Question about platinum (and some venting)

SuLi

SuLi

O.G.
Nov 1, 2005
8,566
41
#1
I posted this on Pricescope, and got a few responses, but wanted to know if anyone on tPF has had the same experience:

"I was looking at my e-ring the other day, and noticed a yellowish spot - like a tarnishing spot. After cleaning the ring in mild detergent and water, the spot was still there. Does any one have any idea what this might be, or if this is normal for platinum? I just got engaged a little over two weeks ago, so I'm really worried about it. My fiance and I have yet to reach the person who made the ring (she is on maternity leave)."

Since my initial "catch", I've taken it to two local places (and they don't want to do anything for fear of being liable), and they don't know what it is. One place tried to steam clean it, but the spot was still there. The same jewelry store gave me a cleaning kit with a soft brush and I tried to clean it again - only now, there are TWO spots!

The ring was appraised independently, and confirmed that it was completely platinum as my first thought was that it's "gold-plated" and I've rubbed the platinum off. All the research I've done suggests that platinum does not tarnish.

Any advice given will be appreciated - I'm going out of my mind with worry! Thanks!
 
#2
SuLi, UH, I don't know what to say, I've never heard of that happening to Platinum but I'm no expert though I do have quite a bit of platinum jewerly including a band from the 1920's...... If I were you I would be thinking this was yellow gold that was dipped or plated but it seemed there was a lot of thought and planning put into the design (based on your other posts) so I would hope the designer would not have done such a thing.....
 
#3
^ Me too. We're wracked with worry that we've been lied to, although the appraisal and the stamping on the ring says "plat". I just don't know what to do until we hear back from her, which might be awhile. I have absolutely no idea how much my FI paid for the ring because he refuses to tell me, but I have an inkling that it cost about $10,000, which to me, is a lot of money for a ring. He keeps saying that I waited 8.5 years for this ring and that it was supposed to be perfect. We would hate to find out that it is actually "gold" versus "platinum" when he asked (and paid) for platinum. I'm trying not to be an "engaged-zilla" about this.
 
#4
That's really strange that you have the yellow spot. I would have also guessed that it was dipped but it seems like you had it confirmed that it was complete platinum. Try and try until you reach the person who made the ring. I hope for the best for you!

My wedding band and eternity rings are in platinum and I wear them everyday (bathe, clean, wash, and whatever) and nothing has happened to them. They still look the same as the first day I bought them except for the scratches from wear.

I guess it also depends how much platinum was in your ring. My rings say PT950.
 
#6
Yeah, my Scott Kay just says PLAT as well.......I have one thought, sometimes there some (ok, can't spell this) sodering that may need to be done on a ring... I remember being told by some inexpensive jewerly store once when purchasing a cheap fashion diamond ring in white gold that they can size it but usually when they size white gold rings they wind up having some yellow show up, like they material they use once the ring is made smaller to mend it back together is gold??? (again, not a jeweler and not 100% sure how they even do this).....Now this is just a long shot but maybe it's something like this that happened and then they dipped it (but not good enough) to blend everything in.....
 
#7
Okay, in my 18kt gold earrings that I had made, it was spotting and no amount of cleaning could get it off. It started when I stored them in a suede pouch that was treated for anti-tarnish.When it got returned to the jeweler, they thought it wasn't the pouch, but perhaps the alloy mix of the gold metal that made it not quite right.

I know yours is plat and not gold, but if the jeweler is on maternity leave, she must have someone covering for her. I hope you are able to send/take it back and get it sorted out. Congratulations, btw.
 
#9
winternight said:
Has the ring been independantly appraised? If not, I'd definitely get it checked out. Sorry you have to deal with this. I'd be really, really upset.
Click to expand...

Thanks for understanding everyone...I feel like I'm totally going crazy.

I just found out from my FI that the appraisal was furnished by the jeweler - that she had someone do it. So no, it wasn't independently appraised. I think we are going to look for someone in DC to appraise it for us (esp. with the spots).

