Although laser welding does not replace tried and true processes such as soldering or fusing with a torch, it expands the jeweler’s toolkit and ability to deal with sensitive pieces. Fisher estimated that it was not uncommon for a jeweler to spend 50% of the day using the laser welding machine. de- Jonghe specified that about 40–50% of the pieces they work on require the laser . The laser welding machine is used for fixing rings, tacking parts into place, and more — Fig. 2. Fisher said one of the biggest advantages of the machine is the ability to temporarily tack on a piece. This saves jewelers a significant amount of time. Completing the same process with a torch would require excessive heat, which can be dangerous for the metal and gems. Tacking with the laser is also useful for two-tone assemblies, in which the jeweler tacks together parts to be sure of the placement, and solders them once he or she is happy with the arrangement. deJonghe’s father, Dennis, documented his creation process as he made a showpiece using an ammolite, a mexican fire opal, a marquise diamond, and a champagne diamond. In this process, deJonghe demonstrated how the tacking method works for jewelry. In this case, the ammolite is sensitive to heat, and so the laser was used to tack the pieces together before finalizing the design — Fig. 3. Additionally, the laser welding machine can help with findings. A finding is a part that is used to build the jewelry — findings hold stones in place, and also make up the shank of a ring. Oftentimes when closing a ring, jewelers will use backstepping, a weld progression related to GMAW that is used to minimize distortion, so that you can’t see a repair was made. What to Watch Out For When asked about drawbacks of the technology, deJonghe said, “One of the main issues we have with the laser is that it doesn’t work very well on palladium. Palladium is a type of metal — it’s very pure (95% pure) and a sister to platinum. However, platinum is much more conducive to the laser. Palladium in general is harder to work with and we’ve nearly eliminated all palladium work on the laser. Another drawback is that if you do not get a A B C D Fig. 4 — A — Evan deJonghe, deJonghe Original Jewelers, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., won first place in the MJSA’s 2014 Professional Design Excellence contest for “Flowing Colors,” a boulder opal, tourmaline, and yellow diamond pendant set in yellow gold. The design would not have been feasible without the use of a laser welding machine. B — Here you can see the laser welded joint before it was polished. C — The setting bars on the back of the piece were laser welded together with the stone in place. D — deJonghe also used laser welding to secure the floating blue gem (paraiba tourmaline) on the edge of the pendant, a process not possible without the laser. (Photo © Evan deJonghe.) good weld, the piece will break off eventually (hopefully while it’s still in the shop so we can repair it right away). I’ve had a few ring sizings come back a couple months later with the shank split and I know it’s because we didn't get a solid weld on the laser.” When asked about the difficulty of welding palladium, Farias suggested that typically the issue was with the alloy, rather than the welding of palladium itself. Innovation in Design In terms of design, the laser welding machine allows jewelers to think in ways that earlier generations of jewelers could not, simply because of the technology’s accuracy. Fisher said his design students’ experience with certain stones changes because of the laser welding machine. They are able to reduce risk to the stone, risk of breakage, and risk of heat damage with the laser welding machine; this opens up their design ability. An expensive emerald, for example, which is very fragile and valuable, can be set in such a way that it is sandwiched between two floating pieces of metal — leaving it safe and stylish. deJonghe created an award-winning pendant that could not have been made without laser welds. MJSA, the professional society for jewelry makers and designers, hosts an annual design competition sponsored by LaserStar, and deJonghe won first place in the 2014 Professional Design Excellence contest for “Flowing Colors,” a boulder opal, tourmaline, and yellow diamond pendant set in yellow gold — Fig. 4. “The main gem, a boulder opal, is very sensitive to heat. For that reason, jewelers have had to set opals in a traditional prong or bezel setting for years (make a bezel, place the stone in, and lightly tap, or burnish, the edge over to set the stone — no heat need- MARCH 2016 / WELDING JOURNAL 51
Welding Journal | March 2016
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