Equipment for an individual workshop of a jeweler

Device, equipment, equipment. A jewelry workshop should consist of at least two rooms with supply and exhaust ventilation - the main place of work and a utility room, where it is desirable to carry out operations accompanied by intense emission of harmful vapors and dust into the air (melting, grinding, etching). The main workplace should be versatile and as convenient as possible, since most of the various jewelry operations are carried out here. The master needs to have a work table-workbench equipped with various devices and mechanisms (Fig. 1).

Usually it is a structure made of metal, wood and plastic. The recommended area of ​​the table top is 1500x1000 mm, the height of the structure is up to one meter. The cover must be covered with a heat-resistant material. In the center of the table, a small oval cut is made in the table top and the shelves located under it. This creates significant convenience and access to all parts of the workbench when working on a swivel chair (with a high, soft back, comfortable for short-term rest). On both sides of the workbench table there are tiers with drawers for tools with soft upholstery to protect them from damage. Fuel and air lines for jewelry burners are supplied to the workbench, with the help of which soldering is performed. The table is supplied with the necessary supports, fasteners, a movable table lamp, a drill, a multi-capacity bath, a special box with compartments for keeping precious metals and stones (goft). A retractable protrusion (finagel) is arranged from the end of the cutout in the lid to stop the parts during their processing (grinding, cutting), and a retractable pallet is also mounted 300 mm under it, with a cutout in the shape of the table top, into which sawdust, shavings, and trimming of precious metals are crumbled ...

Rice. 1.Work table-workbench: 1 - table top; 2 - table lamp; 3 - finagel; 4 - tool boxes; 5 - drill; 6 - baths; 7 - waste pallet; 8 - goft; 9, 10, 11 - holding devices

This is just one of the devices for ensuring economical use and maximum collection and trapping of jewelry waste. The workshop premises must also be equipped with dust collectors, and the washstand with a sump. These devices will collect precious particles.

Tools

Jewelry tools, accessories. For the manufacture and repair of jewelry in a private workshop, a set of various tools is required: Files of various profiles: flat, square, triangular, rhombic, round, semicircular, oval; special: knife-shaped and semicircular double-sided. The largest cut is # 0, the smallest one is # 5. The files are used for precise sawdust work. The varieties are practically the same as for files. Special double-sided files with a curved working part are called riffles; the non-working part of the square riffle serves as a handle. Tweezers are used to hold parts or solder, to bend product fragments. Tweezers are distinguished by the shape and configuration of the clamping jaws. Pliers, round nose pliers are designed to hold and bend parts. They are also distinguished by the profile of the jaws. Nippers are used to bite off parts of the part in the right place. Distinguish by the type of working and cutting parts. Scissors (regular and Pomeranian scissors with short handles) are used to cut sheet and thin parts. A jigsaw is like a saw for small metal with a steel blade that has one-sided cutting of teeth. They are used for cutting grooves, cutting patterns and other jewelry operations. Hammers with strikers of various shapes: flat, rounded, spherical, wedge-shaped - both metal and other materials, including hard wood. Anvils serve as a rigid base when processing products with a hammer. They are subdivided according to the working surface (bar, plug-in, two-horned, crossbar) - heat-treated and polished. Plates and punches are used for stamping and forming parts. The shape of the punches corresponds to the shape of the cavities in the plate. They are made of high quality alloy steel with a thermally hardened, ground surface. Drawing board - a board in the holes of which dies of different diameters are tightly inserted. It is necessary to obtain wire from precious metals of small cross-sections from a thicker various configuration: round, square, triangular, etc.

Jeweler's measuring tools (must comply with the accepted standard):

Bench scales with weights;
micrometer with a scale of divisions from 0 to 25 mm and a graduation of 0.01 mm;
vernier caliper with a scale from 0 to 150 mm and a division of 0.1 mm;
metal ruler 200 mm long and 1 mm graduation;
ring gauge;
finger gauge - from 15th to 25th size;
compass;
special scale metal ruler. Special tools (jeweler's "special forces"):
graver for engraving;
mints for minting;
scrapers for scraping;
tools for rolling and crimping metal when fixing stones on a product;
devices for bending the shank of the rings (“nine”) and for gripping the ring when fixing the stone (“schnaltsenka”).

Sets of cutting tools for processing parts using a drill

Drill;
cutters (burs);
abrasive wheels.

For melting precious metals in small quantities, fire-resistant (within the melting temperatures of precious metals) ceramic spoons are used.

Waste collection equipment:=

A hairbrush with a short handle and a flat brush - for removing sawdust from a vice and sweeping it into the pallet of the workbench;
special scoop;
magnet;
a cylindrical box with a horizontal mesh partition and a tight lid for storing collected waste; coarse sawdust and other precious metal particles remain on the mesh, which are then remelted into ingots used for further production.

A more detailed description of the tools and their purpose will be given in the presentation of specific operations.

Necessary chemical reagents:

The necessary chemical reagents are used to dissolve metals and process products.

Acids.

Sulfur- a colorless, oily, heavy liquid with a boiling point of 338 degrees. С, density 1.84 g / cm3. Gives off a lot of heat when mixed with water; When preparing the solution, the acid is poured into the water, and not vice versa, in order to avoid the ejection of liquid from the container, which can cause burns if it gets on the body. Concentrated sulfuric acid carbonizes wood, leather, dissolves many metals, forming sulfate salts. Used in etching, to formulate a borax bleaching solution and to give the appropriate color to the base metal. Nitrogen is a colorless liquid, boiling point 86 degrees. С, density 1.52 g / cm3. Destroys tissues, dissolves various metals, forming nitric acid salts. Serves for etching precious and non-ferrous metals and making up a bleaching solution. It is used mainly in the form of aqueous solutions of various concentrations, it is one of the constituent parts of aqua regia (a mixture of 1 part of nitric and 2-3 parts of hydrochloric acids, which dissolves metals that cannot be affected by each of the acids separately - gold, silver).

Salt- a colorless liquid with a pungent odor, density 1.19 g / cm3, used for etching non-ferrous (and ferrous) metals, a component of "aqua regia" and a bleaching solution. Melting - an aqueous solution of 35-40% hydrogen fluoride. It is obtained by the action of sulfuric acid on fluorspar, as a result of which a gas is formed, the dissolution of which in water forms this acid. Hydrofluoric acid is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor, boiling point 19.5 degrees. C. Dissolves silicon dioxide, i.e. it cannot be stored in glassware, like all other acids. For its storage, vinyl chloride, polyethylene and other containers are used. It is used for etching glass, cleaning casting from molding mass.

Alkalis.

Caustic sodium- sodium oxide hydrate, caustic soda, dissolves in water, releasing a lot of heat, hygroscopic, strong alkali (corrodes tissues, skin), melting point 318 degrees. C, boiling point 1388 degrees. C, stored in sealed iron containers. Potassium hydroxide is a solid opaque mass with a radiant fracture, similar in properties to sodium hydroxide, melting point 360 degrees. C, boiling point 1324 degrees. C, used for degreasing and oxidizing, the storage method is the same. Ammonium alcohol - ammonium oxide hydrate, a solution of ammonia in water, is used to neutralize acid on products after pickling and for other purposes.

Salt.
These are the same acids that contain metal instead of hydrogen. Soda is the general name for various chemical compounds of sodium; calcined, caustic, bicarbonate are distinguished; white fine powder, soluble in water. Potash is a white powder, hygroscopic, easily soluble in water. Borax - aqueous sodium salt of boric acid; colorless crystals or powder, dissolves metal oxides, sand and clay when melting, forming fusible brittle compounds called slags - a property due to which borax is used in metal melting and brazing.

