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Soldering yellow gold, rose gold, and white gold for beginners
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Whether you’re repairing a gold chain or attaching an embellishment to handmade gold jewelry, soldering gold is the best way to close a seam. It can take a little practice to get the technique just right, but the basics are surprisingly simple. We’re breaking down everything you need to know about soldering gold jewelry, so keep reading.
Quick Guide to Soldering Gold
- Clean the piece and join the seam tightly.
- Apply flux to the seam.
- Heat the flux with a torch until it bubbles.
- Place a tiny piece of solder on top of the flux.
- Heat the gold piece until the solder melts through the seam.
- Quench the gold in water to cool it.
- Place the gold in a pickling solution for about 5 minutes.
Steps
Section 1 of 5:
Soldering Gold
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Clean the gold piece thoroughly and file any rough edges on the seam. The seam you’re joining needs to be very clean for the solder to adhere properly. Start by scrubbing the piece with soapy water and a soft brush or cloth. If there are any curved, uneven, or pitted surfaces along the seam, sand them with 150-grit sandpaper or file them with a needle file until they’re flat. [1] X Research source
- For extra cleaning, soak the gold jewelry in a pickle solution (a mild acid for cleaning jewelry) for about 10–15 seconds. You’ll need the pickle later in the soldering process anyway, so have it mixed up before you get started. Mix the powdered pickle solution with warm water according to the instructions on the container.
- If you’d like, you can gently heat the pickle solution in a small, ceramic slow-cooker —the pickle solution works best when it’s warm. Just don’t put it in anything you plan to use for food, and don’t put it in a metal container.
- Use copper tongs to dip the jewelry into the pickle. Stainless steel will cause a reaction with the solution and can discolor the jewelry.
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2Clamp the jewelry in place with the seam tightly aligned on a soldering block. Gently bend the gold piece so the ends of the seam are as close together as you can get them. You need a tight joint for the solder to adhere. Once you’re happy with the seam, use locking tweezers or a third hand to secure the jewelry where you want it. [2] X Research source
- If you’re connecting two separate pieces, clamp them so they’re lined up exactly how you want them. For instance, if you’re soldering a setting to a ring, you might lay the setting flat on your soldering brick, then use a clamp to hold the ring in place so it’s touching the setting.
- If you’re soldering a gold chain, it may be easiest to lay the rings out horizontally on your soldering brick instead of clamping them. Then, you can easily solder one link at a time without damaging the others with your torch.
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Place the jewelry on top of a fire-safe surface. This will help prevent your work surface from heat or fire damage while you’re using the torch. Common options include soldering bricks , ceramic blocks , and fireproof sheets . [3] X Research source
- Do not attempt to solder on a surface made of wood, metal, or other non-fire-safe materials.
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Apply a small amount of flux to the seam. Flux is a product that helps stop oxidation while you’re heating the gold. Oxidation can prevent the solder from flowing properly, so applying flux will help you get a better solder. Some people prefer to brush the flux directly onto the seam with a paintbrush, while others dip the whole piece into the flux. [4] X Research source
- Applying the flux directly to the seam may reduce the amount of solder that flows to the wrong area, but applying it to the whole piece may be more effective at preventing discoloration.
- Avoid applying too much flux or you won’t be able to see what you’re doing.
- If you’re using a product that combines solder and flux, skip ahead to the step on soldering. [5] X Research source
- If you’re not sure which type of flux to use, jump to our section on choosing flux .
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Briefly heat the flux with a torch to dry it. Turn on your torch and lightly pass the flame over the flux wherever you applied it. When you see the flux bubbling, it means the water is boiling away—all that will be left are the protective solids that will help prevent discoloration. [6] X Research source
- It’s best to use a small, hot flame for this so you can heat precisely over the flux. [7] X Research source
- A small oxy-acetylene gas torch is a good choice, but butane or other high-temperature torches will work as well. Soldering irons are not recommended for precious metals or other high-temperature soldering tasks.
- Wear heat-safe gloves, protective eyewear, and heavy clothing to protect yourself from burns. It’s also a good idea to ventilate the area, but avoid strong breezes that could interfere with your flame.
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6Apply a small amount of solder on top of the flux. Using tweezers or a solder pick, place a tiny chip of gold solder on one end of the seam to be joined. Try to make sure the solder is making good contact with the seam. [8] X Research source
- It’s helpful to cut a few pieces of solder ahead of time—just be sure to cut them very small, maybe half the size of a grain of rice.
- To learn more about what type of gold solder to use, jump to our section on choosing solder .
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Heat the seam by moving your torch in a circular motion. Move your flame back and forth slowly as you heat. Most people prefer to bring the whole piece up to temperature first, heating the seam last. Don’t put the flame directly on the solder. When the gold is hot enough, the solder will melt and flow into the seam. Pull the torch away as soon as you see the solder melt. [9] X Research source
- Be sure to heat both sides of the seam—the solder will flow to where the heat is, so if only one side of the seam is hot, you won’t get an even seal. Some people prefer to place the solder on top of a joint, then heat the underside of the joint to draw the solder down into the seam.
- Use a soft flame—aim for a flame core of around 5–10 mm. [10] X Research source If the flame is too low, it won’t heat the solder enough to melt, but if it’s too high, it could burn up the solder.
