Metal Casting Zone Info Blog

Posts Tagged ‘PLATINUM’

The Flex Cast system is the latest technology in lost wax casting. Using a pressure over vacuum method of casting for gold as well as high temperature alloys such as Platinum and Palladium. This patented technology incorporates a unique process that eliminates the use of traditional crucibles and metal flasks. The small bench-top system uses a powerful 4kW induction heating generator for fast melt cycles of all alloys.

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There are many articles on precious metals on the web and some of them are quiet professional with a lot of details and data. I will try not to give you just another one. Here I will offer you a simple version and avoiding extensive technicality add my professional opinion on the best use of these metals in order to utilize their unique properties.

In this article we will focus on the most popular precious metals used for jewelry: gold, platinum and the fast growing in popularity palladium. Pure gold and platinum are soft metals which are extremely dense. pure gold is about two and half times heavier than iron and pure platinum is just under three times. While really bright in color pure metals are not suitable for fine jewelry because of their softness. Soft metals are easy to damage, difficult to polish, and unsuitable for detailed work. This is why they are mixed (alloyed) with other metals, in order to give them the desired properties. This is also where all this “carats” and confusing numbers come into play. In fact it is pretty simple. All pure metals in nature are white or gray in color except two, gold – bright yellow and copper- reddish pink. Now we go back to precious metals. All different colors of precious metals are achieved by mixing these colored metals with white ones.

Carat is a confusing name for purity or fineness of precious metals. It is confusing because the same word is used as a weight measurement for precious stones. That carat is equal to 0.2gr. and have nothing to do with metal fineness. To differentiate the one carat from the other, in some standards, weight carat is marked with ct and purity karat with kt or k. We can accept this rule to avoid confusion in further articles, therefore when we address metal purity we will use “karat”. Karat is used mainly to define purity of gold alloys. Different countries have different standards for gold purity and the most used globally alloys are: 9kt or 375, 10kt or 416, 14kt or 585, 18kt or 750, 21kt or 875 and 22 or 916. The alternative number which alone can be used as hallmark indicates the number of fine gold parts in the alloy out of 1000. The easy way to translate this into a manageable information is to perceive it as the percentage of fine gold used x10. For example 750 means 75% pure gold content or 18kt.

Platinum is used in almost pure form and 95% hallmarked 950 is a standard alloy. All alloys with pure platinum content of 95.0% or higher can be also marked with the full word “platinum” or “”plat.” Other used alloys are 900 (90%), 800 (80%) and 585(58.5) also called karat platinum. The amazing qualities of this amazing metal are better described in another article where I am comparing it with the white gold alternative.

Palladium 950 alloys are as white as the platinum, blending well with white diamonds and eliminating the need of rhodium plating. Palladium is a light metal with weight close to the one of sterling silver and much lighter than platinum and high carat gold alloys, thus making it the metal of choice for items like large earrings. At the time of writing, the price of 950 palladium alloys is about a third of the price of the 18k white gold offering great possibilities for large solid pieces at significantly reduced price. One disadvantage though is that quality casting of palladium requires materials and equipment, currently not viable for small workshops

The hallmarks you will usually find on your precious metal jewelry are:

1). Karat or fineness stamp (e.g. 18kt/ct or 750)

2) Manufacturer’s stamp

The karat stamp does not have much value without the manufacturers stamp because the declaration of purity is not signed. Beware; in most countries you can buy a karat stamp for few dollars.

Variety in gold colors and mechanical properties is achieved by alloying fine gold with one or more other metals. White gold for example is a gold alloy with whitening metals, usually palladium, nickel or silver or combination of them. Since the fine gold is always yellow, it is the alloy (base) metals that give the karat gold its color and properties. For example to be able to stamp an item as 18k it must content at least 75% of fine gold. The remaining 25 percent of alloy metals will determine its color and physical properties. If 8.4% of copper and 16.6% silver is used in the alloy, we will end up with the traditional rich 18k yellow gold color. If we mix the same amount of fine gold with 15 % of palladium and 10% of silver we will have good quality white gold. The constant content in 18k gold alloy is always 75% pure gold. Higher than 18k white gold alloys are not possible because the alloying metals are not in sufficient quantity to absorb the yellowness of the pure gold. 21k or 22k gold is always yellow, very yellow. The same principle applies for platinum and palladium, although these metals are used in much purer form (95% is a standard) and there is not detectible changes in color. The only changes there are in physical properties.

Now, with our newly acquired knowledge of precious metals we will probably arrive at the questions: What are the best alloys? What metal jewelry should I buy?