Copper sulfate- copper sulfate, crystals of blue-blue color, used in copper plating, brass plating and oxidation. Sulfuric oxide - copper oxide, used in copper plating and oxidation. Silver nitrate (lapis) is obtained by dissolving silver in nitric acid, followed by evaporation of the resulting solution; large white crystals of rhombic shape, melting point 208.5 degrees. C, used for silvering. Poison, easily soluble in water. Silver chloride - white powder, melting point 455 degrees. C. Obtained by adding hydrochloric acid or sodium chloride to a solution of silver nitrate until the separation of a white precipitate ceases, which is filtered, washed and dried in the dark at 80-90 degrees. C. Dissolves in potassium cyanide and ammonia solution (does not dissolve in water and acids). It is used in the preparation of electrodes for silvering. Chlorine gold is obtained by the action of chlorine or "aqua regia" on the gold metal; the reaction precipitate formed after evaporation of the solution is dissolved in water; used in electrolytes for gilding.

Cyanide Silver- the result of the reaction of silver nitrate with potassium cyanide, used in electroplating for silvering. Potassium cyanide is used in electrolytes for gilding and silvering. Known as a powerful poison. Sodium cyanide is similar in properties to potassium cyanide.

PRECIOUS AND NON-FERROUS METALS. TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCING ALLOYS AND BLANKS FROM THEM

Pure precious metals are not used because of their low hardness and strength. For the manufacture of jewelry, their alloys are used in various combinations. Non-precious (non-ferrous) metals are used practically as an alloying material in alloys with precious metals, to which they impart hardness, strength, corrosion resistance, change plasticity, color, melting point, and other properties.

Precious metals and their alloys

Metals. Gold is yellow, soft, has high plasticity, melting point 1063 degrees. C, boiling point 2530 degrees. C. Easily gives in to heat treatment, polishing. Chemically stable in air, water and acids (the only exception is a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid - "aqua regia"). Chlorine, bromine and fluorine have an effect on this metal. It is not used in its pure form (only in alloys with other metals) due to its low strength and hardness. Silver is white, soft, easily forged, has the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of all metals. Melting point 960.5 degrees. C, boiling point 1955 degrees. C. Easily machined and polished. It is chemically stable in air and water, but in the presence of hydrogen sulfide in the air, it becomes coated with a coating of silver sulfide and darkens. It dissolves in nitric and hot concentrated hydrochloric acids. Like gold, it is not used in its pure form. Platinum - silvery-white, soft, easily forged, machined and polished, melting point 1773 degrees. C, boiling point 4300 deg. C Possesses low thermal and electrical conductivity. Virtually unreactive to air, water and acids (except for the same mixture as gold). Due to insufficient hardness, it is used only in alloys with other metals. Palladium is a silvery white color, lighter than platinum, easily forged and machined. Melting point 1554.5 "C, boiling point 2200 degrees C. Chemically stable in air and water, dissolves in nitric acid and its mixture with hydrochloric acid. In its pure form, it is also not used, serves as an alloying metal to increase the strength of gold and platinum.
The platinum group of metals also includes iridium and rhodium, which are similar in properties to platinum; used by jewelers very rarely.

Alloys The amount of precious metal in an alloy depends on the specified fineness. Gold In gold alloys, silver, copper, which are the main components of alloys, and platinum, palladium, zinc, cadmium, nickel, which are used as additives to give the alloy a certain color (shade), are most often used in various combinations.

Gold - silver - copper (Au-Ag-Cu): yellow in color, has high strength and at the same time is easy to machine and cast.

Gold - silver (Au-Ag): color - from yellow to white, depending on the quantitative content of silver. It is also easy to process, but rarely made due to its pale color.

Gold - platinum (Au-Pt): also varies in color from yellow to white - depending on the amount of platinum. Because of its white color, the alloy is called “white gold”. Palladium Gold (Au-Pa): Same color characteristic. The alloy is hard and refractory, which is why it is extremely rarely used in jewelry production. Gold-cadmium (Au-Ca): color options - from yellow to gray (depending on the amount of cadmium). The alloy is fragile and rarely used. Silver. In silver alloys, copper, zinc, cadmium, nickel and aluminum are used as alloying materials in different proportions.

Silver - Copper (Au-Cu): Shiny white to reddish yellow (depending on copper content). The alloy is harder than pure silver with sufficient ductility. Silver-zinc (Ag-Zn): white color, high ductility, easy to machine. Silver-cadmium (Ag-Ca): white, high hardness, but with more than half the cadmium, the alloy becomes brittle. Silver-aluminum (Ag-Al): white-gray. With a content of more than 6% aluminum, the alloy is brittle, and before this limit is plastic. Silver-copper-cadmium (Ag-Cu-Ca): white. The alloy is ductile, does not tarnish, and is easily processed. Silver-copper-zinc (Ag-Cu-Zn): white-gray. The small addition of zinc makes the silver-copper alloy liquid-flowing, it is mainly used as a solder with high ductility and easy processing.
Platinum Platinum alloys (with gold, palladium, iridium) are used in jewelry making for the manufacture of settings for diamond stones.

Non-precious non-ferrous metals and their alloys The purpose of non-ferrous metals in jewelry production is ligature, i.e. they are used in the composition of precious metal alloys as alloying materials to give them the new qualities indicated at the beginning of this section. Some of them (copper alloys with electroplating and anodizing in order to imitate the color of gold, silver) are used independently - for haberdashery (jewelry haberdashery). In alloys with precious metals, such non-ferrous metals are used as alloying: copper, zinc, cadmium, nickel, lead, tin. Copper is red, soft, viscous, melting point 1083 degrees. C, boiling point 2310 degrees. C, easy to machine. Strongly oxidized under the influence of carbon dioxide (it turns green in the form of a film that can be eliminated by polishing, but the shine of copper does not persist for a long time). Dissolves in acids:

Nitric - copper nitrate;
in a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric ("aqua regia") - chlorine copper;
sulfuric - copper sulfate;
hydrochloric - copper chloride.

It occurs naturally in nuggets and ores. Possesses high thermal and electrical conductivity. It is not used in its pure form.
Copper alloys: Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc containing at least 50% copper with additions of lead, tin, nickel, iron and other metals, yellow. Brass of the "tompak" brand contains 10% zinc, used for jewelry with plated, golden color. Bronze is an alloy of copper with tin (tin alloys), aluminum, silicon (tin-free alloys). Tin bronzes are used more often, having high strength, anti-corrosion resistance, light liquid-heap and not small shrinkage. Nickel silver - with nickel and zinc, composition: 65% copper, 20% zinc and 15% nickel; it has a high electrical resistance and anti-corrosion resistance, has a high hardness and elasticity, the melting point is 1050 degrees. C. Nickel silver is used for making tableware and some jewelry items that require increased elasticity - springs, needles, pins. Cupronickel - with nickel (80% copper and 20% nickel), easy to machine, viscous, melting point 1170 degrees. C. Tableware, forks, spoons, and other kitchen items are made from cupronickel by cold stamping. Zinc - bluish-white color, interacting with air, is covered with a dense protective layer of gray color with a blue tint, melting point 419.5 "C, boiling point 906 deg. C, brittle, easy to break at room temperature, at a temperature of more than 100" C (up to 150 degrees) becomes malleable, and at +200 degrees. - again fragile, easily processed. Dissolves in acids:

Salt - zinc chloride;
nitric - zinc nitrate;
sulfuric - zinc sulfate.

