ask Dave West: The Jewelry Expert

White Gold

I have been receiving some great questions and comments recently and while some are very specific to the individuals writing me, others point out issues and ask questions that have become common and apply to everyone. As I did earlier in the month I am posting a question with my response.

I routinely field e-mails and we have customers in the store asking why their white gold jewelry is "turning color". If you are considering purchasing white gold jewelry, especially rings, as an alternative to platinum, you should read this.

Dave,

My husband purchased and engagement ring for me about 11 months ago. I started wearing it and after two months it turned yellow. I read the article on your website and I am trying to make sense of all this. Some places (Tiffany & Co., local Jeweler , friends) are saying that white gold should not turn yellow period. Others are saying that it will. I am Disgusted that my ring is turning yellow repeatedly and I want a refund, however, the company that it was purchased at, Blue Nile, tries to tell me that it will turn even if it is only 2 months. I have called and complained about it over and over and each person has something different to say. I just want to know the truth?! Should I fight for a refund or give in and keep my yellow ring and re-plate it every two months for the rest of my life? It just seems ridiculous to pay that much for something only for it to turn colors.

Please help!

Thank you,

Hello,

I am sorry to hear of your frustrations. Your problem has become a common one and regretfully its origins come from, as always, a lack of full disclosure to the customer at the time of sale. I hope I can be of help to you trying to make sense of what happened.

First let me explain a little bit about gold. Gold is a metal element (Au on the periodic table) that is yellow in color. Gold and copper are the only two metals that have a color other than white or gray. When you buy gold jewelry it is usually a gold alloy of some kind and its quality, or amount of gold in the alloy is expressed in “karats”. 24k or 24karat is pure gold (999.99%). 18k is an alloy with 18 parts pure gold with 6 parts other metals for a total of 24. 14k is 14 parts pure gold with 10 parts other metals and so on. Karat can also be expressed in parts out of a thousand; pure gold being 999.99 (1000), 18k being 750, 14k being 585 etc. As a very general rule – yellow gold alloys have equal amounts of copper and silver added. An example: 18k yellow gold = 18 parts gold, 3 parts copper and 3 parts silver for a total of 24 parts. It is possible to change the color of a gold alloy by changing the amount or the metals used in the alloy. Rose or pink gold has more copper in the alloy and the gold has a rich pinkish color to it. Green gold has more silver for a slightly greenish yellow color. White gold will have metals added that tend to “bleach” the yellow color out of the alloy. Nickel, zinc, platinum, palladium are some of the metals that can be used to bleach the color out of the gold alloy.

I tell my customers to think of white gold in this way; you take a yellow shirt and put it in the wash with a lot of bleach multiple times. In the end you will probably bleach most of the yellow out of that shirt and end up with, at best, a cream or light yellow colored shirt, you will not however, ever, end up with a truly white shirt.

Now to your problem: white gold is traditionally plated with rhodium (a white metal that is a relative of platinum) and when brand new a white gold ring can be indistinguishable from a platinum ring to the eye. This is misleading because the actual color of the white gold ring is not a true white, as it appears to be, but a more creamy color. The true color of the metal becomes noticeable, as you well know, after the ring has been worn awhile and the plating begins to wear off.

To further complicate matters there is a great deal of difference in the quality and “whiteness” of white gold alloys even though the karat quality may be exactly the same. The better quality white gold alloys tend to have a whiter color so that when the rhodium wears it is not as noticeable (there are even some newer alloys that don’t need rhodium to have a white look). The down side to these whiter gold alloys is that they are expensive and some can be difficult to work with. The lower quality white gold alloys generally have a more yellow cast to them and the color difference is very noticeable when rhodium plating wears away.

Having not seen the ring I cannot say for certain but my guess is that you have a fairly yellowish 18k white gold alloy. I cannot say why Tiffany’s or your local jeweler did not seem to be familiar with, or choose not to explain fully this problem, as we see it frequently. With platinum prices continuing to increase white gold jewelry sales have grown dramatically over the last few years and this problem has become widespread.

I do not blame you for being upset, I would be mad as hell, but I am not sure if you have much recourse. To me the issue is one of full disclosure; your husband was not informed that white gold is routinely plated with rhodium to improve its color and that the plating is not necessarily permanent. This is not uncommon as many stores - both bricks and mortar and internet - especially the large volume, price only focused companies, are not disclosing the issue to their customers.

At this point you have three choices: you can continue to complain to Blunile, hoping that in the interest of customer relations they will offer you a refund or allow you to exchange the ring for a platinum or palladium mounting; you could continue to have the ring re plated (although since the ring needs to be re finished each time it is plated the ring will wear out faster than it normally would); or you can have it remounted in a platinum, palladium or at the very least a better quality white gold mounting that won’t show the degree of color difference that I get the feeling yours currently does.

