Sizing Down: Platinum Ruthenium Rings with Diamonds in the Shank Using a Torch

Platinum solder will not fill gaps or conceal improperly fitted joints. Solder filled gaps in a joint are weak, and evident as dark visible lines, indentations, voids and pits.

If a joint is uneven, too much metal will be removed, resulting in an uneven shank when finished. Filing to even out a misaligned shank will result in smaller dimensions.

When placed on a ring mandrel, the ring size must be read at the center of the shank at the 6:00 location. This is especially important for wider rings.

Shanks for platinum rings should be somewhat thicker than shanks for rings made of nickel-based white gold alloy.

Platinum shanks with proper dimensions are structurally stable and hold their shape during normal wear.

To best maintain dimensions of platinum rings, use burnishing and light buffing to remove scratches. This process is superior because filing or other abrasive work will make the shanks smaller.

Platinum ring mountings set with diamonds below the 3:00 and 9:00 locations should never be soldered with a torch.

Diamonds begin to oxidize in air if heated above 700° C, which is below the melt and flow points of platinum solder. Diamonds that have oxidized show a frosty white appearance and require repolishing by a diamond cutter.

Cold solder joints are the result of insufficient heating and poor torch technique during the soldering process. The cold joint results when the solder does not bond with the parent material. A cold joint is likely to break open during normal wear.