It is used as an alloying compound in precious metal alloys and for the manufacture of solders (soldering). Cadmium is silvery-white, soft, plastic, melting point 320.9 degrees. C, boiling point 765 "C, oxidizes in air, becoming covered with a protective gray film. It is used similarly to zinc. Nickel is also silvery-white, with a bright luster, solid, refractory, melting point 1455 degrees. C, boiling point 3000 degrees. C, is malleable, flexible, ductile, stable in air (nickel-plated sanitary ware). It is used as a master alloy in gold alloys, giving them a white color. Lead is bluish-gray in color, shiny, soft, plastic, melting point 327 degrees. C , boiling point 1525 degrees C, in the air it is covered with a dull gray bloom, in water a thick layer of lead carbonate and sulphate forms on its surface, protecting the metal from corrosion.Dissolves in nitric acid, does not react to hydrochloric and sulfuric acid. solders and in the assay of precious metals by the method of cupelling.Tin is a silvery-white color, malleable, ductile metal, melting point 231.9 degrees C, t The boiling point is 2275 "C, in the air it acquires a protective oxide layer. It dissolves in hydrochloric acid to form chloride; interacting with concentrated nitric acid, it gives stannic acid in the form of sulfur powder, which dissolves in dilute nitric acid. Soft low-melting solders are obtained from tin. Aluminum - silvery-white, with a bluish tint, covered with a thin protective oxide layer, very plastic, easily rolled, forged, stamped. It is used in alloys and for the manufacture of various jewelry with their anodizing and painting.

TESTING OF PRECIOUS METALS, THEIR ALLOYS AND PRODUCTS FROM THEM

Penetration - determination of the alloy composition. The precious metals used, their alloys, from which the jewelry is made, are taken into account in accordance with the test, which determines the quantity and quality of a particular metal contained in the alloy. The test on the product indicates the key. Sample types:

Zolotnikovaya (used in tsarist Russia until 1927) means the number of metal spools in a pound of ligature alloy (one pound equals 96 spools; for example, a 56-sample gold alloy contained 56 spools of pure gold and 40 spools of other metals);

The metric test takes into account the amount of pure gold in 100 mass units of the ligature alloy, introduced after the spool sample in this way: the spool sample is multiplied by 1000 and divided by 96 (according to the number of spools in the alloy 56 samples - 56 plus 40);

Karat - used in Western countries (to convert to metric, you need to multiply by 1000 and divide by 24).

Pure gold, silver corresponds to a fineness of 999.9 (for calculations, it is rounded to 1000). For example, 750th fineness means: in the alloy 750 parts of pure gold and 250 parts of other metals.

Active samples

Gold items - 375, 500, 583, 750, 958;
from silver - 750, 800, 875, 916, 960;
platinum - 950;
from palladium -500, 850;
for dental products (gold discs) - 900, 916.

The sample is determined in stages - the most used metal, scrap jewelry and the finished product.

Sample determination methods

Drop - application of a solution of chlorine gold or other assay reagents to the tested metal, scrap or alloy, to the product itself;
determination on a test stone with standards (test needles).

These are the most affordable probing methods for individual production.
The most accurate is the muffle assay method, or hot analysis, but it can only be performed in a chemical laboratory, which has muffle and crucible furnaces. So, about the most affordable methods of assaying precious metals in a private workshop. The drop method is carried out using a solution of chlorine gold and assay reagents. Chlorine gold is produced by the action of chlorine or "aqua regia" on the gold metal. The resulting dark brown solution is evaporated and the residue is dissolved in water. A drop of a solution of chlorine gold is dropped onto the surface of the metal, alloy, scrap being tested with a file, and a spot from the precipitated gold precipitate immediately appears on the moistened place. Its color from the impurity of the resulting solution of chlorine salt of the tested material takes on different shades, according to which, in accordance with the established data (shown in Table 1), the sample of precious metal alloys is determined.

Table 1. Results of the impact of chlorine gold on the sampled materials

With the help of chlorine gold, you can test bars, scrap, products up to the 600th sample of gold content in them. Acidic reagents allow assaying 375, 500, 583, 750, 833, 900, 916, 958 gold alloys. The acidic reagent for assaying gold 958 is also used for the analysis of platinum alloys. Acidic reagents are also used for probing silver alloys. Potassium dichromate (chromic peak), orange solution, is used from the 500th sample of silver and above. 2-3 drops of solution in the same place, then removed with filter paper, leave a light brown spot, and starting from the 750th test - a red one (the more intense it is, the higher the sample). Bright red spots are formed on alloys 916 and above. Silver nitrate (lapis), transparent solution, also for assaying silver. On alloys 750 and above it leaves light gray spots, on low-grade alloys - thick, white, to a dark color (the darker, the lower the sample). Vials with reagents must have stickers indicating their purpose and sample of gold. Reagents for assaying non-ferrous metals decompose in the light, so they must be stored in a dark place or in opaque containers. Each reagent bottle must have its own dropper.

PREPARATORY WORKS

Blanking operations are practically the beginning of the jewelry making process, including the direct production of alloys of the desired composition and individual parts of the future product. The main operations of blanking metal of the required composition and profile consist of melting, forging, rolling, drawing, and for the manufacture of decoration elements - mechanical work, stamping, casting according to a sample. Technological processes of plastic deformation of metals and their alloys requiring heat treatment and bleaching (cleaning the surface of the alloys) after each technological operation.
Melting When fulfilling a specific order, to obtain an alloy of the required sample and profile, individual melting is applied (meaning melting of a small amount of metals. It is carried out by a jeweler directly in his workshop in a melting bowl or ladle. With this method of melting, metals are easily heated by an open flame of a burner and are melted into The flame must be strong (noisy), with an elongated reduction zone. The metals added to the alloy with precious metals are called ligatures. To determine the composition, the charge is calculated. To simplify the calculations, use the following tables 2 and 3, which indicate the proportions of the components as a percentage of the total mass of the alloy of a particular sample of a particular precious metal. Alloy of precious metals and master alloys are obtained at high melting temperatures. nutricrystalline bonds, crystallites disintegrate, and more and more liquid metal is formed between them. The process of softening the metal structure lasts until the moment when the entire mass from a solid state to a liquid. To improve the melting, a flux (borax) is used at the rate of 0.5 g per 10 g of the alloy. When cooled on the walls of the melting bowl, the flux forms a glaze, protecting the melt from oxygen, and dissolves the oxides. Alloy casting molds must be absolutely clean and lubricated with machine oil. First, precious metals are melted, and then non-ferrous metals are added.

Forging The purpose of this operation is to change the cross-section of a workpiece (ingot) in a hot or cold state without removing chips. Efficient forging of an ingot immediately after melting, since it allows it to be densified and to eliminate cracks and pores in the metal structure that have arisen during the melting process. Forging is also necessary in the manufacture of jewelry elements - this is facilitated by the high plastic properties of alloys of precious and non-ferrous metals. There are two types of forging - preliminary and final; roughing is carried out to prepare the ingot for further deformation (by rolling, drawing), with the help of finishing forging the product is given its final shape. Blacksmithing begins with gentle hammer blows, gradually strengthening them, and in the intervals between blows, the metal is annealed and cooled in water.

Table 2. Properties and composition of gold alloys

Table 3. Properties and composition of silver alloys

The shape and direction of deformation of the ingot depends on the shape of the hammer, the type of anvil and the force of the blows.
Rolling It is used to obtain blanks from sheet material by stamping or from bars of a certain section and thickness. This technological process is also based on the ductility of precious metal alloys. In the individual workshop, manually operated rolling rollers are used. For sheet material, rolls with smooth rolls are used, for wire rolling - shaped, with annular grooves corresponding to the cross-section of the profile of the rolled wire. Only vertical pressure (top and bottom) affects sheet metal, and horizontal, lateral pressure also affects wire products. The rolled sheet, albeit slightly, but expands to the sides, and this is unacceptable when rolling wire. During the rolling process, the hardness of the metal increases. To remove this stress and maintain the plasticity of the alloy, it is necessary to periodically anneal (after reducing the thickness of the sheet or the wire section by 50%). It is recommended to change the rolling direction only after intermediate annealing, as well as reducing the distance between the rolls or transferring the wire to the next groove.

