Jewelry made from ordinary gold has long ceased to amaze people. Therefore, more and more often in stores and workshops you can find products made from other varieties of this metal, for example, white or rose gold. But each of them has both advantages and disadvantages. White gold tends to change color. And to find out why white gold turns yellow over time, let’s figure out what it consists of.
White gold implies an alloy of traditional pure yellow gold, as well as the addition of:
- Silver. The most commonly used additive. Makes the product cheaper and gives a noble shade. Sometimes a small percentage of copper is added to silver.
- Platinum. The most expensive metal, which will cost more than a product made of gold.
- Palladia. Rarely used ligature.
White gold ring
Why white gold may turn yellow
A white gold bracelet or chain has turned yellow - the question immediately arises: why? There are several reasons for the appearance of a yellowish tint:
- We wear and sweat for a long time. Rarely does anyone think about this, but human sweat is saturated with various salts and acids. When interacting with metals, it is a good reagent. If a person sweats frequently, his precious metal jewelry will turn yellow. It is recommended not to wear jewelry during hot weather or during excessive physical activity. Another reason for sweating is hormonal imbalance. Adolescents and women during pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause may sweat profusely. Sweating may be a result of your body eliminating medications you are taking. In all these cases, wearing gold jewelry is not recommended.
- Rhodium has expired. Although rhodium plating is a reliable process, it is short-lived. As a result of friction with the skin, the rhodium can wear off. Therefore, after 3-5 years, it is recommended that gold items be rhodium-plated again.
- Mechanical damage. Gold jewelry cannot be constantly ground and polished, especially on your own. These actions lead to yellowing of the jewelry, as well as scratches on it.
- Cleaning with abrasives. At home, when cleaning gold, substances such as salt and soda are often used. They really effectively clean products from dirt and restore their former shine, but they do it indelicately. Salt and soda may leave scratches.
Referred pain
Sometimes, when pain occurs in the earlobe, it may only be a reflection of a real problem. With otitis media, the inflammatory process occurs deep in the auricle, but the pain often radiates to the lobe. It is quite simple to recognize this phenomenon - simultaneously with pain in the ears, toothache, pain in the facial muscles, and purulent discharge from the auricle may also occur.
How to return whiteness to a product, what to do, methods of prevention
It is easier to prevent any problem than to eliminate the consequences. To prevent white gold from turning yellow, you need to store it properly and take care of it in a timely manner. Simple preventive measures can help maintain noble whiteness:
- All existing jewelry must be stored separately. White gold in one container, classic yellow in another. Silver, precious stones and jewelry are stored separately. You can keep jewelry in their original boxes. You can purchase special cabinets for jewelry.
- It is necessary to prevent the decoration from coming into contact with chemicals. If your hands are treated with cream, the rings from your fingers must be removed. All jewelry is removed during water procedures, when swimming in pools and reservoirs, when visiting baths and saunas. If the house is cleaned using detergents and cleaning products, then this should also be done without jewelry.
- It is not recommended to polish gold items yourself. The damaged structure of a ring or bracelet is almost impossible to restore. It's better to trust the jeweler. A specialist will polish the precious metal using special tools and products. Taking a gold ring to a jeweler for polishing is much cheaper than buying a new one later.
As you can see, caring for white gold is quite simple. Timely preventive measures will extend the life of gold jewelry for many years.
How to deal with skin darkening from gold earrings
If your earlobe turns black from new gold earrings, most likely the reason lies in the polishing paste. In this case, the blackness on the skin is easily removed. It is enough to thoroughly wash the skin area and the gold item. After this, the decoration should no longer cause such inconvenience.
But if the reason is different, then you won’t be able to just get rid of black spots. First you need to establish the reason for this effect. If the whole point is that chemicals or cosmetics get on the metal, then you need to be more careful with the products and wear them only for going out.
If your ears turn black from gold earrings, you need to take the following steps:
- change the place of storage of gold items
- exclude allergies to possible impurities in gold
- minimize stressful situations, play sports or walk outdoors more often
- visit doctors to identify health problems
It is also worth remembering that earrings of poor quality will leave an unpleasant blackness. Therefore, next time make a choice in favor of proven retail chains. A seller who values his reputation in the market uses high-quality material for jewelry.
We hope these tips will help you find out the cause of blackening of your ears from earrings and help you get rid of this unpleasant effect.
Methods for professional restoration of gold whiteness
Gold bleaching is a common process in jewelry making.
White gold bleaching at a jeweler
Galvanization: Rhodium treatment by current and electrolysis process
Galvanization in simple words is gilding. If you have heard the term “plated gold”, we are talking about gold-plated products. The galvanization process is used to a greater extent to enhance the positive characteristics of the noble metal. Rhodium galvanization is carried out - the application of a metal that looks like silver using an electric current. How this process happens:
- the bath is filled with rhodium solution;
- a cleaned piece of jewelry is placed into the solution;
- Electric current is passed through electrodes;
- When exposed to electricity, rhodium deposits on the gold item.