David West Nytch CGA  www.westandcompany.com

Platinum Myths

Just the other day I received a comment from a reader wondering about “some of the popular notions circulating about platinum”; she asked some good questions and I decided my response should be a general post.

“1. Myth: Platinum is the whitest precious metal. Truth: Most antique platinum ring are not white due to a patina — an apparent euphemism for "oxidize" — which stems, in part, from the fact that platinum is very easy to scratch. The whitest metal with the highest overall optical reflectivity is SILVER — something that anyone who has held a silver herringbone chain next to platinum or white gold may have noticed. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver.”

While this is strictly true – most discussions regarding the merits, or not, of platinum are held in the context of very fine jewelry to secure and enhance the beauty of diamonds and other precious gems. While the availability of finer silver jewelry is on the rise, often times combined with gold, colored gems and even diamonds, silver is not strong enough or durable enough to be practical as a consideration when deciding what metal is best to set a large diamond or other precious gem in.

“2. Myth: Platinum doesn't wear; it just shifts or plows aside. Truth: If platinum "never wears" as is the oft-repeated marketing claim, there should be no antique platinum rings that require a new shank. There is a thriving industry that specializes in refurbishing worn antique jewelry — most of it pre-WWII and most of it platinum.”

Platinum, like any metal, does eventually wear. That said – platinum is by far the most durable and lasting of all the jewelry metals. As you pointed out there is an thriving industry refurbishing pre WWII platinum jewelry, which at this point is 50 – 60 + years old and much of which has seen a lot of regular wear over time. This kind of useful life is rare in gold jewelry with the exception of pieces that have only seen light wear over the years.

“3. Myth: Platinum is hypoallergenic. The term "hypoallergenic" is an over-generalized misnomer. According to a January 2006 edition of JCRS, a leading jewelry underwriter, platinum stamping is not regulated by the FTC in the US, and some manufacturers have begun to use lower grade platinum that is visually identical but more brittle (and ostensibly more likely to create rashes due to contact dermatitis). This might explain the reports of platinum owners becoming "sensitized" to the metal over time. See: http://www.finishing.com/337/77.shtml for anecdotal reports of allergic reactions to Platinum. See: http://jcrs.com/newsletters/2006/2006_01.htm in which it is stated: "The FTC Guides do not mention the new platinum alloys. … All of this raises the old issue of DISCLOSURE. Consumers equate platinum with highest quality. Even if a manufacturer does mark platinum and alloy content, most consumers will not recognize the significance of particular alloys or of the ppt markings." The JCRS goes on to recommend: "• the jewelry should bear a purity mark giving platinum and alloy content; and • the consumer should be told the affect of the alloys used — in particular, that diluted platinum does not hold set stones as well and is more susceptible to damage"”

With the introduction of low quality, lower content platinum alloys it is true that one can no longer assume that platinum jewelry will be hypoallergenic. I fully agree that this is an issue in need of full disclosure to the consumer at the time of sale. Unfortunately these lower grade platinum alloys exist for one reason only and that is price. The companies selling this sort of product are interested only in convincing the customer that they are providing “better deal” than they, in truth, actually are. These jewelers live to deceive and operate in the grey areas of the law. While one can expect the product itself to be properly stamped with the purity content of the alloy – it is regretfully unrealistic to expect full disclose of this nature at the time of sale. To do so would be to admit that the “deal” being offered it not what it would seem. It is another example of the need on the part of the consumer to educate themselves and to choose a jeweler based on their knowledge, ethics and integrity. 

Untill next time that is how I see the world of jewelry from Rochester, NY  

David West Nytch CGA  www.westandcompany.com  

Opal or Tourmaline - October Birthstones

Tourmaline

Known only in the Mediterranean region for much of history, it was not until the early 18th century that the Dutch brought Tourmaline gemstones to Western and Central Europe. Tourmaline gets its name from the Sinhalese word “turamali” for mixed. The Dutch choose an apt name for no other gem. Not even corundum occurs in the variety of shades or combination of shades of color that tourmaline gemstones do. Tourmalines are found in such a wide range of colors they are often mistaken for other gems whose color they are mimicking. Fine pure green tourmaline can be every bit as beautiful as the emerald it is confused with. Yellow, red and pink tourmaline can look just like fancy sapphires and be just as stunning. Tourmaline, the October birthstone, is unique in that it often displays more than one color. Like alexandrite, some tourmalines can change their body color from daylight to artificial light. Tourmaline gemstones even have applications in science; they will develop a polarized electrical charge when heated or compressed.

