01What does argon do in a weld?
Argon is an inert gas. Fed through the stylus, it surrounds the tiny molten spot for the instant of the pulse and keeps the air away from it. That's the idea of "shielding gas" in any arc welding, big or small.
Sunstone explains the risk it sees without gas in its article on argon myths: "a closed jump ring is not always a strong weld", and an unshielded weld "can oxidize and trap brittle inclusions". In plain words: the ring looks closed, but the joint may be weaker or darker than it should be.
Nobody disputes the chemistry. The dispute is about whether it matters at the scale of a 22-gauge jump ring welded in a fraction of a second. On that, the makers have picked sides, and each side sells accordingly.
02Who says you need it?
Sunstone, clearly. Its blog post on the question says argon "means a stronger weld" and quotes a pipe welder: "Yes, you do need argon gas when welding permanent jewelry". All three of its welders are argon-ready, with tubing in the box, and all three of its starter kits include Argon Mini tanks and a regulator: two in the Momentum and the Dream, four in the Legacy.
That's a coherent position: the brand tells you to use gas and then puts the gas in your hands. If you buy a Sunstone kit, you'll learn to weld with argon from the first lesson, and you won't have to source a tank on your own.
Keep in mind who's speaking. Sunstone sells argon tanks ($549 for its tank on November 13, 2026). That doesn't make it wrong. It means you're reading a seller.
03Who says you don't?
Everlinx, just as clearly. Its argon page opens with "Short answer: no." It then cites a tensile test it attributes to the American Welding Society: 925 silver and 14K gold-filled jump rings, 22 gauge, 250 welds per condition for each metal, made on an EVERARC. Result according to Everlinx: welds made without argon held "just as well or better".
Its products follow. The EVERARC keeps argon tubing in the box as an option; the rechargeable R Series is presented as argon-free; the starter kit contains no gas at all.
Pepetools sits near Everlinx: the Helix page calls argon "not necessary", and adds that if you connect a tank, gas flows through the stylus on demand. Same caveat as before: Everlinx and Pepetools sell welders they describe as fine without gas. Each brand's evidence was produced on its own machine. We haven't seen the test report itself, only Everlinx's summary of it. Everlinx says so on the same page: the results "have not been publicly published" and "full documentation is available on request". If the question matters to you, ask for it.
Video: "Do You Need Argon Gas to Do Permanent Jewelry?", Sunstone Welders / Orion Welders on YouTube. Not made by us; chosen because it shows the welder or the topic clearly.
04What does argon cost, in money and in hassle?
In money: a tank, a regulator, then refills. Sunstone's tank was $549 on its store on November 13, 2026, and its returns page charges a $35 restocking fee on tanks. The Argon Mini tanks in its kits are small, and they're consumables: on the same store that day, a two-pack of Argon Mini tanks was $161 and a four-pack $280, and a refill of the large tank $440. The kit pages don't say how many welds one Mini lasts, so ask before you price a season of Saturdays.
In hassle: one more thing to carry, connect and check before every event, and one more thing that can run out at 2 pm on a Saturday. Ask the organizer whether a gas cylinder is allowed before you roll one into a mall or a festival tent.
Without gas, your table is a welder, a stylus and your chain. That simplicity is a real advantage for pop-ups, and it's why the lightest setups in our portable welder ranking are the gas-free ones.
05So how should you decide?
We won't settle a metallurgy argument between manufacturers from their marketing pages. Here's how we'd decide in practice.
First, follow the manual of the welder you buy. Its maker wrote the settings chart with or without gas in mind, and any warranty conversation is easier if you used the machine as instructed.
Second, look at your work. Classic gold-filled and sterling chains on small rings are the case Everlinx tested. If you weld other metals, thicker rings or do repairs, you're outside that test, and Sunstone's caution carries more weight.
Third, keep the door open. Almost every welder here accepts a tank later: the Sunstones, the corded EVERARC, the Helix, the LINKED Luxe, even the $300 Tooltos ships with a gauge and tubes. Start the way your maker teaches, check your practice rings closely, and add gas if your own welds tell you to.
Fourth, price a season, not a tank. With gas, your running costs are refills or new Mini tanks on top of chain. Without it, they're chain and electrodes. Neither is large next to the welder, but only one of them can run out in the middle of an event. None of this is safety advice: your welder's manual comes first.
06Which welders and kits come ready for argon?
Ready with gas in the box: only Sunstone's three kits. The Dream kit ($3,199) is the one we'd pick, with a 1 to 30 joule welder and mentoring.
Argon-ready, tank sold separately: the Sunstone Zapp, Zapp Plus 2 and Orion mPulse (tubing included), the Pepetools Helix (7 ft of tubing, on-demand flow), the corded EVERARC and its EVERSHIELD bundle (tubing included).
Built to run without: the EVERARC R Series and the Everlinx and Pepetools starter kits, which include no gas. The EVERARC + EVERSHIELD is our top welder sold alone at $1,749, and you can go either way with it.
This guide helps you buy equipment and plan a budget; it isn't safety, legal, tax or insurance advice, and it promises no income. Licensing, sales tax and insurance rules change from state to state and city to city: check yours, and read your welder's manual before your first weld.
