Machine Engraving of Platinum Seamless Bands
Greg Normandeau • Imperial Smelting & Refining CO. of Canada LTD.

Machine engraving of seamless bands is a unique surface finishing treatment achieved by diamond tool cutting to produce bright, reflective facets. The technique can be accomplished on manually operated or CNC type machines. Often referred to as diamond faceting or Swiss cutting, the process has been used for many years to enhance the appearance of gold seamless bands. Adjustments to the basic method are required to overcome the inherent difficulties associated with machining platinum. The specifics of hand engraving or chasing techniques are outside the scope of this documentation.

Coverage of the topic includes the following:

• Illustrative examples of machine engraved bands.
• A brief history of previous documentation.
• Definition and examples of tooling requirements.
• Theoretical considerations.
• A review of practical techniques and issues.

All discussion and examples relate to machining 95%PtRu or 95% PtHTA® materials or combinations of 95%Pt alloys with 18K yellow gold. Figure 1 illustrates typical examples of machine engraved seamless bands. Cuts vary in orientation, depth and reflectivity to produce different effects.

Platinum Guild International USA 2004   All Rights Reserved

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