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How to conceal brass detail within Engagement Ring?

June 3, 2015

Q. I'm soon to be engaged and am designing the engagement ring. I was hoping for some technical advice on how to pull off a finishing "magic trick".

Brass is a very sentimental metal to my girl. And I'd like to incorporate a small element of brass detailing in the ring -- to be revealed on her wedding day.

The basic technical problem is the following:
Is it possible to temporarily electroplate brass with a "white" plating metal which is durable enough to wear for several months and able to be removed (reverse electroplating?) without harming the brass, precious stone, or the platinum.

My two questions:
1) What would be a good plating material candidate.
2) What would the plating and reverse plating process look like.

My initial thought was to use nickel as the plating material, braze the nickel plated brass to the platinum, and then remove the nickel finish on the wedding day. However, I believe the reverse electroplating would harm the brass base metal.

John F [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
Hobbyist - California USA

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