gold color solder (jewelry repair)?

Nov 26, 2009 8 Replies

While shortening a gold-color chain bracelet for a friend I found the two O-shape end links can be bent opened fairly easily. I.e. if stretched, the link could turn to C shape and fall out.



Is there gold-color solder that can be used to solder the ends of the link together so it can't open?



AFAIK, you'll need something to braze with rather than solder any jewelry metal whether its really gold or not. I've no expertise other than I'm virtually positive it isn't solder you're looking for here...

I'd guess a search for jewelry repairs and the arts/crafts groups will be better places than ahr.

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ask on rec.crafts.metalworking. There's a rec.crafts.jewelry, which is moderated, but not highly active.

Myself, I've never seen colored solder. Now, *silver* soldering, which is more akin to brazing, may have tints. Brazes themselves are of course brass/bronze. But, if your chain is gold *colored*, brazing might do more cosmetic damage.

In a worse-case scenario, you could cut a link, and add one that IS braze-able, in the right color.

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You can buy gold solder in sheet form, wire form and, from some dealers, in

1 mm chips (the advantage of the chips is that it's easier to control the precise amount of solder being applied). Gold solder comes in easy, medium and hard, which denotes its melting temperature (easy melts at a lower temperature), but isn't as hard as 14K gold.

I would use a bit of clear epoxy glue. It is very strong and would not show. Any thing else would be seen. WW

Part of the reason for that is if someone tried to snatch your chain you're not tethered to it. I had that happen while in Brazil when a thug with 4 of his friends snuck up behind me and tried to snatch my chain. Luckily the clasp and "soft" rings were in the back of my neck so the chain broke and fell down my chest where I could catch it. for the few seconds that it took to open up were precarious though.

Part of the reason for that is if someone tried to snatch your chain you're not tethered to it. I had that happen while in Brazil when a thug with 4 of his friends snuck up behind me and tried to snatch my chain. Luckily the clasp and "soft" rings were in the back of my neck so the chain broke and fell down my chest where I could catch it. for the few seconds that it took to open up were precarious though.

Part of the reason for that is if someone tried to snatch your chain you're not tethered to it. I had that happen while in Brazil when a thug with 4 of his friends snuck up behind me and tried to snatch my chain. Luckily the clasp and "soft" rings were in the back of my neck so the chain broke and fell down my chest where I could catch it. for the few seconds that it took to open up were precarious though.

No way would a tiny bit of epoxy add much strength there.

The OP should get some gold solder, borax flux, and one of those small butane torches and do the job right, or let a jeweler do it for him.

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If he really wants to go retro, he could replace the butane torch with an alcohol lamp and a mouth blowpipe. That's what I learned to solder jewelry with about 60 years ago.

Jeff

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