Drawing A small amount of wire is prepared by hand. Drawing is the pulling of a wire through the tapered hole of the spinnerets in order to narrow its cross-section to the cross-section of the broaching hole of this spinneret. The amount of extension gain must match the amount of tension: if the pull exceeds the tension, the wire will break. This is especially true for thin wires. Only rolled wires are pulled through the dies of the drawing board (Fig. 2). Between the transitions from one die to another (with a smaller cross-section of the broaching hole), the wire material is annealed. Diamond dies are wear-resistant and allow you to harvest calibrated wire. The drawing board is clamped in a vice with soft sponges; a wire inserted with a pointed end into the desired die, grip with special sharp-nosed pliers and stretch by hand.

Stamping Consists of two operations: cutting the contour of the part and shaping it.

Rice. 2. Drawing board with dies of different diameters

Uncomplicated thin-walled elements of the product are cut by hand with hammer blows on the punson, and the stamp is installed on a metal plate (matrix). The design of the stamp depends on the shape of the part and is made in two stages: 1) punching, 2) punching. Depending on the design of the stamp, a sheet alloy of the corresponding profile (sheet thickness, strip width) is prepared. The required thickness is achieved by rolling, and the width (according to the distance between the die guides) is achieved by marking and cutting the strip (with scissors). The workpiece is formed by plastic deformation, giving it the desired shape. The main condition for high-quality molding is the absence of metal destruction after deformation. Forming consists of three sequential steps: bending, drawing and flanging. Bending is aimed at deformation of the workpiece in a special groove of the bending stamp by hitting a hammer with a corresponding striker on the mandrel, which presses the metal into the walls of the groove of a certain shape. The hood makes it possible (by smooth pressing of the press) to obtain from a flat workpiece a part with a formed sphere in the form of a cap. By broaching, you can lengthen a hollow thin-walled part by narrowing its walls (the gap between the punch and the die is set less than the wall thickness of the workpiece). The outer edges of the part or holes in it are flanged. Flanging is carried out by deformation in rollers.

Casting by sample(centrifugal casting) In a private workshop, it is possible to use a tabletop centrifuge for casting a part according to a reference sample (model) or a casting mold made of refractory metal. At the upper end of the vertically located axis, the lower end of which is fixed in special movable supports, a rocker arm with equal arms is attached, on which special suspension containers are suspended. In one of the hangers, a casting mold is installed, and in the other, a corresponding counterweight. For safety, the centrifuge is shielded with a protective cover in case the mold or counterweight falls. Start-up (by pulling the cord) is performed immediately after pouring the molten alloy. This operation makes it possible to manufacture ornaments of complex configuration, providing the required accuracy, to obtain thin-walled castings with a high surface finish, which excludes additional machining.

Mechanical restoration It is impossible to do without it when making products in an individual workshop, where most of the operations are performed manually. Marking - transferring the drawing of the part and its dimensions to the workpiece (for this, scribes, compasses, scale metal ruler, center punch, marking plates are used). Cutting of a sheet or plate is carried out according to the markings made using scissors. Sawing along the markings is carried out with a jigsaw. A variation of this operation is cutting patterns. Drilling is an operation to obtain a recess or a cylindrical hole. The center of the groove or hole is marked with a core. The work is carried out on a rigid workbench base (it is better to use finagel - to reduce the loss of precious alloy). A safety plate is placed under the part in order to avoid damage to the finagel, the table or breakage of the drill. Jewelry-feather, spiral and center drills are used (the latter are designed to obtain cylindrical grooves with a flat bottom for fixing pearls, opaque jewelry stones in the frame).

Milling- metal processing using a cutter (a rotating cutting tool that allows you to process both flat and convex surfaces of the part (depending on the shape of the cutter), which cannot be processed with a file. Jewelry cutters are made together with a shank, which is fixed in the chuck of the flexible shaft of the drill installed on the jeweler's worktable There are cutters-burs: conical, cylindrical end, combined pointed-cylindrical, spherical, flat spherical, shaped (see Fig. 3).

Filing- surface treatment of the part with a cutting tool, as a result of which a certain layer is removed. For this, the workpiece is fixed in a table vise (or special manual). Sawing is carried out according to the marked marking with files, then with files.

Heat treatment

The main types of heat treatment: annealing, quenching, tempering. The determining factors of the heat treatment process are the temperature and rate of heating, the time delay of the effect of the required temperatures on the processed object and the rate of subsequent cooling.

Rice. 3. Cutters: 1 - conical; 2 - cylindrical end; 3 - combined pointed-cylindrical; 4- ball; 5- flat spherical; 6 - shaped

In jewelry, annealing predominates as a thermal effect on products. This operation is performed periodically. Precious scrap, preparing for casting, finished castings during their processing (during forging, rolling, drawing), as well as after soldering of product parts, are subjected to annealing. Annealing consists of three stages: heating, holding, and cooling the alloy. It is necessary to maintain uniform heating and especially cooling in order to avoid thermal stress in the ingot. Annealing is recommended to be performed with a burner flame at a minimum temperature regime, but also with a minimum duration at the same time. Gold alloys are annealed at a temperature of 700-750 degrees. C, silver alloys - at 600-650 degrees. C, copper alloys - at 600-700 degrees. C. Upon cooling, there is an ordering of atoms in the crystal lattice of the alloy. To restrain oxidizability, annealing is performed as rarely as possible. And alloys prone to oxidation must be heated by hidden boric acid, which also maintains polish. This is especially important when annealing finished products that have been handed over for repair.

Bleaching The purpose of this jewelry operation is to remove oxides from the surface of ingots, elements and finished products and remove residues from previous work (melting, soldering, annealing). The composition of the bleaching solution is determined by the type of alloy to be bleached. The duration of the bleaching process depends on the temperature and concentration of the solution. Gold alloys are sufficiently bleached with a 7-10% solution of nitric acid at a temperature of 60-70 degrees. C. A 5-10% solution of hydrochloric acid is also used at a temperature of 40-60 degrees. With and 10-15% sulfuric acid solution at a temperature of 60-70 degrees. C. Duration of bleaching is not more than 30 seconds, depending on the degree of oxidation and the formation of residual flux. Silver alloys are bleached in a 5-10% sulfuric acid solution at a temperature of 40-50 degrees. C in 30 seconds, as well as in a 1-2% solution of hydrochloric acid at a temperature of 30-40 degrees. C in a minute. The product or its parts in an acid-resistant plastic mesh ladle or taken with copper tweezers are dipped into a heated solution in a bowl of refractory glass or porcelain, equipped with an acid-resistant casing and installed on a heating device. After the residues of flux and oxides have completely disappeared from the surface of the decoration, it is washed. The product or part of it is dipped with a special copper tweezers into an appropriate solution heated in a copper ladle with an elongated handle (non-conductive heat) with a gas table burner to the desired temperature, kept for a specified time, removed, washed in a jar of water and dried. Do not use steel (medical) tweezers, which can leave deposits on the ingot or jewelry.

INSTALLATION OF JEWELRY ELEMENTS Basic operations of product installation:

Soldering;
assembly of movable joints;
filing and scraping.

