Buying guide
Laser soldering machine for gold jewellery: price in India, laser vs pulse arc, and how to choose
To weld broken gold for your business you need one of three tools: a torch or hydra flame with solder, a pulse arc welder, or a laser welding machine, which Indian jewellers call a laser soldering machine. The laser is the most precise and costs the most: it melts a spot as small as 0.2 mm under a microscope, so chains, prongs and set rings are repaired without heating the whole piece.
· 10 min read · By Dhyey Mehta
A customer walks in with a broken gold chain, a ring that needs sizing with the stones still in it, or a prong that has worn down. Today you either send that work out or heat the whole piece with a torch. A welding machine lets you do it at your own counter, in minutes, and charge for it. The question is which machine.
This guide compares the three ways to join gold in a jewellery workshop: soldering with a torch or hydra flame, a pulse arc welder, and a laser welding machine, which most Indian jewellers call a laser soldering machine. It explains how a laser welder works, what it costs in India, which one fits your work, and what to check before you pay.
Laser soldering machine or laser welding machine?
They are the same machine. A jewellery laser welding machine fires short pulses of laser light at the joint. Each pulse melts a tiny pool of the metal, the pool closes the joint and sets again within moments. Because the piece's own metal fuses to itself, there is no solder in the joint, so strictly it welds. The trade name "laser soldering machine" stuck because it does the jobs a soldering torch used to do.
The difference that matters to your business is where the heat goes. A torch heats everything around the joint. A laser puts its energy into a spot as small as 0.2 mm for a few milliseconds, so the rest of the piece, the polish and often the stones are left alone. For the full process comparison, see laser welding vs soldering for jewellery.
How a laser welding machine works
Inside the cabinet, a laser source gives out a pulse of infrared light. On our machine it is a YAG laser at 1064 nm. Optics focus that pulse onto the joint, which you line up under a microscope or on a camera screen. Each pulse lasts a few milliseconds and carries a set amount of energy, enough to melt a small pool of metal at that one spot. Argon gas flows over the spot while the metal is molten and keeps air off it, so the weld comes out bright instead of black.
Using it takes three steps:
- Set the pulse. Choose the energy, the pulse width and the pulse rate for the metal and its thickness.
- Line up the joint under the microscope or on the screen.
- Fire. One pulse makes one spot weld. Move the piece and pulse again to run a seam of overlapping spots.
Where two edges meet tightly, they melt into each other. Where there is a gap or a worn section, you feed a filler wire of the same metal into the spot as you pulse.
Jobs a laser welder does in a jewellery shop
| The job | What the laser does | With a torch instead |
|---|---|---|
| Broken gold chain | Joins the link or jump ring without heating the rest of the chain | Nearby links can soften or take solder |
| Ring sizing | Closes the shank, often with the stones left in the head | Stones usually come out first |
| Worn or broken prongs | Builds the prong tip back up in place | Risky next to the stone |
| Clasp and hinge repair | Welds a small part without annealing the spring | The spring can lose its tension |
| Porosity in castings | Fills the pinhole with metal, ready to finish flush | Solder fills it in a different colour |
| Worn or thin sections | Adds metal with filler wire | Hard to build up without a seam |
| Tacking parts in manufacturing | Holds parts in position before finishing | Binding wire and flux |
Every one of these jobs is work a shop can charge for. Done in-house, it no longer goes out to a karigar and comes back days later.
Laser vs pulse arc vs soldering: the real comparison
There are three ways to join gold at the bench. Soldering flows a solder alloy into the joint with a torch or a hydra (hydrogen and oxygen) flame. A pulse arc welder, also called a micro TIG welder, strikes a short electric arc from a tungsten electrode to the piece, which is clipped to the machine, under argon. A laser welder melts the spot with a focused pulse of light and touches nothing.
| Question | Torch or hydra soldering | Pulse arc welder | Laser welding machine |
|---|---|---|---|
| How the heat gets in | A flame heats the area around the joint | An electric arc from a tungsten electrode | A focused pulse of laser light |
| Solder in the joint? | Yes | No, filler optional | No, filler wire optional |
| How far the heat spreads | Widest | Small | Smallest |
| Set stones | Usually taken out first | Some can stay, case by case | Many can stay; heat-sensitive stones still need care |
| Contact with the piece | Flame, flux and solder | Piece clipped to the machine; electrode comes close to or touches it | Nothing touches the piece |
| Reaching tight spots | Good | Limited by the electrode | Wherever you can see the joint |
| Precision | By hand and eye | Small spot, by eye or magnifier | Spot from 0.2 mm, placed under a microscope |
| Finish after the job | Firescale, pickling and polishing | Small spot to clean up | Small bright spot when argon is used |
| Upfront cost | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
| Best for | Long seams, plain gold, low volume | Chains, jump rings, findings, light assembly | Repairs on finished and set pieces, prongs, fine chains, manufacturing tacks |
Pulse arc welders cost less and do good work on chains and findings. The laser costs more because it does more of the work that pays: repairs next to stones, on finished surfaces and in places an electrode cannot reach, with the joint magnified in front of you. Small, low-priced micro spot welders sold online are mostly made for closing jump rings, so check the jobs a seller shows a machine doing before you buy one for repairs.
