jewellery faq | gold | allergic skin reactions | silver tarnish | rhodium plated

FAQ

Question

Is tarnished silver still considered genuine silver?

Answer

What causes tarnish on silver jewellery is the chemical reaction of the silver with the air. Any silver jewellery that is exposed to air will tarnish. If youre thinking of buying a piece of silver jewellery that is showing signs of tarnish, you may be able to get a better deal on it because it means that piece of jewellery has been at the jeweler for a longer period of time. Simply clean the silver jewellery when you get it home and you will have gotten a great deal on a piece of real silver jewellery.

Question

Why do some rings cause some people to have allergic reactions?

Answer

The reason the ring you're wearing is causing your skin to have a reaction is probably due to the alloys used when the ring was made. If the alloys in the ring aren't hypoallergenic and you have sensitive skin, your ring will cause your skin to have an allergic reaction to the metals in the ring.

Question

Can a yellow gold ring be converted to white gold?

Answer

NO, once it is yellow...you CANNOT change it to white.

Yellow gold is made by mixing pure gold with alloys such as copper and zinc.
Rose or pink gold is made using a mix of pure gold with alloy metals including copper. The copper provides the rose-reddish color.
White gold is an alloy of gold and some white metals such as nickel and palladium.

The only way you can change the color of your ring is to have it plated. This method is not permanent as the coating will wear off through normal wear and tear. However, almost all white gold rings today are rhodium plated and there is no reason you cannot rhodium plate a yellow gold ring. The difference is that the contrast will be much greater as the plating starts to wear, so more frequent replating will be necessary. In the case of jewellery that receives little wear, like a pin or a broach, rhodium plating may last indefinitely.

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