Practice and Application Flashcards

A platinum prong has cracked and needs to be re-tipped. Which solder type should be used?

Answer: Platinum solder matched to the alloy

Platinum requires platinum solder matched to the specific alloy to maintain color, strength, and melting point compatibility.

When polishing a high-karat gold piece on a buffing wheel, the jeweler should:

Answer: Keep the piece moving and hold it below center of the wheel

Moving the piece constantly and keeping it below wheel center prevents the wheel from catching the piece and throwing it.

A customer requests engraving on the inside of a tungsten carbide ring. The jeweler should:

Answer: Advise the customer that tungsten carbide cannot be engraved with standard jewelry equipment

Tungsten carbide is extremely hard and brittle, making it incompatible with traditional engraving tools used in jewelry.

When sizing a white gold ring up two sizes, the jeweler notices the solder joint turned yellow after soldering. This most likely means:

Answer: Gold solder with too low a karat or wrong color was used

Yellow discoloration at a white gold solder joint indicates a mismatched solder — yellow gold solder used instead of white gold solder.

The purpose of annealing a piece of metal work-hardened during fabrication is to:

Answer: Restore ductility and workability by relieving internal stress

Annealing heats metal to relieve stress and recrystallize the grain structure, restoring malleability lost through work-hardening.

A pave-set stone is sitting too high above its seat. The most appropriate corrective action is to:

Answer: Deepen the seat with a bearing cutter until the stone sits at the correct height

A bearing cutter removes metal precisely to deepen the seat so the stone sits at the proper height for secure setting.

When using a flex shaft with a rubber abrasive wheel to pre-polish a textured silver surface, the correct technique is to:

Answer: Work in the direction of the texture with light, overlapping passes

Following the direction of the texture with light passes prevents distortion of the design and maintains even surface refinement.