Rose gold gone after sizing and soldering

I sent my ring out to be sized and soldered. It was white gold with rose gold detail. When it came back the rose gold detail was gone!

I was told that it was due to "flashing" after it was re-rhodium plated. First I was told it just needed to be cleaned and polished. Then I was told they were ordering a pen to "paint the rose back on"

Still just a very dull, barely noticeable rose.
Now I am being told I need to wear it in the sun, and wait about a month for it to tarnish to its original color!?

Doesn't sound right to me, but I'm not a jeweler.

Is my ring ruined?



Hello,

I'm sorry to hear about your ring. The jeweler who performed this service should have examined the ring first and then told you the risks involved with re-plating and soldering the ring - including the loss of the rose gold plate.

When rings are soldered, they have to be cleaned thoroughly, a process which can remove any thin plate on a ring and remove the darker patina which may have developed on rose gold detail.

Likewise, a rhodium plate may have covered up what was left of the rose detail on the ring.

It sounds like the jeweler has asked you to place the ring in the sun to try to develop a patina on the rose gold detail - however this is a process which takes years.

Because this jeweler has provided an unsatisfactory service, I would suggest taking the ring to a different jeweler with an excellent reputation who may be able to restore the rose gold detail which was originally on the ring. However either way, it sounds like the rose gold detail on the ring initially has been lost.

A jeweler may be able to restore these details but it is unlikely that the rose gold will develop a darker patina any time soon even if the ring is exposed to the sun. But, the type of rose gold used to brush in the older details can be darker or lighter depending on the type used.

Best of luck with restoring your ring back to its original beautiful and I'm sorry that you had this experience.

Suzanne Gardner
Everything Wedding Rings

Click here to post comments

Click here to return to Wedding Ring Questions.