Touched up Antique Platnum ring

[JoeCera]

Here is an exsample of other work out there
This one was a bit complicated since it had to be fabricated
to be able to reset the new stone and re engraved just follow the pattern.
Joe Cera

[jimzim75]

Hi Joe,
I do this type of work a lot. I was wondering why the millgrain looks a little under formed. Is this ring in that bad of shape
that it will not take much pressure? Or is this what your customer requested as far as the final look of the ring.

If it's a support question, I think I would use diamond cement to temporarily give it some strength so that the millgrain would
look better. This is a platinum mount so it should be able to hold quite a crisp edge.

[JoeCera]

The customer did not want this crisp .They basicly wanted it left alone .
It had been worked on by someone in another state.
Thanks Joe

[sam]

Thanks for posting this, Joe. Really complex looking piece, and probably not easy to work on. I like the pattern.

[Mike Cirelli]

Looks good Joe. Definitely looked like it needed some prong work in the before picture. Was it done with a torch or a laser?
Mike

[jimzim75]

So that's what the customer asked for, nice quality job. Something for new engravers to remember when
redoing an antique. The customer may not want it to look like it was made yesterday.
I liked Sam's idea of putting a sharp but ragged edge on engravers to mute the cuts. This would
work well on such a jobs.

I don't think there is any advantage to using laser welding unless you have a heat sensitive stone that you
do not wish to remove. Most stone in platinum are easily removed and reset. This produces
a better quality job to my way of doing things. Laser's have their place in a job but are not an answere
to every job.

[Mike Cirelli]

I agree that lasers are not a solve all. I personally don't have one, I think the new arc welder would be of more benefit and less risky if your hit the stone.
Mike

[Dmitry Martinov]

Mi pardon guys, but this ring can not be called antique anymore. Restoration - is restoration. Making new any details on item makes it modern. As for jeweller it is always sad to hear that customer don't understand this definition. In my case I just refuse to "rebuilt" antique staff like this. JoeCera:in generally work done very good.

[JoeCera]

The ring was done with a torch.All the sheet ,wire was fabriacted from a platinum
sprue.I have pictures of it in the process I will try and post it.
A lot of jewelers do not do this work It can be a real pain ,But it pays very well.

[jimzim75]

I have a PUK II and like the laser it does do some thing really well, but like the laser it is not a cure all.
It's taken me about a year to figure out what it is best at. When the manufacture describes it as a tack
welder, that's what they mean, exactly. If you don't want head moving when they are being solder,
presto. That's what it's best at.

I don't agree with you on this one Dmitry. Being of the period and having a layer of crud on it doesn't make
it legitimate. Taking the crud off it doesn't cancel the design or maker's mark. Customer ask me if a ring
that was price point when it was made in 1890 has any extra value? I have to tell them just because
it was made over a hundred years ago but cheaply, doesn't lend a value to it. Jewellers made cheap
jewellery one hundred years ago also, they just called it trinkets. There is also a difference between a nice
patina and crud. A good jeweller can put a patina back on. If your talking really high end jewellery, you
might not want to do anything to it. The average jeweller doesn't have a lot of it coming accross the
bench. If the customer can't wear it, then that defeats the purpose of jewellery.