DCA Advanced Jewelry Repair & Design Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When retipping prongs on a platinum setting, which technique is most appropriate?
- Use yellow gold solder for a quick bond
- Use platinum wire and laser or pulse-arc welding (Correct answer)
- Use silver solder as a lower-melting filler
- Use white gold solder to match color
Correct answer: Use platinum wire and laser or pulse-arc welding
Platinum retipping requires platinum wire and laser or pulse-arc welding because platinum has a high melting point and does not bond well with solder alloys used for gold.
Question 2: What is the primary risk when sizing a channel-set diamond ring down more than two sizes?
- The shank becomes too thick
- Stones may loosen or crack under compression (Correct answer)
- The ring loses its yellow hue
- Prongs will elongate
Correct answer: Stones may loosen or crack under compression
Reducing a channel-set ring too many sizes compresses the channel walls, placing stress on the stones and risking cracking or loosening.
Question 3: In lost-wax casting, what causes porosity in the finished metal casting?
- Too little wax in the pattern
- Gases trapped during solidification or incomplete burnout (Correct answer)
- Using too high a flask temperature
- Overheating the investment material before burnout
Correct answer: Gases trapped during solidification or incomplete burnout
Porosity in castings results from trapped gases or incomplete wax burnout leaving voids as metal solidifies.
Question 4: Which alloy composition is standard for 18-karat yellow gold?
- 750 parts per thousand pure gold (Correct answer)
- 585 parts per thousand pure gold
- 583 parts per thousand pure gold
- 999 parts per thousand pure gold
Correct answer: 750 parts per thousand pure gold
18-karat gold is 750 parts per thousand (75%) pure gold, with the remaining 25% being alloying metals.
Question 5: A bezel setting that does not hold a stone securely is best corrected by:
- Polishing the bezel edge smooth
- Burnishing the bezel wall tighter over the stone's girdle (Correct answer)
- Soldering the stone into place
- Replacing the stone with a smaller one
Correct answer: Burnishing the bezel wall tighter over the stone's girdle
Burnishing pushes the bezel wall firmly over the girdle to grip the stone without using adhesives or solder.
Question 6: What does 'sweat soldering' refer to in jewelry fabrication?
- Soldering in a high-humidity environment
- Pre-coating both pieces with solder, then joining them with heat (Correct answer)
- Using a sweat torch with low-oxygen flame
- Soldering platinum components without flux
Correct answer: Pre-coating both pieces with solder, then joining them with heat
Sweat soldering involves applying solder to both surfaces, allowing it to set, then re-heating to fuse the pieces together with even distribution.
Question 7: When designing a pave setting for a curved surface, the setter must account for:
- Increasing the stone size toward the edges
- Adjusting bead placement for the curvature so stones sit level (Correct answer)
- Using only princess-cut stones
- Soldering each stone individually into cups
Correct answer: Adjusting bead placement for the curvature so stones sit level
On curved surfaces, bead and seat positioning must be adjusted so each stone sits flush and level despite the contour of the metal.
DCA Advanced Jewelry Repair & Design Techniques 2
When retipping prongs on a platinum setting, which technique is most appropriate?