Different metals are good for different purposes. As a general rule (and if you can afford it) buy alloys with higher precious metal content. That applies mainly for gold, since platinum and palladium are used in almost pure form. 18kt gold or higher have distinctive gold color and real precious metal properties. My opinion is that alloys with less than 50% gold content (under 14k) should not be called gold, but gold brass or something else defining the inferior gold content. If you are looking for big bold and heavy pieces the best is to go for silver with gold accents or the very new precium (25%palladium and silver alloy developed by Handy & Hartman)which may be already on the market at the time you read this article. For your fine jewelry pieces choose 18k gold and platinum. 18k white gold can be used for heavier, thicker pieces while platinum is the best for delicate settings with a lot of detail. It does not make sense to set $10 000 diamond in white gold just to save $ 300-400 difference on platinum setting. Besides the aesthetical superiority, the security of platinum setting is immensely greater. When we come to earrings, especially large ones, choosing lighter alloys is essential. Palladium is the first choice followed by 14k white. For yellow, stick to 18k. You can never get the right color in lower karats. Then, your goldsmith’s ability to work light will come handy. Try to find the right craftsman. It is really making all the difference. The weight of the stud settings is rather small even in the case of large diamonds, thus making the platinum the obvious choice for white metal. The difference in price will be insignificant but the difference in strength and safety and quality – vast. Another advantage of the platinum studs – they could be made very delicate and retain their strength.

Make your office or house look beautiful with an exquisite collection of metal fittings. Filing cabinets are manufactured from wood or steel at times. Metal cabinet filings are considered stronger, lighter and durable out of the two forms of filing cabinets. It comes with a guarantee of 5 and 15 years, based on the quality of filing cabinet supplied. Their hinges are the key to millions of kitchen to function properly.

Users must note that the drawer bases in filing cabinets especially those in wooden filing cabinets are not used to support heavy weight, and hence such filing cabinets should not be used for any normal drawer. It also includes fitting conversions which allows for an A4 size one to be stored.

In case of a cabinet lighting, a curio cabinet wall is made up of dark wood, glass so that light passes through the floor of the cabinet without any hassle of reflexes. You can even consider traditional curio cabinet lights and spend on any linear strips phantom of low voltage. Such lighting strips provide two things, firstly a right fit to the vertical, horizontal and radio, secondly a low profile design which is hidden from normal viewing angles.

Shelving units, cupboards, cabinets are ideally suited for offices. Such fittings are offered in a wide variety such as antique fittings, brass fittings, wooden ones and metal ones. Black antique iron mongery door fittings, iron mongery accessories. Cup board knobs, drawer pulls, hooks on plate, wire knobs and chest handles are used for such fittings. One can even opt for rustic iron knobs that have a protective coating of beeswax. Minimal maintenance is required; simply polish occasionally with a brush or cloth to give that shine. Reach the experts for the right design and finish!

Large rusty cabinet pulls in different design can be found online. Avail lovely pulls made of rusted metal. Lay your hands on a range of quality Fittings – ideal for Wardrobes, metal drawer sides and a wide range of kitchen accessories and appliances. Make use of traditional wood finishing sundries and reach out to Suppliers of black metal iron castings, traditional door knockers etc.

It is said that in order to organize your large storage space, you can buy pantry fittings. These wire racks fit the entire inside space of your pantry. They have shelves and baskets to hold about anything you want to store. You can get them in a variety of sizes. Whatever your needs, you are not too far from the online stores.

Jewelry-makers should learn terminology of basic jewelry-making components and techniques to work effectively with friends, customers and suppliers.

Jewelry toggles make up one category of many different jewelry closures for handmade artisan jewelry, mass-market costume jewelry and fine jewelry.  While toggle clasps definitely fasten jewelry, they can also enhance jewelry appearance.

What is a jewelry toggle?

A jewelry toggle is a set of two pieces: a jewelry loop and a jewelry stick.  The jewelry loop is attached to one end of your unfinished jewelry; the jewelry stick attaches to the other end.  The jewelry stick gets pushed through the jewelry loop, then turned so it rests longways against the loop, gravity holding the two components in place.  A skin-tight jewelry piece without any slack will not last long — this style closure is made to have some slack.

Toggle clasps come with a bit more risk than lobster claw clasps.  However, many jewelry fans seem to regard jewelry toggles as more fashionable than lobster claw clasps.  Jewelry closed with toggles may fall off the body if they are made with too much slack; sometimes the toggles may come undone when the tension on the jewelry is relaxed.

Fancy toggles will often be used at the front of a necklace as a visual centerpiece — especially fancy shaped toggles or toggles with addition decorations.

Jewelry toggles come in many different shapes:  round, oval, square, diamond, heart-shaped, floral, stirrup, etc.

