QuestionQUESTION: I had a jeweler make a custom ring for me out of my old wedding ring that was falling apart from wear. The old ring was yellow gold and for sentimental reasons they were to use the diamonds and the gold from this old ring to construct the new one. When it came back from the jeweler the new ring was white gold but it was supposed to be yellow. First they said they didn't use my yellow gold, then they said they did use it they just changed it to white gold. Now they are re-doing the ring and say they'll change my gold that is now white back to yellow again. I feel like I'm getting the run around. Is it possible to switch colors back and forth on the same gold? If so what is the likelihood of them actually switching the colors back and forth on my gold, or just using new gold?
ANSWER: sounds like someone made a mistake with the color of your ring, and realized when you picked it up that it was sentimental to use the y.g. from old ring....its not impossible to add more alloy such as nickel, silver, etc....to make a ring white gold, essentially that is what happens, Gold is YELLOW....its the alloys added in the correct percentages such as 14kt 58.5 or 18kt 75 to make rings white.....
These are all permanent ways to make white gold, there is also a temporary way to turn yellow gold into white by using an electroplating process and Rhodium. The Rhodium is a liquid and when dipped in the liquid with the help of electric conduit and a Platinum probe it will "coat" the yellow gold white...this process wears off after a few months depending on one wears their jewelry.
Ask them if they used this process? my hunch is that is what happened....and hopefully they just need to polish the ring and it will remove it...but they should have explained all this to you......
they probably send their jewelry and repairs out to another shop to do their work and not do it in house.......
all the best
Les
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hopefully they just did the Rhodium, but I don't think so. The salesman said that they would make a mold of the white gold ring, then melt the white gold ring down, change it back to yellow gold then re-cast the ring in the yellow gold. But if they added alloys to my yellow gold to make it white that's a permanent change and they are not going to be able to take those alloys out to make it yellow again. Correct?
AnswerCindy-
You are partially correct, to refine gold you need certain technical equipment, unless the jeweler smelts and refines his own gold, I seriously doubt he has the capacity to do this on premise or the time needed to do this with just ONE ring......they are trying to make you feel good about this unfortunate experience, Im not sure you will be able to do anything about this, just bite the bullet and make sure they give you what you want minus the sentimental gold content of the ring....I do realize that we humans become attached to materialistic items once worn by a close relative and I dont blame you in the least....in this case, someone made a mistake either because they did not read the instructions carefully or they just dont care enough....
I wish you well.
Les
