Soldering

Soldering and Brazing Defined

Soldering has a long history and the term is often used to mean different things. The term 'soldering' in jewelry is conventionally understood to mean hard soldering or silver brazing. There is basically no distinction in industry betweeen the following terms which are are used interchangeably:

Silver soldering

Silver brazing

Brazing

Hard soldering

And the salient points are: two similar or dis-similar metals being joined by a third metal with a melting point over about 840F. Jewelry typically uses this type.

In contrast, soft soldering or just plain soldering (such as is commonly used in electronic connections) is the same, except the joining third metal material has a melting point less than about 840F. It uses a different alloy which lowers the melting temperature to a point where a torch is not required and a soldering iron is preferred.

Resources:

Silver Brazing Explained from Fusion.inc.com

Ten Reasons to Choose Brazing From W. Daniel Kay, American Welding Society

Excerpt: Knowing the strengths and limitations of brazing can help you decide whether it is the right joining process for your application.