DCA Advanced Jewelry Repair & Design Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of annealing metal during jewelry fabrication?
- To harden the metal for stone setting
- To relieve work-hardening stress and restore malleability (Correct answer)
- To increase the metal's karat purity
- To remove surface oxides permanently
Correct answer: To relieve work-hardening stress and restore malleability
Annealing heats metal to a specific temperature and allows it to cool slowly, relieving internal stresses caused by working and restoring ductility.
Question 2: A customer's white gold ring has turned slightly yellow after years of wear. What is the most likely cause?
- The rhodium plating has worn away, revealing the yellow gold alloy beneath (Correct answer)
- The stone has contaminated the metal
- The ring was accidentally exposed to chlorine
- The ring was stored near yellow gold jewelry
Correct answer: The rhodium plating has worn away, revealing the yellow gold alloy beneath
White gold is naturally slightly yellow; rhodium plating gives it a bright white appearance, but plating wears over time, exposing the underlying alloy.
Question 3: Which flux type is most appropriate when soldering sterling silver?
- Borax-based paste flux (Correct answer)
- Zinc chloride flux
- Petroleum-based flux
- No flux is needed for silver
Correct answer: Borax-based paste flux
Borax-based paste flux prevents oxidation on sterling silver during soldering and promotes clean solder flow.
Question 4: When sizing a ring up using the stretching method rather than adding metal, the jeweler must be aware that:
- The shank will become thicker
- The shank will become thinner as it is stretched (Correct answer)
- The ring will need re-soldering
- The stones will need to be removed first
Correct answer: The shank will become thinner as it is stretched
Stretching a ring on a mandrel increases diameter but thins and weakens the shank metal, which limits how much stretching is advisable.
Question 5: In electroforming, what is the role of the mandrel?
- It provides the electrical current for deposition
- It serves as the form over which metal is electroplated to create the hollow structure (Correct answer)
- It acts as the anode in the circuit
- It supplies the alloying metals for karat gold
Correct answer: It serves as the form over which metal is electroplated to create the hollow structure
In electroforming, metal ions are deposited over a mandrel (often wax or other removable material) which is later removed to leave a hollow metal shell.
Question 6: A tension setting holds a diamond in place primarily through:
- Prongs that grip the culet
- Spring pressure of the metal shank compressing the stone's girdle (Correct answer)
- Adhesive bonding to the table facet
- Bezel walls folded over the crown
Correct answer: Spring pressure of the metal shank compressing the stone's girdle
Tension settings use the spring-back force of the shank metal to grip the stone's girdle tightly on both sides without traditional prongs or bezels.
Question 7: What does 'engraving' remove from a metal surface to create a design?
- Oxides and tarnish
- Small slivers of metal using a graver or burin (Correct answer)
- A surface lacquer coat
- Rhodium plating only
Correct answer: Small slivers of metal using a graver or burin
Engraving uses sharp steel gravers (burins) to cut and remove thin curls of metal, incising lines and patterns into the surface.
DCA Advanced Jewelry Repair & Design Techniques 3
What is the purpose of annealing metal during jewelry fabrication?