Gold Transfer on Platinum Ring: Causes & Solutions

Question
Hi Thomas,
I wear a platinum engagement ring on my ring finger and I recently starting wearing an old 22K gold ring on my middle finger (which was the only place it would fit). Just noticed that the gold has been rubbing off on the platinum. Very upsetting! So now my platinum ring is lightly gold colored on the sides - only the ring itself, not near the setting. Is there anything that I can do or a jeweler can do? Thanks for your help!
Jasmine

Answer
Jasmine, lovely name by the way, thanks for this question.

As you know 22kt gold is quite soft and I am not surprised the yellow is rubbing off onto the platinum ring.  The best I can suggest is to take the platinum ring to a jeweler, show the yellow to them and ask that the platinum ring be buffed to remove the yellow gold. This is not a difficult process but they will charge for the time needed to do the work.

A jeweler can remove the yellow gold but cannot prevent the future rubbing of the rings and more yellow transferring onto the platinum ring. As long as you wear the rings together, this will continue to happen.

Please keep in mind, if a time comes when the platinum ring needs to be resized, please tell the jeweler about the yellow gold. That gold must be thoroughly and completely removed before any platinum resizing can be done. Why? Platinum sizing requires a very high heat, much higher than the melting temperature of even gold as high at 22kt. The heat will cause the gold residue to melt and be absorbed into the platinum and the result can be a real mess, changing the attributes of the platinum or simply leaving an unsightly remnant which is not easily removed since it is melted in and becomes part of the surface metal.  Just wearing together will cause no problems at all except the gold color transferred to the platinum.

I do hope this answer is beneficial. I do not believe this is a "do it yourself" project because platinum is not easy to buff and polish, requiring time and special buffing compounds to do it correctly.

Jasmine, I you need more, do not hesitate to used the "follow-up" option to get back to me.

God Bless and Peace. Thomas.  July 20,2007  7:07PM