I’m considering getting 2 yellow gold lunaria pieces. I’ve noticed both in pictures online and some older pieces in store that his pieces can get black marks on them. Has anyone had this happen? And if so, will it come off with a good cleaning? These pieces are expensive and I don’t want to invest in them if they’re going to turn black over time. I’ve never had a gold piece do that so I’m wondering what causes the black marks on his pieces? I’d love to hear from folks who have had these pieces for a while and whether they’ve had any issues with these pieces essentially tarnishing (or whatever the black coloring is). Thanks!
Marco Bicego yellow gold question
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So these are some stock pictures from online where you can see how there are dark areas/discoloration. The piece I saw in the store was so bad they took it off the floor (it was the back of a pendant and was 70% covered in black marks that wouldn’t come off with a polishing cloth). That piece was a return and I just saw that MB’s website does warn about their pieces coming into contact with hand soap and says that can cause black spots, so I’m wondering if that’s what occurred on that piece. I guess I’m just trying to figure out if: 1. what I’m seeing in the pics online is normal for his pieces for whatever reason (I’m assuming so), and 2. how much I’m going to need to baby these pieces so they don’t completely discolor and look awful in a few years from now. For anyone who has lunaria pieces, have they held up and remained shiny over time, or do all of the “petals” now look discolored like the petal in the last picture? It’s hard to tell if that’s just dirt and grime caught in btw the lines that can be cleaned out or permanent discoloration. I guess that’s what I’m trying to figure out before I purchase from folks who have had these lunaria pieces for a while now. Thanks!
Perhaps what you are seeing are the shadows and grooves made by Marco Bicego’s hand-engraving technique? The brushed finish on his pieces has peaks and valleys and is meant to look organic and irregular. Sometimes the Marco Bicego engraved finish doesn’t photograph well, but I own some of his pieces (Jaipur line, not Lunaria line) and they are sparkly and pretty. I guess if someone didn’t regularly clean their pieces, dirt could build up in the grooves, but I haven’t had that problem.
us.marcobicego.com
The Traditional Bulino | Marco Bicego
The Bulino is an ancient tool used to give a one of a kind finish that is iconic to Marco Bicego.
Thanks!! The one I saw in the store was 100x worse than these. I was thinking maybe these pics for the most part were shadows. I was able to just reach someone in their repair department and she confirmed they have been having issues with some of their pieces over the last few years (not confined to Lunaria pieces). She said she thinks it could possibly be people handling the pieces after using hand sanitizer. She said perfume could also cause a problem. She said it’s definitely repairable if it happens, but couldn’t say whether they would cover the cost or if the customer would have to. She said nothing has changed in their manufacturing process which is why they think hand sanitizer may be the culprit (which wouldn’t be an issue for me since I wouldn’t handle the piece right after using hand sanitizer). I’m torn bc the pieces are gorgeous, I’m just hoping to not have to baby them for that cost. I’m glad to hear yours have held up well over the years though. That gives me some comfort!Perhaps what you are seeing are the shadows and grooves made by Marco Bicego’s hand-engraving technique? The brushed finish on his pieces has peaks and valleys and is meant to look organic and irregular. Sometimes the Marco Bicego engraved finish doesn’t photograph well, but I own some of his pieces (Jaipur line, not Lunaria line) and they are sparkly and pretty. I guess if someone didn’t regularly clean their pieces, dirt could build up in the grooves, but I haven’t had that problem.
The Traditional Bulino | Marco Bicego
The Bulino is an ancient tool used to give a one of a kind finish that is iconic to Marco Bicego.
Funny, I would not think that 18k gold could be so damaged just by hand sanitizer, or soap even. Kind of alarming really! I usually remove rings before hand washing anyway. I’ve never put hand sanitizer on over fine jewelry. (I’ve always cleaned all my jewelry with a little Dawn dish soap in warm water, which is a widely recommended method.)
I agree with the other poster that some of what you see in the stock photos is shadows from the grooves, ingraving and the organic undulations of the piece. I examined my nearly three year old Lunaria earrings and saw a shadow on the back but no other marks. I don’t see how hand sanitizer should harm gold either, that sounds odd. I love the collection and would expect a brand like this to stand behind their pieces!
Thank you! She said it just started occurring the last few years so she thought that could be the culprit. That’s why I asked if something had changed in the manufacturing over the last few years that could be causing the issue but she said no. ALL of the top designers are looking to cut costs these days, so it’s certainly a possibility (and something I’m sure they wouldn’t volunteer), but I agree that it’s a reputable company, so hopefully if an issue were to occur, they would take care of it. I’m so glad your piece has held up well!
D
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Hi, I have Bicego’s Lunaria piece and didn’t notice anything black on gold. However I don’t frequently wear it and store properly so this might be why. I’d suspect the black marks could be dirt/dust gathering in the grooves. Did you ask the staff at the store where the piece was so blackened they had to remove it? I’d ask them what it was they had to clean 