Toggle Mechanics

A toggle is most secure when it cannot easily slip back through the loop accidentally.  The widest opening of the toggle loop must still be smaller than the shortest distance from your anchor point (often a ring soldered on or cast midway a metal toggle stick) to the end of the stick.    The toggle loop must also be big enough to accommodate the smallest beads on the end attached to the toggle stick.  The stick must be pulled through the loop before it can be turned to rest against the toggle loop.  Many jewelry pieces with toggle clasps will have beads graduated in size from the larger beads at the center, where they are most visible, to the smaller beads at both ends.  Toggles that are light with respect to the center beads will shift to the top as a bracelet rotates due to gravity.  A heavy toggle will help a bracelet to hang comfortably, with the toggle loop underneath the wrist.

Fastening Toggles

In pieces made with jewelry chain, you may see chain end caps soldered onto the chain and toggles connected with link locks or soldered jump rings.  Unsoldered chain pieces will often use open jump rings, split rings or link locks.  Jewelry designers will usually fasten toggles to bead wire projects using flattened crimps.  Some designers favor clam shells or bead tips to make the transition to the jewelry closures for bead wire projects and fiber projects such as knotted silk jewelry.  Inexpensive leather or fiber pieces may be knotted directly onto the toggle pieces with overhand knots.

Toggle Materials

Your “stick” may be as simple as a button with a shank used with a loop of seed beads on bead wire.  Your loop may be quite fancy, with “expandable” toggles of several rings attached together.   The rings on both the toggle loop and toggle stick should be firmly attached.  Toggle sticks with spiral patterns seem to be susceptible to bending more than many other designs.

Toggle in the United States will often be made of one of the following materials:

Platinum Palladium Gold Gold-Filled Silver: Thai silver, sterling silver (.925 silver) Titanium Surgical Steel Brass, usually plated with gold, silver, copper, antique copper, antique brass, gunmetal/black nickel and imitation rhodium Wood Stone

Many of these materials are available in different surface textures: shiny, matte, brushed, etc.  Crystals, cubic zirconia and gemstones may decorate toggles of the more expensive metals.

The jewelry designer’s unique sense of design and style will define the jewelry aesthetics and the the possible toggles for a jewelry piece.  Fortunately, toggles are available in a wide range of prices, shapes and materials.

Metal handicrafts were quite popular from the ancient Indus Valley civilization. Metal sculptures and statues narrate the ancient civilization. Metal casting, carvings, inlay and appliqué are known in the Indian metal handicraft industry. Metal articles require heavy working and with increasing usage of advanced mechanical production methods, the quality of these products has improved considerably. Different part of the country displays its own unique handicrafts be it in metal, wood or other such handicraft items. Metal works from Tanjavur, stone carvings from Mamallapuram, Silks from Kanchipuram are all available in Chennai. Indian Handicraft sector is renowned world over for their most popular craft items like pottery, earthenware, wooden work, metal work, sculpting, scarves, shawls, textiles, embroidered and knitted goods, zari items, jewelry, etc.

A huge collection of products in indian handicrafts like photo frames, bowls, glass bowls, candle stands, incense stick stands, table tops, mats, cushion covers, mats & rugs, religious statues, wall hangings, ladies bags, handmade bags, handmade paper products and many more. Aluminum handicrafts includes diverse objects such as candle holders, printed pots, picture frames, ice buckets, photo frames, flower vases, wall scones, ice scoops, pillar holders, tea lights, tableware, oil burners, garden urns, mirror frames, etc. Indian crafts are becoming increasingly popular both in India and abroad due to their high quality. Recent times have seen notable increase in the demand for these types of products.

The expensive form of metal works is in white metal.  White metal flower vases, white metal coasters, white metal photo frames, white metal table lamp, idols or statues made of white metal, candle holders, jewelry boxes and others, are few of the items made out of such metal. Aluminum handicrafts are engraved with a range of traditional patterns and designs. Ornamentation on aluminium can vary from chiseling, punching or inlay work, all requiring high calibre and painstaking work.

Make use of the fantastic selection of expensive handicrafts, sculptures and textiles. Bronze and copper are commonly used in the making of Indian metal handicrafts. Metal works include wall hangings, candle holders, water pitchers, sculptures, bell metal works, sculptures etc. The practice of using metal in ornaments and jewellery which form the antique collection can be dated back to the ancient times. Metal crafts apart from beautiful jewelry also comprises of belts, pillars, crowns, decorative pieces, photo frames, wall hangings etc. Other popular handicraft items made out of metal are jewelry boxes with beautiful designs etched out, kitchenware, household utensils, personal use items, home accessories etc.