I called her office earlier, and her message said that she was on leave and not due to be back until mid-June at the earliest. She said that she would check her messages every few weeks or so. We've already left a message and e-mailed her.
 
#10
Hi I remember when I took my e ring back to the shop to be cleaned they said they would re-plate it! I said hold on its solid platinum is is not plated!! there answer was that all platinum these days is actually plated with a thin coating of something (helpfully I cannot remember what!) and that just helps to stop the platinum dulling Anyway to cut a long story short, it turns out my ring was not plated with anything, and so was just polished, but apparently alot of platinum jewellery is these days, therefore it is still marked plat, I just wonder if this is the case for yours and maybe the plating was not done as well as it should be?? So it more than likely is platinum, probably just needs a little attention from the jeweller to put it right!!
Good luck anyway
x
 
#11
sugarbella said:
Hi I remember when I took my e ring back to the shop to be cleaned they said they would re-plate it! I said hold on its solid platinum is is not plated!! there answer was that all platinum these days is actually plated with a thin coating of something (helpfully I cannot remember what!) and that just helps to stop the platinum dulling Anyway to cut a long story short, it turns out my ring was not plated with anything, and so was just polished, but apparently alot of platinum jewellery is these days, therefore it is still marked plat, I just wonder if this is the case for yours and maybe the plating was not done as well as it should be?? So it more than likely is platinum, probably just needs a little attention from the jeweller to put it right!!
Good luck anyway
x
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input.

I've e-mailed an independent appraiser in the DC area and detailed my situation. Hopefully, she will agree to meet with my FI and I (and the ring) and let us know. I just really can't wait until mid-June or July to find out!
 
#12
Oh suli! That would drive me nuts too! I hope that you get this resolved as soon as possible. I have never heard of a platinum ring doing this. Good luck and keep us all updated.
 
#13
If your fiance paid with a credit card I'd contact the company asap to find out what your rights are and how long you have to file if there is a problem with the ring. I really hope everything works out. Soooo sorry that you have to go through this!
 
#14
MY ering is platinum and it had to be cut off of my finger when I had my daughter. Even then it was platinum all the way through.

I really hope that you get this figured out. I can imagine the stress and angst you're feeling.

Best of luck!
 
#15
Hi there, first time post, longtime lurker.

I am a professor here at UCLA, and a professional metalworker and solder artist here in California, and I have several suggestions as to what to do and how to test it.

Some times, actually most of the time, when soldering anything, jewelery, sculptures, etc, there are different grades of different metals (copper, polyABT, gold, plat, etc), and with platinum, it is 60% of time, not the only composite in the metal, for example, for wire or small grade smithing, there is a significant amount of hematite mixed in, because when the wire or lump is being pulled through the draw plate, it prevents the platinum from leaving residue on the plate, therefore preventing waste of the precious metal.

If you have a ring from a place like Tiffany & Co, Cartier, Harry Winston, or even Whiteflash, what you are paying for partially is the quality and purity of the metal that is in the piece you have bought, something that a lot of people forget. If you are buying from an independent artisan which is what I think you have implied, then you most likely have been given a ring "cured" (different from plating FYI) with another metal.

While what I have detailed may sound like a scan on the artisans part, she most likely didn't even realize that fact, unless she has a background in chemistry. If your ring was to be pure platinum, unless the stone is a pebble, which I have yet to see on this board, it would in no way have cost ball-park $10,000 dollars. Pure platinum is incredibly hard to obtain and deal if you are an independent artisan, only because of the rising prices of sterling, gold, most secondary precious metals.

May I suggest looking into the science or smithing departments at your local community college or university, and try to find an associate or student who is up to date on his metal grades? If you want, tell Private Message me with your location, and I can inquire with one of my colleagues as to who in that area could be of some assistance.

Sorry for the loquacious ramble,
Hannah
 
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