Jewellery & watch electroforming

Electroforming, is a particular kind of electroplating that helps jewelers and watch manufacturers to coat their object-like mandrels with a very thick (up to hundreds of microns) layer of a metal (or a metal alloy) of their choice and, thus, once the object-like mandrel is eliminated from inside, obtain light weight, hollow pieces with the desired alloy carat and reproducing the original object.

SEE ALSO: Gold alloy electroforming of Jewellery: all you need to know

Jewellery & watch electroforming is not a new technology hence it is has been greatly explored and experimented by both individuals and companies. Therefore, there may not be a standard procedure that accurately defines the process. However, regardless of the details of a given procedure, some steps and materials are a mandatory requirement in the jewellery & watch electroforming practice.

Gold alloy jewellery & watch electroforming is one of the commonly known processes that watchmakers and jewelers employ in obtaining their products. Some of the essential materials required in gold alloy electroforming include a rectifier, a rack, an electroforming solution, soluble or unsoluble anodes, and a tank. After putting the electroforming solution in the tank, the next step includes fixing the object to be electroplated onto the rack and dipping it into the gold alloy electroforming solution. The process should be done carefully to ensure that the cathode (the rack with the object) is not touching the anode.

With the rectifier off, the negative pole is then connected to the rack holding the object-like mandrels and the positive pole is connected to the anode. The rectifier is then switched on to allow the electric current to flow through the electroforming solution. In this way, the jewellery & watch electroforming procedure is carried-on until the desired thckness is achieved.