Soldering is an operation that results in the connection of finished parts in a solid state by means of a molten binder metal or alloy (solder) that has a lower melting point than the elements to be joined. Moreover, unlike welding, when the edges or ends of the parts to be joined are melted, during soldering, only the solder is melted, enveloping the parts to be brazed and converting them after solidification into a single whole, i.e. ready product. Soldering is facilitated by the addition of flux, which, with an improved connection of parts of the product, removes oxides at the soldering points. Solders must comply with the following parameters: melt until the parts to be soldered soften; spread over the solid elements of the product; the connection of the solder to the decoration parts must be durable. For practicality, ease of use of solders, foil, tape, rods, wire are made from them. Metals and alloys with a low melting point are soldered with soft solders, with high-hard ones. The base of soft solders is tin-lead; brazing alloys are prepared on the basis of gold, silver. Copper-based solders (copper-zinc, copper-phosphorus) with the addition of tin, manganese, iron, aluminum and other metals are also used. We present tables 4-6, containing information on the composition and temperature of melting of soft and hard solders (based on gold and silver). Fluxes are active chemicals used to reduce surface stress and improve the spreading of liquid solder, as well as to clean the surface of the alloy being brazed from oxides. Borax and boric acid solutions are used as fluxes to facilitate jewelry soldering. The choice of flux depends on the oxidation state of the alloy to be brazed. A universal flux for brazing gold alloys is an aqueous solution of borax with boric acid in a ratio of one to one by volume. For its preparation, equal parts of borax and boric acid are thoroughly mixed, ground and dissolved in distilled water, heated until the solid phase precipitates. The resulting mixture is ground to a smooth mass, diluted with distilled water to obtain a liquid paste and cooled. Such a flux is convenient to use in the soldering process, since it easily penetrates the gaps of the parts to be soldered.
The quality of the flux, the degree of its suitability is determined on a clean plate of the main component of the solder: the flux is applied on top, and the burner is heated from below; if, after evaporation, the remaining white coating, melting, spreads evenly over the metal, the flux is quite suitable. If it is going into balls, then it is incompatible with this metal. The reaction of the flux to oxides is determined after the plate is washed: if it remains clean, the flux is active and reliably protects the surface of this metal from the effects of high soldering temperatures.

Gold is a metal that is sung, honored, hated and for which people have perished for centuries. The most magical metal on Earth.

Meanwhile, jewelers claim that in processing it is one of the most pliable and convenient. Maybe that's why so many works of art have been created from it since time immemorial. Rejecting the mythical component, Sputnik correspondent Yulia Balakireva decided to find out how jewelry is created and whether it is easy to build a business on metal, the consumption of each gram of which is closely monitored by the state.

The head of the marketing department of ZIKO Sergey Badylevich and the head of the production of molded products Kirill Kozlov spoke about the jewelry intricacies of Sputnik's work.

© Sputnik / Sergey Pushkin

Where do they get gold?

It turned out to be very difficult to take a tour of the enterprise where gold jewelry is created. First of all, I was asked to remove all jewelry from myself. So that there are no problems at the exit. And a security officer walked with us everywhere.

Pure gold does not look presentable at all - a powder that looks like sand. And it is not easy to believe that someday it will turn out to be an elegant decoration.

I was allowed to hold a small (but weighty!) Plate of this metal - a little more than a smartphone. Nothing out of the ordinary - metal is like metal. Unless you know its cost - about 35 thousand dollars.

The company buys gold for future jewelry from the Ministry of Finance, said Sergei Badylevich. From here it comes clean, that is, 999, in the form of both ingots and scrap. But in which country it was mined is not reported.

© Sputnik / Sergey Pushkin

“The main gold deposits are known even to schoolchildren, and Belarus, unfortunately, is not among them,” Badylevich said.

Also, the metal is bought in places where people buy gold. In this case, the jewelry undergoes metallurgical processing - refining, in which gold is separated from impurities and becomes pure again.

“We buy diamonds that are used in jewelry in Belgium and Russia. Pearls, precious and semi-precious stones - in Asian countries, among which Thailand is in the lead,” the agency's interlocutor continued.

Without going into details, the company creates products in three ways. In the first, the metal is poured into a prepared mold. It turns out a finished decoration, but it requires processing.

The second way is stamping. With the help of a press and a stamp, details are created for the future jewelry. But the most interesting method is used in making wedding rings. A pipe is cast from gold, which weighs about 2.5 kilograms. It is divided into parts, which are then stretched for different sizes of rings. Further, the formation of the future ring takes place with the help of lathes. The result is a seamless product that is not afraid of any difficulties during a long family life. It will not bend or crack.

Why not the 999th sample?

There are many legends and myths about gold. Of course, we could not help asking specialists about them.

For example, why is the highest standard of gold not used for jewelry?

"Pure gold is a very ductile and soft metal. Therefore, the products would be unsuitable for wearing," Kirill Kozlov explained.

Jewelry made of pure gold would be not only soft, but also very expensive, the specialist noted. Therefore, alloys are used more often. Gold is taken as a basis, to which other metals are mixed to increase strength.

© Sputnik / Sergey Pushkin

"For example, the 585th fineness of gold means that 100% of the total mass of the product consists of 58.5% gold, and the rest is alloying components, which include other metals - silver, copper, palladium, nickel, and so on." - said Kirill Kozlov.

"But in a number of countries, traditional interior items are created, made of pure gold, which, of course, is very exclusive," he added.

There is a popular expression "golden toilet". Is the seat really made of gold?

“Perhaps somewhere very wealthy people with a rich imagination have them, but we didn’t make a single one,” the interlocutor smiles.

Gold crowns are another matter. Those who grew up in the Soviet Union remember the time when gold crowns were considered a sign of wealth.

I wonder if the metal is used for the crowns of the same standard as for the jewelry? If they are at home, can they somehow be used?

© Sputnik / Sergey Pushkin

"Before using such a metal, the enterprise purifies it to 999. Only after that it will be suitable for making jewelry. If you have gold crowns idle at home, then the best solution would be to hand them over to the gold purchase points. . Also in our stores there is an opportunity to exchange your old gold, including dentures, for new precious jewelry ", - advised Kirill Kozlov.

What's trendy?

Gold jewelry goes a long way before hitting the counter. It all starts in the designer's office, who prepares the sketch. And sometimes this process takes up to six months.

In this regard, the company recalls a popular question from ordinary people: why is it expensive to buy gold jewelry, and to rent it out - cheap?

© Sputnik / Sergey Pushkin

“In addition to the cost of the metal itself, a number of other parameters affect the price of a product when purchasing it: the stones used, the labor intensity of the product, etc. When you hand over the scrap, you get money exclusively for the metal that needs to be cleaned for further work,” explained Sergei Badylevich.

Jewelry also has its own fashion. The latest collection of the "Breeze" company turned out to be especially successful, Badylevich admitted. The demand for it is very high. In this situation, the designers guessed right with the seasonality. The jewelry is made in a summer theme - silver and with aquamarine spinel. It turned out to be light and bright.

© Sputnik / Sergey Pushkin

"Trends in jewelry depend on the season. The age category of the audience also affects. For example, young people are more fond of minimalism and when unusual details are used in jewelry. The older category prefers classics. This summer pearls are popular," Badylevich said.

The company does not hide the fact that they are trying to follow global brands as well.

"In fact, everything that is possible in jewelry has already been invented. All that remains is to return to the good past. But in a new reading. This is how all companies in the world behave," the interlocutor explained.

• It is better to store jewelry in a box upholstered with soft cloth inside, separately from each other. Otherwise, precious stones and jewelry are scratched or damaged.

• Contact of perfume with jewelry is strictly prohibited.

• Do not wear jewelry while doing homework. It is necessary to take them off while sleeping, taking a shower, visiting a sauna or swimming pool.

• Every time you take off your jewelry, wipe it with a special microfiber cloth. But you need to clean it carefully. Dust and dirt usually contain microparticles of quartz, which can scratch the metal parts of the products.

In the editorial office of JEWELERUM, we discussed for a long time what to come up with Valentine's Day - February 14.

What do they usually think about on this day? Probably, they decide what to give such a warm and special gift to their soulmate. Everyone knows that a cute piece of jewelry is always a suitable "candidate" for a gift, but everything has been said about this for a long time ..

And then we came up with an idea: the best way to convey your feelings is by making a gift with your own hands. So let's find a place to help make your own jewelry?

Step 0. Preparing and defining the task

The editors delegated two employees to the project - Sergey and me (Olga). Sergey and I agreed that we would try to find a studio that would conduct master classes in our northeastern district of Moscow. And if everything works out, then Sergey will make the decoration (for his soul mate), and I will take up the usual - photography.