- Try to heat the gold jewelry with the tip of the flame, rather than the base. That will make it easier to quickly remove the flame when the solder melts. [11] X Research source
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8Drop the piece in a water bath. Once the solder has flowed along the joint, turn off the torch and quench the piece in a water bath. Let it cool completely. [12] X Research source
- If you’ve heated the whole piece, let it cool for 2–3 minutes before dropping it in the water to avoid shocking the gold, which can make it brittle.
- Be sure the water is in a heat-safe container, like Pyrex.
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Transfer the cooled gold piece to a pickle solution for about 5 minutes. Use copper tools to lower the gold slowly into the pickle bath. Wait a few minutes for most of the discoloring fire scale on the surface to be removed, then carefully remove the jewelry. [13] X Research source
- If you used pickle solution to clean your jewelry at the beginning of the process, it’s fine to re-use the same solution.
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Examine the gold jewelry, then polish and sand it if you’re satisfied with the seal. Remove the gold from the pickle, rinse it in the water bath, and inspect it carefully. If the seam looks secure, it’s time for final cleaning. If you need to remove any excess solder, use a coarse sandpaper (like 150-grit ) or a needle file (around 600-grit). Once you’re happy with that, use 2000-grit sandpaper to polish the piece and remove any remaining fire scale. [14] X Research source
- If there are any gaps in the solder, just add another piece and repeat the soldering process. It’s fine to resolder the same piece. [15] X Research source
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionCan gold-filled wire be soldered?Himesh Patel is a Metallurgical Engineer at Mcclelland Laboratories in Reno, Nevada. With over five years of industry and graduate research experience in the raw materials industry, Himesh has extensive knowledge of mining and mineral extraction and recovery methods, mine financing, and the environmental impacts of mining. He received his MS in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Dual Degree in Mineral Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad. Himesh is passionate about educating the public about the minerals industry.Yes—in fact, gold wire is the ideal material to use when soldering some kind of gold jewelry. A 10-, 12-, or 14-karat gold wire would be appropriate because it has copper in it, which makes it strong.
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QuestionWhat does porosity mean in reference to gold?Community AnswerPorosity or void fraction is a measure of the empty space in a material, and is a fraction of the volume of voids over the total volume, between 0 and 1, or as a percentage between 0% and 100%.
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QuestionWhat would cause a gold-soldered joint to fail and come apart?Community AnswerThe most common reason would be that the joint was not cleaned of oxidation or dirt, which will keep the joint from bonding together.
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Tips
- Torches that produce a "bushy," wide flame may be more effective for soldering than torches with a loud hiss and thin cone.Thanks
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Warnings
- If you spill pickle solution on yourself, rinse the affected area in cool running water for several minutes. Most pickle solutions are not strong enough to burn holes in clothing immediately, but they may do so over time if not removed.Thanks
- Be really careful when using gold-filled wire, and remember that gold is the most malleable and ductile of all known metals, warns Patel.Thanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about soldering gold, check out our in-depth interview with Himesh Patel .
References
- ↑ https://jewelrymonk.com/2017/06/29/ring-shank-soldering/
- ↑ https://www.jewellersacademy.com/blog/working-with-gold-how-to-make-gold-jewellery
- ↑ https://youtu.be/5QKwbEQkocM?t=317
- ↑ https://jewelrymonk.com/2017/06/29/ring-shank-soldering/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/f_7kr3jMynE?t=165
- ↑ https://youtu.be/f_7kr3jMynE?t=340
- ↑ https://youtu.be/f_7kr3jMynE?t=352
- ↑ https://youtu.be/f_7kr3jMynE?t=184
- ↑ https://youtu.be/5QKwbEQkocM?t=380
- ↑ https://www.harmanbeads.com/assets/images/PDFs/Product+Information/Preciosa/Preciosa_SETTING_SOLDERING_PLATING.pdf
- ↑ https://youtu.be/f_7kr3jMynE?t=456
- ↑ https://youtu.be/sKwb1wXJIDc?t=14
- ↑ https://youtu.be/DwK4iGyFB00?t=842
- ↑ https://youtu.be/5QKwbEQkocM?t=617
- ↑ https://youtu.be/f_7kr3jMynE?t=509
- ↑ https://www.jewellersacademy.com/blog/working-with-gold-how-to-make-gold-jewellery
- ↑ https://youtu.be/f_7kr3jMynE?t=280
- ↑ https://youtu.be/f_7kr3jMynE?t=399
About This Article
Article Summary
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To solder gold, first you'll need to get some gold solder and a precision torch. Once you have your supplies, prepare a water bath and a pickle bath, which is a solution used to clean oxidization off metals. Then, holding the gold in place on a soldering block with copper tongs, apply a small amount of flux to the gold and heat it with the torch. Flux is just a chemical that aids in the soldering process. Next, apply some gold solder and then heat the surrounding gold objects to join them together. Finally, treat the joined piece with the water and pickle bath. To learn how to prepare a water bath and a pickle bath, scroll down!
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- "It's simple. I'm going to try to solder a couple of rings after following most of your steps. I'll probably try boric acid and alcohol rather than a pickle solution after asking around a bit, but may wind up using the pickle jar. I think I can be successful. I think also it will be a lot better than the ultraviolet welding I'm going to do in the interim. I don't like what it does to any surface but it can be cleaned." ..." more
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"It's simple. I'm going to try to solder a couple of rings after following most of your steps. I'll probably try boric acid and alcohol rather than a pickle solution after asking around a bit, but may wind up using the pickle jar. I think I can be successful. I think also it will be a lot better than the ultraviolet welding I'm going to do in the interim. I don't like what it does to any surface but it can be cleaned."
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