Which welding machine fits your business?
| Your work | What fits |
|---|---|
| A few repairs a week, mostly plain gold | Torch or hydra with solder. A welder would sit idle. |
| Chain and jump-ring repairs on a tight budget | Pulse arc welder |
| Repairs every day: ring sizing, prongs, fine chains, set pieces | Laser welding machine |
| Manufacturing: tacking parts, filling porosity, finishing castings | Laser welding machine |
| Fixing posts onto earrings in volume | A dedicated earring post welding machine |
Most workshops that buy a laser keep their torch. The laser takes the work where a mistake is expensive; the torch carries on with long seams and plain parts.
Laser soldering machine price in India: what you pay for
Two machines can both say "200 W" and still be very different buys. Compare what is in the price:
- Laser power and pulse energy. More energy per pulse means thicker joints and easier work on silver. 200 W is the common size for jewellery workshops.
- Microscope and camera. A microscope plus a CCD camera and screen lets you see the joint before you fire.
- Cooling. A chiller built into the cabinet, or a separate chiller you buy and place beside it.
- Cabinet or desktop. A floor cabinet holds the laser, chiller and controls in one unit.
- Installation, training and service. Who installs it, who trains your operator, and how far away the nearest service engineer is.
- GST and delivery. Whether the price you were quoted includes them.
In October 2026, 200 W jewellery laser welders were advertised in India from about ₹3 lakh to ₹7 lakh. Listings rarely say whether that includes GST, a built-in chiller, the camera, installation or training, so ask for each one in writing before you compare.
The Semsons Tech 200 W jewellery laser welding machine is ₹6,49,000 including GST, with free delivery, on-site installation and operator training. You book it with ₹50,000 per machine; the booking counts toward the price and the balance is due on installation. Dispatch is about 10 days from booking, and EMI options are available through partner banks.
Running costs to budget for
- An argon cylinder and regulator, refilled locally
- Filler wire in the metals you work in
- Electricity for a single-phase machine
- Service and spare parts: ask the seller for the service interval and the lead time for parts
Working out the payback
Count the repair jobs you turn away or send out in a month, add the jobs you would take on with the machine at the counter, and multiply by what you charge for each. Take away argon, filler wire and power. Compare what is left with the monthly EMI. If the jobs are not there, the machine will sit idle, and a torch is the better buy for now.
Gold, silver, platinum and stones
- Gold in yellow, white and rose, in the karats used in jewellery, welds cleanly.
- Silver needs more energy per pulse than gold, because it reflects more of the laser light and carries heat away fast.
- Platinum and palladium weld well.
Keep the beam on the metal, never on a stone. Emerald, opal, pearl and treated stones are more sensitive to heat: weld further from them at lower energy, or take them out first. If you do not know the alloy of a piece that came in over the counter, check it on a gold testing machine first, then set the pulse for that metal.
Checklist before you buy a jewellery laser welder
- Can I see it weld my own pieces, in my metals, before I pay?
- What is the output power, the energy per pulse and the weld spot range?
- Is there a microscope and a camera screen, and what magnification?
- Is the chiller built in, or a separate purchase?
- What power supply does it need: single phase or three phase?
- Is argon needed, and is the nozzle built in?
- Who installs it and trains my operator, and where?
- Where is the nearest service engineer, and how fast do spare parts arrive?
- Does the quoted price include GST and delivery?
- What are the payment, dispatch and return terms?