Thus, we found a jewelry studio "Rostok", the managers of which agreed to accept our "film crew" and include us in the next master class on Saturday, January 25th. We were advised to dress "what you don't mind" and to have removable shoes and cookies with us :).

We did not know in advance what kind of decoration Sergei would make. But for themselves they formulated the following purpose: to understand how realistic it is for beginners without experience to independently make something beautiful and high-quality that they will not be ashamed to present to their loved ones.

Step 1. Briefing

Sergei and I (in the photo he is on the left) arrived at the studio about 11 am... Inside the studio (a medium-sized room with desks along the walls) there were already 3 or 4 people, obviously "old people". They were completely absorbed in the work, and at first no one paid attention to us. We were followed by two “newcomers” like us - also to the master class. When the group gathered and looked around, the teacher Lyudmila, a pleasant woman with a quiet voice, came up to us. She found out who's name (and then she never made a mistake, even when the number of people increased significantly), and said that there would now be a safety briefing.

We go through the instructions: with the burner - be careful, do not grab the wires with wet hands, take the hot metal with tongs:

Teacher Lyudmila, a jeweler with extensive experience and just a patient person:

All beginners decided to practice making classics of the genre - simple silver rings. We, after consulting with Lyudmila, stopped at the suspension. We wanted our first jewelry to be necessarily with a stone, and pendant with stone considered a less labor-intensive product than a ring with a stone.

On the far right is our planned type of pendant (simple but curly frame - caste, with a cabochon inside). A ring and a loop for the chain must be attached to the cast:

Step 2. Selecting a stone for insertion

We agreed in advance that we would purchase a decorative stone from the "studio" collection. Lyudmila brought us three boxes and offered to choose what she liked best.

Sergey is busy making a difficult decision:

Choice of stones:

As a result, “ moss agate"- in our opinion, the most beautiful, milky-white stone with an unusual natural pattern:

Step 3. Melting "material" - silver scrap

Smelting metal is probably the most spectacular process. And in my opinion, the most risky. This is where the utmost care must be taken and the safety instructions must be followed exactly. Just to remind you that silver melts at about 960 degrees..

The smelting process involves: petrol or gas burner, fireclay crucible(a cup made from a special kind of clay), mold(something like a rectangular spoon with grooves), container with water(for instant cooling of the molten metal), and various auxiliary tools such as long tongs.

Workstation with a gasoline burner:

Slightly larger: here for the first time the association with medieval dentistry came to us :)

Lyudmila lit the burner with an ordinary lighter, and directed the fire to the crucible with a silver crowbar. It was required to melt the material before reddening and turning it into a liquid state.

The process is mesmerizing:

The metal has melted. Lyudmila took the crucible with tongs and, without ceasing to warm it up with a burner, began to pour the resulting alloy into a mold.

The mold was lowered into a container of water, and then the following silver bars were shaken out of it:

The piece of silver we got is in the hands of Sergei and mine. Looks plain at first). It is from this that we will make the frame for the suspension:

Step 4. Rolling

This stage turned out to be quite lengthy. But, unlike the melting, we did it entirely on our own. The essence of rolling is to give an initially shapeless bar of silver of a given shape with certain dimensions of the edges. That is, we make a full-fledged "blank" from a bar.

Rolling machine with grooves (grooves) on the sides, and a smooth surface of the shafts in the middle. The streams give the workpiece the shape of a bar with a square section, smooth surfaces make flat "ribbons":

Sergei sent the bar to the first stream. Further, his task was to turn the workpiece 90 degrees (back and forth), and re-send it to the stream in the same direction. The screws from above were tightened after each pass. Then the part was moved to a "shallower" stream, and the process was repeated. And so - until the edges of the required size are obtained.

Rolling machine control is similar to manual meat grinder operation. A queue quickly forms for the operator of the meat grinder:

Pass results - different stages:

When the desired size (in millimeters) was obtained, the workpiece had to be fired (to increase ductility).

The output is a thin silver "ribbon" from which we will make the base of the cast:

Rolling is a slow process. While Sergey was turning the handle of the "meat grinder", I accordingly turned my head and watched what was interesting around.

Someone's tools and drawings - design bureau:

A girl casually burns or melts something - as if she is standing at the stove and stirring food.

A masterclass participant who joined later melts the material:

The most crucial moment:

The soldering of the ring occurs (about the soldering technique - later), as well as work with a jigsaw:

The surface of the ring is processed with embossing (to obtain an embossed ornament). The ring is tapped with a wooden mallet - to level the surface:

Stage 5. Formation of the caste

Finally, the rolling was done. You can proceed to the main stage of work. Here we could not do without Lyudmila - our skills and technique were clearly not enough for the first time.

In general, the process is quite simple in nature, but difficult to execute. The silver "ribbon" should frame our stone, following its contours. The metal must "remember" the shape (if this does not work out, then it is subjected to additional firing).

This tool with semicircular tips helps to bend the corners correctly:

Stage 6. Soldering caste

The extra lengths of the "tape" pieces from our frame for the stone are cut off, and then the edges of the caste molds need to be soldered to each other. Soldering is done using burners(we used its standalone version right at our workplace), and solder(our alloy with the addition of tin), flux(yellowish liquid for removing the surface film), bleach(citric acid) and water(for cooling the metal).

Before soldering, the castes are dipped in flux. Further, in order to solder the edges to each other, they are connected close to each other, heated with a torch until reddening, while heating the solder, and then with a thin "knitting needle" they grab the solder and bring it to the crack between the edges. A red-hot ball of solder rolls into the gap, filling its surface with itself.

The most difficult moment is to make the ball "jump" to the right place:

After that, the product is dipped in bleach and washed with water. The first part of the work is ready:

However, we have done only half of the cast so far. The stone will fall out of such a "frame". We need a second outline, like an inner rim, that will support the stone within the frame. To do this, Sergei burns a new piece of the workpiece, and rolls it to the state of a thin bar-wire.

Second cast outline, nested within the original frame:

Cut off the excess. Lyudmila corrects the triangle shape with semicircular pliers:

The difficult moment is soldering the inner contour to the outer one. Here again we cannot do without Lyudmila. This operation will require a lot of solder - there are quite significant voids between the contours.

It was and is: both caste contours before and after soldering:

In fact, the frame for the stone (the base of the pendant) is ready. Next, we have to make and solder a ring and a loop for the chain.

Since Lyudmila personally supervised all the students, sometimes she had to wait for a long time. We used this time to look around.

In the meantime, people have noticeably increased, everyone is engaged in something with enthusiasm:

Step 7: Casting the Stone and Fitting

But before proceeding with the ring and loop, we need to achieve the perfect fit of our moss agate inside the made caste. As expected for the first experiment, the stone did not want to fit, and we had to work with tools (adjusting the corners) to inscribe the stone.

Ludmila helps with the adjustment of the caste, including using a wooden mallet:

Cast has acquired an ideal shape for "receiving" the stone:

Step 8. Making and soldering the ring and loop (eyelet)

This task seemed to us not so difficult - we just needed to bend the silver wire. The main thing is to master the correct tools - pliers with the tips of a suitable shape, so that the ring becomes round, and the eyelet - angular (round are called so - round-nose pliers).

And we have more or less learned how to cope with the task of soldering one part of the metal to another. More precisely, they understood the principle. The most difficult thing was to decide to which corner (and to the corner whether) to attach the ring. As a result, we chose the corner at which the decoration "hung" in the most interesting way, with an asymmetrically creeping left corner.

As a result, Sergey successfully soldered the ring to the cast. Then the eyelet was inserted into the ring, and its ends were soldered to each other.

On the left - “it was”, on the right - “it became”. The soldered ends of the ear, however, had to be leveled a little more with a rasp:

Step 9. Grinding

By this time we have already spent in the studio more than five hours(including a little tea break) and a little tired. On the other hand, we have finally merged into the atmosphere and stopped feeling completely newbies. The open fire from the burners around him ceased to cause at least some emotions, it became clear which units emit which sounds, and to questions like "What do you have in the jar?" began to confidently answer - "bleach".

