BENCH GUIDE
950 Palladium Facts
PALLADIUM, long used as a luxurious jewelry metal, has recently experienced renewed interest largely due to its purity, natural white color, workability with modern alloy ingredients and affordable pricing...[read more]
Guide for Servicing Palladium Jewelry (For The Shop and Service Department)
The most common alloy component is ruthenium, which, along with palladium belongs to the platinum group of noble metals. Ruthenium usually comprises about 4.8 percent of the 5% mixture, leaving room for...[read more]
Making a 3-Stone Ring
The wax models for the ring and trim pieces were produced by the Revo 540 mill. The palladium casting was done using platinum casting techniques and materials. For casting palladium, induction casting equipment with a sealed...[read more]
Fabricating Custom Earrings
General 950 palladium information covered in this article includes: cost analysis of using 950 palladium vs. 14-karat white gold and 950 platinum, tools and materials used for palladium, 950 TruPd solder...[read more]
Creating a Traditional Palladium and Diamond Ring
In preparation for gemstone setting, the ring was pre-finished then polished with gray platinum Tripoli. The first gemstones to be set are the rows of diamonds on each side of the center grouping. The small prongs...[read more]
Fashioning the Perfect Contrast
The wires formed easily with little or no deformation due to the superior malleability and hardness of palladium. Next, a yellow gold wire is shaped to form the lower gallery wire for the pendant. Tip: Pre-finish all parts throughout...[read more]
Manufacturing and Hand Engraving a Signet Ring
As a result, the overall wall thickness of the wax pattern was even and approximately 1.6mm. Tip: Wax patterns with even wall thicknesses provide good models for the casting process, ultimately requiring fewer gates. Fewer gates result...[read more]
Selling Tips and Manufacturing a Custom Engagement Ring
For cleaner milling of the wax, better parts for casting and the finest finished product Gerwig strategically separated the components of the ring for milling, casting and reassembly. The parts shown and the center stone...[read more]
Tips for Selling Palladium - Part One
Retailers have been converting bridal inventories from white gold to palladium as manufacturers expand the selection of new palladium jewelry designs. In addition to stocking palladium pieces, they have been custom making...[read more]
Custom Making a 950 Palladium Engagement Ring
For cleaner milling of the wax, better parts for casting and the finest finished product Gerwig strategically separated the components of the ring for milling, casting and reassembly. The parts shown...[read more]
Tips for Selling Palladium - Part Two
Even though palladium is a platinum group metal, consumers are largely unfamiliar with the metal. Here are some selling points that will help introduce this lustrous white, bright and light metal during sales...[read more]
Ring Sizing Overview for 950 Palladium
A piece of Palladium sizing stock (square wire) was fit and placed into the ring to expand its size. The joints between the sizing stock and the ring are flush and even. The ring is placed on a platinum...[read more]
Assembly of 950 Palladium Stock Findings
This image shows the soldering process being conducted through a No. 5 welding lens. A torch tip with no vents and an opening of about 1.2 millimeters is used to directly heat the joint. The torch is...[read more]
Assembly of 950 Palladium and Karat Gold Stock Findings
The setting was fit into the shank. Because the peg is slightly tapered, the base of the setting and the shank do not meet. If soldered at this step, the setting is sure to be lost during normal wear...[read more]
Cultured Tahitian Pearl Earrings and Diamond Earrings
Traditional manufacturing methods would take hours longer to produce the same clean, precise results. Tip: Some of the new 950 palladium alloys can be a bit sluggish and cool quickly when cast. When designing a model for casting...[read more]
An Overview of Casting
Proper design for Palladium pieces can help eliminate casting problems, defects and no-fill issues. To maximize the results and to minimize defects or incomplete castings, Frye offers these tips: Wall thickness of models should not...[read more]
Palladium Manufacturing Tips and Techniques
There is a rough surface on the cast links even though the wax model was smooth. This is due to the nature of the shell and investment mold used for the casting process. Even though the necklace links were small and lightweight...[read more]
Laser Welding Tips and Techniques
It is important to remember that laser welding equipment varies by manufacturer, so the settings listed in this reference are specific to the equipment being used. Overall maintenance of equipment can also have an affect on...[read more]
Palladium Finishing Procedures
The abrasive technique requires light pressure between the ring shank and the drum mandrel while using a rounding, back-and-forth motion. Tip: When using a progressive abrasive technique, the best results are achieved by...[read more]
Fabrication and Assembly
The large wire was difficult to bend as supplied, so individually they were placed on a platinum soldering block and annealed. Because this wire is wide and heavy, a vented torch tip was used. Tip: The low dome half-round wire was...[read more]
Working with Palladium Stock Mountings and Findings
Because the mounting was delivered in a pre-finished state from the supplier, only the two finest grit cylinder wheels were necessary to complete the job. Tip: Polishing palladium is made more efficient by pre-finishing with...[read more]
Successful Design Considerations
Of the popular alloys currently being used in the U.S. for palladium jewelry the common balance consists of 95% palladium, nearly 5% ruthenium and trace elements of other metals. The inclusion of specific trace elements offer...[read more]
Methods of Manufacturing
The main problem with welding palladium is oxygen absorption and the result is exhibits micro-pitting at the joint. (When molten, palladium dissolves large amounts of oxygen and will become a homogenous liquid
in the sense that...[read more]
Fabricating a Setting Using Tack-Welding Technology
A notch was filed on each side of the top portion of the flat nose pliers. The notch allows for better electrical contact and holds the prong wire during the tacking procedure. Note: To avoid destructive tack welds, the notches and...[read more]
Custom Making a 950 Palladium and 22K Granulation Wedding Band Using Fusion-Welding Technology
For the fusion welding, a vacuum attachment is used to pick up the beads in conjunction with the Tack II. It generates vacuum pressure that is pulled through a tube type handpiece. For picking up beads, a small setting bur is...[read more]
Channel Setting a Ring
To properly position the diamonds depth in the ring, Smith scribed a line on both channel walls that serve as a guide. When set, the diamonds table is equal in height to the channel wall. He determines the spacing down the...[read more]
