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Yellowing white gold

My fiancé recently purchased an engagement solitaire set in a white gold setting. After about three weeks my ring begin to turn a yellow gold in the back. When we took the back we were told that the ring went through a bleaching process and need to be redipped in rhodium (of course we were never notified that the ring was dipped in the first place). I know this story is redundant, but I wanted to know what questions should I present to the jeweler. I am not interested in having my ring redipped every two years. If I request that my ring plating is at least 90-100 microinches, how would I know if they complied? Can I ensure that my ring is nickel-free? And should I have them remove my diamond prior to redipping the ring? Finally, should I just have my setting replaced with a platinum one?

Jamie Mitchell
- Baltimore, Maryland, USA
2003

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Hi,

I would be very surprised if your jeweler had the capability at his store to plate 100 microinches (2.5 microns a human hair is about 100-125 microns) of rhodium let alone measure it. Most jewelers, not all utilize pen plating techniques or some traditional plating baths using small pyrex glass beakers [beakers on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , both plating techniques and their chemistries deposit about 10-15 micro-inches of rhodium. This is too thin for good long term wear. From my experience with jewelry stores, most are not pre-cleaning the jewelry correctly for the plating to adhere properly. Rhodium chemistry is also easily contaminated with exposure to other metals leading to some pretty poor plating results. Cleanliness in a repair and buffing area of a jewelry store is a lot to ask for. By the way while 100 microinches is a good thickness, it is usually reserved for engineering applications. However, rhodium even in this thickness may still possess some porosity within the plated deposit that allows contaminants to travel to and from your white gold ring (most contain nickel). This may be an issue if you have a nickel allergy.

The good news is that the plating will be very durable and remain visually bright and stable. For the most part though, 50 microinches combined with the correct preplating procedures are more than adequate for good long term wear and pleasing appearance.

Regards,

David Vinson
Metal Arts Specialties - Leonard, Michigan
2003

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August 6, 2008

My wonderful fiance proposed to me in May, and we found the most lovely ring at a well respected jeweler. It was NOT at all cheap, and everyone says this jeweler is the best. We asked about the type of white gold, whether it would hold up and so on, and the woman told us it might discolor over time.

I don't swim, but I do work in a restaurant. Should I just get the ring put in a different setting? I was told that other metals will discolor from chemicals and so on. What would be the best type of metal for my rings?

We are getting married in November and I really don't want to purchase the wedding band if it's going to be like this!

Sandy Francis
buyer - broken arrow, Oklahoma USA

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Hi, Sandy. We now have an FAQ on Rhodium Plating & White Gold which should explain what is going on and what your options are. They would include sending the ring to a pro like David for proper rhodium plating.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
August , 2008