In any case, the hardest part was over. And in the next hour we had to put in order the silver details of the structure. For example, grind our cast with sandpaper (the shortest and most uncomplicated step):

Step 10. Making rough edges of the cast

To make the suspension look a little more interesting, we agreed with Lyudmila's proposal to make "uneven edges" near the frame. To do this, Sergei cut out recesses with a file along the entire perimeter. With the help of these notches, later, when the stone is in place, the edges of the frame will be folded to hold the stone inside.

Step 11. Polishing the cast

At this stage, for the second time, an association with a dentist's office visited us. The drill, which was used for polishing, was set in motion from the apparatus - one to one like a "dental" drill. But our setting for the stone began to shine dimly and generally for the first time took on a "marketable appearance":

Step 12. Securing the stone in the setting and finishing

A pleasant manual stage, in which you see the results of your work very quickly. Characters - plug and hurry dad and trowel.

With help " giver"(Otherwise -" boot ") - a rod with a tip in the form of the letter G - Sergei pressed the caste areas between the notches so that they were adjacent to the stone.

In the photo on the right - the result:

However, the metal itself looked uneven in the “crushed” areas and had to be straightened out. For this, we applied “ ironer"- a tool similar to the body of a fountain pen:

During the time spent at work, it finally got dark, and inside the studio it became even cozy.

In the photo - a view from the next workplace:

Step 13. Final polishing

Metal polishing on a polishing machine turned out to be the most contaminating procedure "thanks to" a special paste, which was periodically smeared with the bristles near the roller. It was after her that Sergei acquired real "jewelry" hands :).

The part had to be held with two hands, otherwise it would fly out easily:

I don't know why, but the entire polishing unit reminded me of a plastic bread bin. And Sergey already looked very organic:

"If you see your reflection, then you can finish polishing." We see. Finished:

Step 14. Washing the product and photographing the result

We did not take pictures of the washing process due to its banality: the pendant was simply taken to the toilet and washed with a Fairy toothbrush. On this, the work on the creation of the jewelry was officially completed. There was time 17:00 - total 6 o'clock held in a jewelry studio.

But we shot a lot of the final result, because it was for this that we tried for so many hours. We ourselves liked the suspension very much, everyone present in the studio - no less. But the most important thing is that the gift was appreciated by Sergey's wife - she was very happy! Moreover, at her work, the decoration made a splash. Some of the female colleagues were sure that the pendant had been brought from abroad, because "there are no such ones to be found here." Others were simply touched and seemed in a good way to envy such an unusual gift.

So, we present our first jewelry from the JEWELIRUM brand :) - a silver pendant of the author's work "Forest Nymph" :)

Suspension - front and back view:

We ourselves did not expect that from uneven parts soldered to each other, with this bloom and stains on the metal, we suddenly get a completely shiny and even decoration.

Final shot - Sergey with his creation:

Our findings:

Remember, at the very beginning of the text, we formulated our goal? We wanted to understand how real it is - on our own, without experience, to make a real piece of jewelry.

After this master class, Sergei and I decided that, of course, the product successfully made in one lesson is largely the merit of Lyudmila, a benevolent teacher and professional jeweler. On the other hand, Sergei, in principle, mastered all the techniques and the general approach, and spent some stages entirely on his own. Most likely, he could have made the next similar decoration with minimal help from a teacher.

But our main conclusion was different. Handmade jewelry making is a serious and painstaking work. Even if the teacher could deal exclusively with us, without being distracted by other students, the production of one suspension would take no less four o'clock

Luxurious, elegant, fall in love at first sight - all this can be said about jewelry. It seems that precious stones and graceful lines of precious metals are connected easily, as if by the wave of a magic wand. But what's behind the apparent lightness?

Difficult, painstaking work that requires great skill. The process of making any jewelry begins with an idea: first, they develop a design, draw and correct a sketch, create a 3D model of the future product. When all the details are approved, production begins.

At jewelry enterprises, artists work in close contact with technologists, because there is not always a real opportunity to create something that looks beautiful on a sketch. Unfortunately, the technological possibilities of jewelry are not endless.

How jewelry is made

Nowadays, universal jewelers who single-handedly make jewelry are less and less common - the main assortment on the market is produced in a completely different way. At jewelry enterprises, each craftsman is exclusively engaged in his own business: some specialists work with blanks, others are responsible for setting precious stones, and still others are engaged in polishing. And if everyone does their job not only well, but flawlessly, then the quality of the finished jewelry will be very high.

Basic jewelry making technologies

• Casting. This technology is most often used for jewelry that consists of several parts.

The principle of jewelry casting is quite simple: wax models are assembled into a "Christmas tree" by soldering them onto one rod. This "tree" is poured with molding mass and baked, and if everything is done correctly, the wax melts and flows out, and the mold with voids remains. Now an alloy is poured into this mold, cooled, the molding mass is removed - there remains a metal "tree" from which metal products are literally cut off. It remains to fasten the parts of the jewelry (this is done by jewelry assemblers) and give it a presentation - polish, polish, fix the stones.

• Stamping. This technology is usually used to create flat shapes - medallions, crosses, etc. Products are squeezed out of a precious metal plate by a press, after which they give them a marketable appearance and are released for sale.

How to make custom-made gold and silver jewelry

To make a piece of jewelry or custom or any other piece of precious metals to order, you need to think over the smallest details, especially if the client wants to order an exclusive item. A simple sketch is not enough to start production, although the customer can even simply describe in words what kind of decoration he would like to receive.

First, based on the wishes of the client, the designers make a sketch, and then, based on the sketch, the designers create a 3D model. If the customer is satisfied with everything, then after approval this model is printed on a 3D printer. It is also discussed in advance what the desired jewelry can be made of (design features and materials are taken into account).

On the basis of the resulting model, a mold for casting precious metal is created. Already cast parts of the jewelry pass into the hands of craftsmen for grinding, enameling or setting stones. The surface of the product should be perfect, the stones should not crack or fall out, because no one wants to buy low quality jewelry. Therefore, at the stage of bringing jewelry to perfection, manual labor is indispensable - even with high-tech equipment, some stages are entrusted only to experienced, qualified craftsmen.

Jewelry beauty that we see on store shelves is born in the minds of designers. Major jewelry exhibitions are held in Russia four to five times a year, and a company must prepare at least two or three new collections for each.

“The competition is great,” admits the technologist of the model area Dmitry Pavlov... "Imagine that two thousand companies draw in parallel and need to come up with something new, which no one else had."

The master does not give out secrets of inspiration, but he shows how jewelry models are created in a computer program and grow layer by layer from polymers in a 3D printer.

Model is flooded molding sand and put it in the oven. Gypsum takes the desired shape, the polymer is melted, and the master pours metal into the vacated space. Product prototype the jeweler brings to perfection. Now this master model is placed in a rubber mass - under the influence of high temperatures it hardens, and neat rectangular molds are cut out of it.

Rubber molds go to the next workshop, where the craftsmen pump them with wax. I watch the actions of the worker from behind my shoulder: the girl quickly fills the rubber and squeezes out either future earrings or pendants. Wax products don't look very impressive. But next to him, a man inserts shiny pebbles into wax rings - not diamonds (they cool my ardor), but cubic zirconia... But he has a whole jar of them!

“Only zirconia, cubic zirconia is inserted into the wax,” explains the production manager Mikhail Chmil... - Natural stones and diamonds are fixed immediately in gold or silver. Due to temperature changes, the metal expands and contracts with the stone. For cubic zirconia with metal, these coefficients are similar. Natural stones and diamonds have internal defects, they do not hold the temperature and can crack. "

The craftswoman collects wax jewelry on a special stand. Future jewels mounted on a post so that they resemble a Christmas tree. But, unlike the New Year's symbol, this tree in this form will not get to the buyer.

