CBJ Practice and Application 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A customer brings in a 14k yellow gold ring that needs to be sized down three sizes. Which method is most appropriate?
- Cut and solder the shank (Correct answer)
- Use a ring stretcher to compress
- Heat and quench repeatedly to shrink
- Apply a sizing ball inside the shank
Correct answer: Cut and solder the shank
Sizing down requires cutting a measured section from the shank and soldering the ends together for a proper fit.
Question 2: When setting a round brilliant diamond in a four-prong Tiffany-style setting, which step should be done FIRST?
- Seat the stone in the prongs at equal depth (Correct answer)
- Polish the prongs to a high shine
- Check the girdle thickness with a gauge
- Harden the prongs by work-hardening
Correct answer: Seat the stone in the prongs at equal depth
The stone must be seated evenly at the correct depth in all prongs before any bending or tipping begins.
Question 3: You notice flux has become glassy and brown during a soldering operation. This indicates:
- The flux is exhausted and the joint may oxidize (Correct answer)
- The metal has reached ideal soldering temperature
- Solder has already flowed through the joint
- The piece needs to be quenched immediately
Correct answer: The flux is exhausted and the joint may oxidize
Brown, glassy flux indicates it has burned off and can no longer protect the metal from oxidation.
Question 4: A bench jeweler is asked to remove a bezel-set cabochon from a sterling silver pendant without damaging the stone. The best approach is to:
- Carefully open the bezel wall with a burnisher or bezel pusher working around the perimeter (Correct answer)
- Heat the piece until the bezel softens and lifts
- Use a flex shaft with a carbide bur to cut away the bezel
- Soak in pickle solution to loosen the setting
Correct answer: Carefully open the bezel wall with a burnisher or bezel pusher working around the perimeter
Gently prying the bezel wall outward evenly around the perimeter releases the stone without heat or cutting damage.
Question 5: When soldering a jump ring closed on a delicate chain, which torch tip and flame type is most appropriate?
- Small tip with a soft, bushy reducing flame (Correct answer)
- Large tip with a hard oxidizing flame
- Medium tip with a neutral carburizing flame
- Pencil tip at maximum pressure for speed
Correct answer: Small tip with a soft, bushy reducing flame
A small tip with a soft reducing flame delivers controlled heat and protects the chain links from excessive oxidation.
Question 6: A channel-set anniversary band has a loose stone rattling in one channel. The correct repair procedure is to:
- Carefully tighten the channel walls using parallel pliers, then re-check all stones (Correct answer)
- Re-solder the entire channel from scratch
- Apply jeweler's epoxy to secure the stone
- Enlarge the channel and set a larger stone
Correct answer: Carefully tighten the channel walls using parallel pliers, then re-check all stones
Using parallel pliers to gently compress the channel walls closes the gap while preserving the setting integrity.
Question 7: After casting a wax model in sterling silver, the casting shows large porosity pockets. The most likely cause is:
- Flask temperature too high at time of injection causing gas entrapment (Correct answer)
- Wax model was too thin in that area
- The pickle solution was too strong
- The investment was not mixed thoroughly enough
Correct answer: Flask temperature too high at time of injection causing gas entrapment
Overheating the flask causes gas to become trapped in the solidifying metal, creating porosity voids.
CBJ Practice and Application 2
A customer brings in a 14k yellow gold ring that needs to be sized down three sizes.
Which method is most appropriate?