Select the proper color and temper needed for the job. As a rule, the harder (or the highest temperature) the solder the least seam will appear. When soldering in multiple joints, solder the heaviest gauges first with the harder solder. Continue the procedure with medium and then soft, and if necessary with extra soft. Always select a solder whose liquidus is at least 100°F below the materials melting temperature. If the solders liquidus and materials melt temperatures are too close, you will damage and melt the pieces being soldered. Avoid this by using our easy to use temperature charts in this section for both the solder and the precious metal.


Make sure that you join your pieces with the closest fit possible. The closer the fit the better the finish. File off any burrs or inconsistencies. After fitting, clean all areas near the joint. Grease, oil marks (body oils as well) and polishing compound can prevent proper solder flow. A good idea would be to use an ultrasonic cleaner, followed by a cleaning with denatured alcohol or pickling compound. The surface will now be clean, and allow the solder to flow.


Apply Ross Metals Bluflux or Freflux evenly to the clean joint surfaces and to the solder, either with a brush or by dripping parts into the flux. Heating the flux will dissolve the base metal oxides, which will allow for better flow. You should also fire-coat the entire piece or parts with the flux, (contains boric acid) with a light flame to protect the metal from oxidation during soldering.


Using a soft flame, heat the area to be soldered and the surrounding metal. Increase the flame and carefully heat the joint and then the solder. Let the heat of the joint draw the solder. Solder will flow towards the heat. Continuing heating, concentrating mostly on the joint with occasional heat on the solder until flow occurs. Solder flow can be controlled where you don't want it by using a graphite pencil to mark those areas.


Quench hot ring in a sodium bisulfate solution (pickle) to remove any surface oxidation that may have been caused during heating. The pickle solution should be heated to approximately 180°F. White gold should not be quenched immediately. Allow it to cool down for 30-60 seconds before quenching, or brittleness will occur. This also applies to items that have stones set. Check for their resilience before soldering and quenching. Finally, remove all remaining residue with warm water. If fire scale is evident after using the pickle solution, then try a sulfuric (10%) or a phosphoric (15%) acid solution. This might work effectively in many cases.

Cold-working or stretching a ring for sizing can cause cracking. The malleability of karat golds vary and is limited. This ductility changes from karat to color to alloy, If you must cold-work, you can eliminate this cracking by annealing (see wire and plate technical information.) Annealing will relieve the internal stresses of the metal and make the piece more resistant to cracking and stress corrosion.
Brazing may produce fumes and gases hazardous to your health. Avoid breathing these fumes and gases. Use adequate ventilation. See American National Standard Z491. "Safety in Welding and Cutting", published by the American Welding Society.

Freflux contains Boric Acid, and Blueflux contains Fluoride.
They are both harmful if swallowed. lf swallowed, give 1 to 2 glasses of water or milk. Do not induce vomiting. Call the poison control center or a physician. Keep out of reach of children.

Ross Metals believes that the above data is accurate and reliable. However, they are only recommendations given to you free of charge, and should be employed by you with discretion and risk. Ross Metals assumes no responsibility for difficulties or damages incurred by adhering to this information.