Removing Black Marks from Silver Rings: A Guide

Question
i just had my sterling silver ring made smaller and there are now black marks on the edges and in the grooves which i assume are from when it was soldered smaller.  how do i remove them if possible.  i only bought it two days ago nice and shiny but now it's like it's years old!!!  i'm gutted.  can u help please.

Answer

Steve Good afternoon Paula, Sorry to hear of your delimma. It sounds like the person who sized your ring did not properly do so, either from a standpoint of appying too much heat which may have created some porosity, hence when he/she polished it got some polishing rouge in the seams, or used a poor quality solder that created the "scaling", or depending on the place where you purchased the ring it is of inferior quality silver.  My suggestion is to immediately bring the item back to them and show them the problem and have them re-do the job to your satisfaction. Hope this helps, Good luck.

Steven Kretser