White Gold Bracelet Discoloration from Chlorine - Causes & Solutions

Question
Hi. I have just had a mainly white gold Pandora bracelet, severely react to chlorine in a pool and end up almost black. Help please! The Pandora charm bracelet is on a sterling silver base, all of the white gold charms have gone almost black (the gold - gold seems unaffected). I have been swimming with this bracelet for years in many pools and have never had a reaction. I swam for all of 15 mins, and then went into a sauna (not that hot for about 15mins), until I noticed the discoloration. A friend did say that her eyes were stinging, and that she thinks the pool was over chlorinated. I am going to ask the management tomorrow, what on earth they have used in that pool. I have washed it it in cold water, but I am to frightened to do anything else that may cause this to be permanent. I love this bracelet it is very sentimental. Please help me, is their anything I can do ... or make sure the jeweler should or shouldn't do? And is this damage usually reversible? Thank you so very much. Alexandra

Answer
Alexandra,

I am sorry you had this experience but most likely all can be restored. Silver without rhodium plate is the first to discolor in chemical laden swimming pools. Next, not so severely but still possibly discolored is white gold. As you noticed, yellow gold is not affected to much extent.  The discoloration of white gold depends on the chemicals concentrations, the actual alloy (recipe) of the white gold and the amount of time the beads were exposed.

If the beads were not rinsed prior to your visit to the sauna it is possible the warmth exaggerated any reactions with pool chemicals.

The answer is to take the bracelet to a jewelers business with a bench jeweler working in-house. The bench jeweler is the one who actually does the work.  Take the beads off the bracelet so the bracelet may also be examined.  The jeweler will need to buff and polish each bead to remove the tarnish and leave a proper finish.  All should come out looking quite fine.

I am glad the chlorine chemical discloration is on beads and not other white gold jewelry. You see, chlorine can quickly cause severe and often unseen damage to white gold items made with nickle in the alloy.  This is called stress corrosion cracking snd can affect prongs and stone settings, causing the prong "tips" to literally break off.  The chlorine corrodes the white gold, removing elements from the metal and leaves the metal vulnerable to cracking. Generally, unless a crack or break is blatantly visible, damage is internally hidden.  Then for instance a jeweler needs to hammer the ring to reform the circle shape, the band might crack.

Keep in mind, yellow gold can also be damaged from stress corrosion but not so often or so severely as nickel bearing white gold items. Damage may not show at all, no discoloration., etc. but is present internally.

The better part of wisdom is keep all white gold out of pools or other areas where exposure to chlorine is possible. Other chemicals can damage the metal but are not commonly encountered.

If the beads have internal damage, it likely will not appear as cracks since beads are not so subject to metal fatigue stresses in everyday situations.  Have the beads polished and continue to enjoy these lovely items!  But please, happy as you are with the bracelet, keep it out of the pool. : )


God Bless and Peace.      Thomas.