Hi all, I bought this pin/pendant in Sedona in the early 90s… after a while, I notice the crack/split/? and haven’t worn it in a long time. Curious what has happened and assume it isn’t treatable 
input welcome as always!
1 Like
Well, that must be disappointing 
Is it a crack? And not some kind of rust or stain? I’ve never seen that. And it’s a beautiful piece. You could contact Perry Null and see what they think. They do a great job.
yes, it appears to be a crack 
Hi @tepowell. It’s a nice handmade pin, and should be reparable.
From the looks of it, it was originally repaired when it was made, and the repair has separated over time from flexion.
The procedure for repair is pretty straightforward. The piece needs to be soaked in hot acid pickle to remove any tarnish and oxidation in crack and recesses. Once rinsed and dried, antiflux should be applied to recessed areas to keep solder from flowing into them (I use liquid paper for this). And then flux and #56 or #65 solder applied from the back to close up the crack. I would also consider using an additional 26 or 28 gauge sterling backplate on the back of the piece to keep the piece stable, and prevent the solder joint from separating again.
Once repaired it should be polished occasionally with a buffing glove or cloth to keep the solder repair joint nearly invisible.
9 Likes
Thank you so much for that info, @mmrogers. I will investigate getting it repaired by someone who has the expertise. (I always thought the crack was odd).
2 Likes
An update…took this item to Perry Null to see about repair, we ended with a refresh that was a great compromise! You can barely see the crack on the front now 
11 Likes
Out if curiosity, would the original piece have been a carved wax and then cast? Sand cast? Or built up?
Hi Kenny. Doesn’t look like it. The piece is fabricated from two sheets of milled sterling. Chances are during soldering/joining, the silversmith quenched the piece too hot at one point, and that fractured the milled silver backplate from which the pin pendant was fabricated. Not common but it’s happened, and at some point if you’ve been at it long enough It’s happened to the best of us.
5 Likes
I have apiece with the same hallmark…wonder who or what it is