Labyrinths of corridors come to the foundry workers. There is an even hum of technology in the workshop: the Christmas trees have been poured with molding sand, and now the large apparatus are melting the wax. Tomorrow morning, when the mixture is completely solid, this batch will be filled with metal.

Gold and Silver Lost Wax Caster Yuri Zapara takes a golden Christmas tree from a vat of citric acid and explains:

“After casting, the metal is oxidized, we put it in a lemon for 20-30 minutes, there it becomes lighter.”

Master washes decorations in water that is greenish with citric acid, then rinses under high pressure and hands it to me. I see future stud earrings, but the gold does not shine either mysteriously or temptingly, so the desire to tug someone's sleeve with screams “I want, I want! Buy-buy! " until it arises.

Metal tree carried to a specialist who bites off the product from the pillar with a tool. Manual labor is difficult to replace with a machine, Zapara emphasizes:

“There is an apparatus with two cutting elements, like scissors. But they are plump, it's hard to crawl to small details. It is more convenient to use this apparatus to cast large items that are less often on the Christmas tree. "

Details for decorations are made separately. In a small room, a press squeezes out a drawing on metal plates. A cabinet is placed all over the wall with mold-making stamps, and a sample is glued to each mold. I look closely at the patterns. Oh, such waves on a friend's bracelet, and similar leaves on a grandmother's ring.

I am interested in the thickness of Mikhail Chmil's precious plates, so as not to distract the master who lowers the press.

“The smaller the product, the thicker the rolled product, so that weight does not suffer in a large product, and strength in a small one. For example, a thickness of 0.15 mm is the minimum that we can afford without sacrificing strength. And 0.4 mm are small products that have enough strength, ”says the production manager.

Finished parts are sent for assembly to assembly shop... Here the radio sings fervently, grinders and small burners are quietly humming, with which the craftsmen solder the parts. The hands of many are hidden in glass boxes - this is a means of protection so that gold and silver dust does not scatter around the room.

Jewelry assembler Oleg describes his work (today he makes crosses):

“There is a substrate of two parts, upper and lower, Jesus is the third part, the fourth is the eyelet. I soldered it all and work it: here the sides were uneven, after casting they were a little rough. "

He brushes the dust off the cross and takes it out of the glass aquarium to show me. I run my fingers: the processed parts are smooth and shiny, and the ear still seems dull, but the fingers, out of habit, do not feel particularly rough.

Difficult decoration

The collected jewelry is sent to tumbling and polishing.

“Products go through a three-stage process: grinding, rough and fine polishing,” - Chmil shows three drums in which rings and earrings rotate in different materials: in small triangles made of ceramics and in nuts of different grinding.

Mikhail offers to put his hand in there and catch something. I choose finely chopped nuts. The palm is immersed in warm soft waves. Jewelry goes through your fingers, but here - good luck! I unclench my hand. Wedding ring. HM. Hesitating for a second, I throw the ring back into the walnut maelstrom.

But since fate itself sends wedding rings to my fingers, then we go to see how they are made. A large machine draws out gold tubes of the required diameter and thickness and cuts into circles. A few seconds - and one more person says "yes" to the registry office workers.

- So simple! - bursts out from me.

Simplicity here is conditional, - Mikhail shakes his head. - Yes, the number of operations is small and the manufacturing process is fast, but this is one of the most difficult areas. These machines cost more than 210 thousand euros in total.

Shows off technique and Alexander, operator of machine tools with numerical control:

“This is German equipment of the highest class. The parameters of the ring are set, and the apparatus attaches stones to the blank, makes a pattern, - the master hands me the result and the source: a princess and a beggar woman (if such a comparison is applicable to jewelry treasures). "The simplest ring is made in 40 seconds, and the most complex one in an hour and a half."

Gold dust

Natural stones and diamonds are attached to jewelry by hand, and then all products are sent to chemists for gilding, blackening or rhodium plating.

“The items are coated with a layer of rhodium to give them a metallic shine. The mechanical properties of silver are improved, the thing becomes harder, less scratched and does not darken, ”explains Mikhail.

In the same laboratory, there are the most accurate scales at the plant - they are determined with an accuracy of up to the fifth decimal place. With their help, alloys are checked for compliance with standards.

"For analysis, 1 g of metal is taken from each melt, it dissolves in acid, and the sample is determined by the gold residues: if this gram contains 0.585 mg of pure gold, then this is sample 585. If an error occurs, then the entire batch is sent for remelting", - says Chmil.

And I really hoped that the defective gold would be stored near the plant. But here, each gram is treated with trepidation: the metal pillars of the Christmas trees, shavings and even dust are cleaned and re-melted.

“Here is a bag of gold,” laughs the production manager. A dark cloth sack hangs over a bucket of black water on a frame; even the most experienced thief would not have noticed the precious metal in it. - This is dust from the floors, which is collected in all areas. Then it is defended and annealed to a powdery state. At the end of three months, we collect up to 70 g of gold from the floor. "

Local craftsmen also wash their golden (in every sense) hands in special sinks- goodness does not disappear even here. Losses are only technological, provided for by production standards.

“Gold has molecular volatility when heated to temperatures above 1,300 ° C. But this figure is not frightening, ”Mikhail reassured.

Kilometers of chains

In parallel with the production of piece jewelry, they make chains... First of all, gold or silver is drawn into a wire and wound on spools.

- And how much can fit on a coil of gold - by weight and length? - I am curious.

By weight 6 kg, and by length ... - Artur Tashliev, a procurer of parts and materials for art and jewelry, calculates on a calculator: - 6.5 km! The thinner the wire, the longer it turns out.

I barely heard the last phrase, because a small but greedy dwarf was rushing about in my head. For some reason, he liked the idea of ​​measuring gold in kilometers.

Wire spools are sent to chain knitting shop where machines cleverly tie precious strings. The machines are tuned for a certain type of weaving, but if necessary, the task can be changed.

Chain Knitting Machine Operator Vitaly Blazhko beckons me to the apparatus on which the semblance of a microscope is installed. I lean towards the eyepieces. The small legs quickly twist the wire into even links with a sip-sip-sip sound.

In another workshop, the chains are processed in talc and oil, the links are sealed at 900 ° C. It is important that the chain has the same width along its entire length. Jewelry assembler Roman Vakulenko looks through a thin chain under the light of a lamp, notices a defect and plucks out an uneven link with a tool. The master solders the breaks himself.

Next stage - diamond workshop... Yes, I was expecting to see mountains of gems under "Girls' Best Friends Are Diamonds!" as a soundtrack. However, only the cutters turned out to be out of the diamond, with which the upper layer of the chain is removed. The decoration is frozen with cold water on a special drum, and the master cuts off fractions of millimeters to make the surface mirror-like.

Andrey Kovtun, the chain operator, shows the chain cut on one side only. The surface without shine really does not look so attractive, and the gold after diamond processing shines invitingly and affectionately.

Then the chain is cut to the required length, locks are put on and sent along with the rest of the jewelry for branding, inspection and packaging.

Knowledge is gold

- And where can you learn all this?

In Kostroma there is a specialized school, courses at the Yerevan, Moscow, Kiev, Odessa factories. In Belgorod, they thought to make a department on the basis of the university, but this is still in the project. Here either people with experience work, or we train them for ourselves. General educational institutions provide information on all areas of jewelry activity, but superficially. And we do not need a base, but specific knowledge of mounting, polishing, - Mikhail Chmil answers.

An elevator with golden walls takes us to the exit. Only the safe with gold and diamonds was not shown to us. There must be a huge dragon hiding there.

The editors would like to thank the jewelry factory "Karat" for their help in preparing the material

Elizaveta Kuravina