder platinum – along with special visors to prevent spark from flying into the jeweler’s eyes. Most stores don’t have the proper torches, oxygen tanks, etc.
- Platinum Solder is required to make sure that when sizing or fixing a ring seems, or visible lines don’t develop.
- Special high speed wheels and rouges are required to properly polish platinum.
- Most of all experienced jewelers are needed, who know how to handle the properties of this unique metal.
Entrusting your platinum jewelry, antique or newly made, to the wrong hands can result in serious damage to the jewelry. Often people pay for a poorly executed repair before finding a company that is able to fix their platinum jewelry properly.
Prices Paid for Repairing Platinum Jewelry
Repairing and re-sizing platinum jewelry can cost you hundreds of dollars. At todays platinum prices, your platinum ring or other piece of platinum jewelry is worth thousands of dollars.
How Can You Tell if a Store is Competent at Repairing Your Platinum Jewelry?
Most stores are not set up to do platinum repairs on their premises. That is your first clue. Your second clue is the amount of platinum jewelry they sell. A small amount means that it would not be cost effective for them to invest in special equipment. Be sure to ask if they will make the repairs themselves or will send it out - and to whom.
Platinum Facts
- Platinum has an extremely high melting temperature. In its purest form it melts at 3214 degrees F, almost twice the temperature needed to melt 14 karat gold.
- All the platinum ever mined would produce a cube 17 feet on each side, less than 5000 cubic feet.
- It takes up to 10 tons of ore to produce one ounce of platinum, more than twice as much ore that is typically needed for an ounce of gold.
- Platinum is not susceptible to problems like stress corrosion or stress cracking as can be the case with white gold. (This problem mainly applies to prong settings etc. Don't worry, your white gold wedding band will not suffer this problem).
The public now thinks of platinum as the best metal for jewelry and because of this, it will only continue to grow in popularity. There are many "elite" companies in the jewellry business that exclussively carry platinum for its engagement rings.
Platinum is nearly twice as dense as lead and about 11% more dense than gold.
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