
What else is so great about laser welding? Where do I start... Here's how an emerald ring with a broken prong tip would be repaired with a torch.
- Clean the ring in an ultrasonic cleaner for 30 minutes.
- Delicately remove the emerald from the existing prongs. You see, emeralds (like many other stones) are heat sensitive. If I were to repair the prong tip with direct torch heat I could fracture or change the color of the stone.
- Coat the ring in a powdered acid mix to reduce "fire scale" - a discoloring of the top molecular layers of metal.
- Solder a tiny piece of metal onto the existing prong, or replace the prong in entirety.
- Wait for the ring to cool, then let it soak in an acid bath.
- Blend the joint, clean and pre-polish the ring.
- Cut a new seat into the prong and re-set the emerald, very carefully as emeralds are very fragile.
A trained goldsmith should be able to complete this job in 45-60 minutes. One of the key benefits of laser welding is that it's virtually heatless. The light power is so concentrated that you can weld metal touching a stone without ramification. The laser can be focused down to .1mm for true pin-point application, and is so hot that it incinerates any dirt and debris in its path, eliminating the need to clean a piece before work. Here's how the same repair is done with the laser welder.
- Match the prong thickness with a like-size piece of wire and tack weld the two pieces together.
- Using very fine filler wire, fill the void and blend the joint smooth.
- Polish the ring, let soak in the ultrasonic cleaner.
The same job in mere minutes. The laser welder creates a safer, better quality repair, in less time allowing me to pass the savings onto you!