With and almost limitless spectrum of hues, the most recognized colors for tourmalines are shades of red and green, with the most desirable colors being an intense pink or green. The October birthstone also occurs in shades of blues to yellows, in almost any color or combination of colors that one can think of. It is actually rather rare for a tourmaline crystal to display just one color. More often than not, when examined closely, a tourmaline actually displays varying shades or even multiple colors. Tourmaline gemstones grow in long linear crystals that often will have two or more colors. Sometimes the boundaries between colors are soft and gradual shades, other times they are distinct and display two or more strong colors. These bi colored, multi color or parti colored tourmalines are particularly prized. A bi colored tourmaline gemstone with a strong red to pink colored center surrounded by a green border is referred to as a “watermelon tourmaline”. When the colors of a tourmaline crystal are stacked one on top of another they are called a “Papageios” or a “Rainbow tourmaline”. The ultimate in tourmaline's vast display of hues, however, is the “Paraiba Tourmaline”. Only very recently discovered in 1989 in Paraiba, Brazil these tourmalines display the most stunningly vivid, brilliant, blues and greens ever seen. Neon green, electric blue, sizzling turquoises are some of terms used to describe these very rare, exceedingly valuable, breathtakingly beautiful gemstones.

Just about any color of October's birthstone can be found in Brazil, which is a major source. Some exquisite tourmalines are also being mined in Southern California near San Diego. Other sources include Sir Lanka, Madagascar and Africa. Historically Maine has been and important source for tourmaline, but only small quantities are currently being produced.

Tourmaline gemstones are heat treated or irradiated to improve their color. Some treated tourmalines color can fade if exposed to high heat or prolonged exposure to intense light, but generally the treatment is stable. Red tourmalines are often quite included and some have been treated with resin injected into surface reaching fissures to lessen the visibility of the inclusions. Care should be taken with these gems. Whatever amazing color you choose, tourmalines are hard gemstones that resist scratching and breaking. Care should be taken, however, to avoid sharp blows and sudden temperature changes. Tourmalines, especially reds and pinks, should not be cleaned using steam or ultrasonic cleaners. Your Tourmaline jewelry can be cleaned with commercial jewelry cleaner or a mild soap and water along with an old toothbrush to clean the setting as well. Always rinse and dry your jewelry after cleaning.

Opal

Shakespeare mentions Opal as “the queen of gems” because it held within it the colors of all the other  gems. The Roman historian Pliny said of Opal “the fire of the carbuncle, the brilliant purple of the amethyst and the sea green color of the emerald, all shining together in incredible union”. The Arabs believed Opal got its fire from the flashes of lightning that brought it to earth. Since antiquity Opal had been a symbol of hope, until in the 19th century when the gem played a role in the novel Anne of Geierstein, by Sir Walter Scott. The story tells of an Opal owned by the heroine that would burn a fiery red when she was angry and turned to ashen grey when she died. It took Queen Victoria, giving Opals as wedding gifts, to lift the curse. Today Opal has regained it rightful place as the gem of hope. Like the rainbow after a thunderstorm, Opals display of colors speaks of hope.

The name Opal comes from the Greek word “opallos” which means to see a change of color. Opal is made up of many layers of tiny spears of silica which diffract differently. This diffraction of light creates a dramatic rainbow of color within the gem. This phenomenon is called play of color. Opal occurs in many varieties and range from transparent to opaque. The most well known is white Opal, which has a light semi-transparent to opaque background and displays varying degrees of pastel colors. Crystal Opal has a colorless background with some play of color that lets the light pass through it. Jelly Opal or water Opal are colorless transparent to semi transparent with little or no play of color. Fire Opal, or Mexican Opal is transparent to semi transparent Opal with a yellow, orange, to red or brown background color that does not always have any play of color. Cherry Opal is fire Opal with a strong red body color. Boulder Opals have a layer of the precious Opal still combined with the ironstone in which the Opal forms. The most sought after of all the Opals are those with a dark background and vivid splashes of brilliant colors known as black Opals. A black Opal with ah opaque dark grey to black background and an evenly distributed rainbow display of intense vivid colors, is a very rare and valuable gem.

The world’s most important source for Opal is the deserts of Australia. With deposits difficult to locate and spread over vast regions of the desert Opal mining is still done on a small, individual, scale often with just hand tools. Mexico is the major source for fire Opal. Brazil and the US are also sources.

Opals are very delicate gems. They are best mounted in earrings and pendants. When mounted in a ring or bracelet very special care should be shown when wearing them. Because Opals have a high water content they should be kept away from heat and strong light as it can dry them out. Opals can draw moisture from the air and should not be kept for long periods in dehumidified environments like bank vaults. Opals should never be cleaned, and should be kept away from contact with detergents or chemicals. Steam and ultrasonic cleaners should never be used. Most commercial jewelry cleaners should also not be used, unless specifically designed for delicate gems.

David West Nytch CGA  www.westandcompany.com