The Semsons Tech 200 W jewellery laser welding machine
Our machine is a floor cabinet on castors with the laser, chiller, microscope and controls in one unit. This range won Best Laser Welding Machine at the JMAIIE Excellence Awards in February 2024.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Laser source | YAG single-doped, 1064 nm |
| Output power | 200 W |
| Single pulse energy | 150 J |
| Pulse width | 0.1–20 ms |
| Pulse frequency | 0.1–20 Hz |
| Weld spot | Adjustable, 0.2–3.0 mm |
| Viewing | 10x microscope with CCD camera |
| Cooling | Chiller built into the cabinet, with air cooling |
| Shielding gas | Argon nozzle built in; cylinder arranged locally |
| Power supply | Single phase, 220 V / 50 Hz |
| Metals | Gold, silver, platinum, palladium |
| Price | ₹6,49,000 including GST; booking ₹50,000 per machine |
| Included | Free delivery, on-site installation and operator training |
Spares and service cover 16+ Indian cities. See what installation, training and service include on our installation, training, spares and service page.
See the 200 W laser welding machine
The short version
To weld broken gold for your business, match the machine to the work. A torch or hydra flame suits a few plain repairs. A pulse arc welder suits chains and findings on a budget. A laser welding machine suits daily repairs on set and finished pieces, and manufacturing. Tell us what you repair, in which metals and how often, and we will tell you honestly whether a laser pays for itself in your shop: WhatsApp or call +91 98216 12340, or send an enquiry.
Answers
Related questions
Which machine do I need to weld broken gold jewellery for my business?
It depends on the work that comes in. For a few plain gold repairs a week, a torch or hydra flame with solder is enough. For chains, jump rings and findings on a tight budget, a pulse arc welder works. For daily repairs on set rings, prongs and fine chains, or for manufacturing work, a laser welding machine is the better buy, because it melts only a small spot under a microscope and leaves the rest of the piece cool.
Is a laser soldering machine the same as a laser welding machine?
Yes. In India the jewellery trade often calls it a laser soldering machine, but it welds: the laser melts the metal of the piece itself, so there is no solder in the joint. You can add a filler wire of the same metal where there is a gap.
What is the price of a laser soldering machine for gold jewellery in India?
It depends on the laser power, the microscope and camera, whether the chiller is built in, and whether installation, training and service are included. The Semsons Tech 200 W jewellery laser welding machine is ₹6,49,000 including GST, with free delivery and on-site installation and training. You book it with ₹50,000 per machine and pay the balance on installation (October 2026).
Laser welder or pulse arc welder: which is better for jewellery?
A pulse arc welder costs less and suits chains, jump rings and light assembly. A laser welder costs more, touches nothing, reaches into tight spots, and places a weld as small as 0.2 mm under a microscope, which makes it the stronger choice for prongs, set rings and fine repairs. Shops with a steady flow of repairs on finished pieces usually choose the laser.
Can a laser welding machine repair a broken gold chain?
Yes. The laser joins a link or a jump ring with one or a few pulses and does not heat the rest of the chain, so the chain keeps its finish and the other links do not soften. Fine chains are one of the jobs a laser does best.
Can I resize a ring with a laser welder without removing the stones?
Often, yes. The heat stays close to the weld spot, so many rings are sized and many prongs re-tipped with the stones in place. Keep the beam on the metal, never on the stone, and take heat-sensitive stones such as emerald, opal and pearl out, or weld further away from them at lower energy.
Is laser welding stronger than soldering?
A laser weld joins the metal of the piece to itself, so a joint welded all the way through is as strong as the metal around it and has no solder seam of a different colour. A weld that only reaches partway into a thick shank is weaker, so thick joints take several passes from both sides.
Does a jewellery laser welding machine need argon gas?
For clean welds, yes. Argon flows over the spot while the metal is molten and keeps air off it, so the weld comes out bright instead of black. On the Semsons Tech machine the argon nozzle is built in, and you arrange the cylinder and regulator locally.
Can a laser welding machine weld silver?
Yes, but silver needs more energy per pulse than gold for the same joint, because it reflects more of the laser light and carries heat away quickly. That is one reason jewellery workshops buy a 200 W machine rather than a smaller one. Platinum and palladium weld well too.
What does a laser welding machine need in the workshop?
For the Semsons Tech machine: a single-phase 220 V, 50 Hz power point, an argon cylinder with a regulator, and floor space for the cabinet and the operator's seat. The chiller is inside the cabinet, so there is no separate cooling unit, and the cabinet is on castors.
Is it hard to learn to use a laser welder?
The basic settings are quick to learn; clean welds on fine work come with practice. Our technician installs the machine and trains your operator on site, on your own kind of work, including eye protection and safe handling.
How do I buy the Semsons Tech laser welding machine?
Through our sales team on WhatsApp or by phone on +91 98216 12340. It is not sold through online checkout. You can book 1 to 10 machines; dispatch is about 10 days from booking, delivery is free, and EMI options are available through partner banks.