QuestionQUESTION: i bought two shiny gold initial discs with the initials set in diamonds..the discs are separated by a small doughnut byt rub against another. the one underneath developed a feather shape area that became matte and dull looking- the jeweler re made both discs for me as they thought it was a defect in the gold..and the same thinghappened.now they are telling me it is something in my skin or cosmetics..but it feathered in the same spot and shape that it did with the first set of discs..any idea why this would happen or what is causing this? it looks like a smudge in the gold that you cant wipe off...
ANSWER: Kim, I am having a difficult time picturing the discs in my thoughts. Can you tell me where the little doughnut is and how the discs rub together? Is the matte area where the gold discs touch and rub or on the surface somewhere else? A picture would be great but that might not be possible. Please get back with the follow-up and tell me every little detail you can think of so I can imagine just how the discs actually look and how these are worn, as a pendant or what.
Thanks a bunch. Thomas.
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QUESTION: hi
thx for the quick reply..yes two round discs- worn as charms on a necklace..and the little doughnut is on the chain inbetween the two discs to seperate them a bit so they are not directly in top of eachother- ..yes the damaged part is where they rub but the jeweler swears it isnt the rubbing together..perhaps it is my skin or perfume or something getting on the top pendant and rubbing the bottom one..i just dont understand why it would only be in one spot then???
AnswerKim, thanks for using the follow-up since this tells me much more that I had to start. Please remember, the jeweler you are working with must have some reason to believe or tell you the matte area is NOT from the discs rubbing together. I just don't know what that reason might be. Next time you see the jeweler, you might ask why they believe it is caused by something besides the discs rubbing together.
What does this matte area on the gold sound like it is to me? To me it sounds exactly what would and does happen with gold items with flat surfaces rubbing together! Abrasion of one disc on the other takes away the shine. As long as the initials are on the outsides you are ok with this happening as far as damage is concerned. If one disc has diamonds facing the matte side of the other disc, you need to get the discs turned to keep the diamond part from rubbing. The wear on the other disc will be less and you will also greatly reduce the chance of wear causing loss of any of the stones.
When I look at a charm bracelet with lots of little discs or boy and girl heads close together, the older ones almost always show a wear pattern very similar to what you have described. That is why sight unseen it appears to be from contact of the discs and not cosmetics, etc.
Sure, cosmetics will cause some wear but if that is happening it is the kinds used on faces, powders, whatever. I know one thing only about cosmetics: Makeup can abrade jewelry and that usually causes smudges on clothes. I also know one other thing: I rarely see makeup on skin in the area a pendant will be located on a lady. I don't see hair spray or similar items making the matte finish at all.
Do this sometime: Put on the necklace and with a mirror so you can see movement of the discs, move around and see how the discs move and how contact is made with one disc and another. This may take more than a few tries since trying to fake natural movements will often trick us. I will bet you will see the discs moving a touch here, a touch there, enough touches to cover the "feather" matte area. If so, then that pretty much proves contact of one disc with the other is doing it. The only solution is to live with that or have the discs placed further apart so no contact is possible.
Kim, I do hope this helps a bit. Thanks for getting back. Have a fine weekend.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas. August 2, 2008 7:10pm