Electroplated gold acquires a noble color and shine, becomes durable, heat-resistant, resistant to corrosion and oxidation.
Rhodium plating jewelry
Immersion in rhodium solution as a cheaper method
Rhodium belongs to the platinum group and is much more expensive than noble metals. Rhodium is valued at 10 times higher than gold. Plating is often done by immersing gold jewelry in a rhodium solution, which is cheaper
The rhodium plating service costs from 1,500 thousand rubles and above. Jewelers guarantee the safety of gold jewelry: earrings coated with rhodium will last about 10 years, chains - 6 years, rings - 3 years.
Wear time depends on how often the jewelry is worn and comes into contact with the skin.
Chemical reactions
Many people use cosmetics. Various products may contain materials that come into contact with gold and lead to oxidation. One of these elements is mercury and similar substances.
In cosmetics it is quite harmless, but upon contact with gold a negative reaction occurs. The decoration begins to turn black and leave characteristic marks. It is quite possible to deal with the marks, but the product will be hopelessly damaged. This is one of the answers to the question why a gold ring leaves a black mark on the finger.
What should not be cleaned, according to the recommendations of jewelers
If you decide to clean gold jewelry yourself at home, you need to know that not all substances are suitable for cleaning this metal.
Dangerous ammonia
Ammonia is an indispensable assistant in the arsenal of housewives. It is used to clean absolutely everything: from clothes to gold items. But, according to jewelers, ammonia is also harmful to gold plating.
You cannot clean white and regular gold using the same solution at once. You should also not clean gold and silver together.
Ionization occurs and, in simple terms, the jewelry changes colors with each other. Gold unprotected by other coatings can react with ammonia, causing it to darken. Instead of pure ammonia, it is recommended to use an ammonia solution - a solvent solvent - to clean gold jewelry.
How to determine by hardness?
Silver alloy is always softer than gold. The latter, in turn, is much stronger and tougher. Thanks to this fact, it is possible to determine the metal from which a certain product is made. To do this, you only need a piece of paper and a specific decoration that needs to be identified. The hard gold alloy will not harm soft paper and its surface will remain white. If the product is made of silver, then its soft alloy will leave a mark on a sheet of paper.
Folk remedies for cleaning white gold using dishwashing detergent
There are many folk remedies that can help clean white gold if it has turned yellow. The most common of these products is dishwashing gel, which every housewife uses. Detergents are used to remove dirt of varying degrees, both separately and together with other substances.
Dishwashing detergent solution
Popular recipes for using dishwashing detergent:
- Pour a teaspoon of washing gel into a glass of water. Pour the solution into a saucepan, having previously covered the bottom with a soft cloth. Place jewelry on a cloth. Boil the contents of the saucepan for 10 minutes.
- Make a solution from a glass of water, a teaspoon of detergent, a teaspoon of ammonia, 40 mg of hydrogen peroxide. White gold should be kept in the resulting solution for 20-25 minutes, depending on the degree of contamination.
- Another type of cleaning solution is made by mixing a glass of warm water, a teaspoon of washing gel, and 2 teaspoons of hyposulfite pharmaceutical product. You need to keep the jewelry in the solution for 20 minutes.
How to cleanse the skin on your fingers, ears and neck
Clearing dark spots from your skin is not easy. Water doesn't do the job well. Soap also does not give quick results.
A simple and effective way is alcohol:
- Apply alcohol, tincture or spray with eau de toilette onto a cotton pad, which you don’t mind wasting.
- Rub the darkened area.
- Rinse with soap and water to remove any remaining dirt.
Ammonia is used to clean the jewelry itself; dark marks may remain on the product.
The same methods are used for cleansing: ammonia is applied to a cotton pad and the jewelry is wiped with it. There is no need to rinse off. The alcohol will evaporate, leaving the product clean and disinfected.
Section question - answer
Why does white gold turn yellow on my finger?
Expert opinion
Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich
Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop
First, you need to understand that it is not the metal that turns yellow, but the surface of the product. Yellowness is associated with external influences. This can be oxidation as a result of the reaction of the metal with human sweat, chemical elements in creams, perfumes, and hygiene products. Yellowness can be an accumulated coating of dirt, dust, or the result of the interaction of metals in the ligature. Each case is individual.
White gold has turned yellow, what to do at home?
Expert opinion
Andrey Seleznev
Chemist-technologist, Volgograd
We need to figure out what is the reason for the yellowness that appears. Analyze your health status: are your hormonal levels disrupted, are you taking medications. In other cases, try cleaning your jewelry at home using detergents, ammonia, salt or soda. White gold items cannot be rubbed, polished or polished. If the precious metal does not turn white, contact a jeweler.
White gold turned yellow in 2 months, how to restore it?
Expert opinion
Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich
Jeweler 6th category
White gold cannot turn yellow in a short period of time. Unless, of course, you are working with the soil without removing the rings. Jewelry stores provide guarantees on gold items for 2-3 years. Therefore, if white gold turns yellow 2 months after purchase, it is definitely a fake, a low-quality alloy and unreliable coating. You cannot remove yellowness on your own. There is only one way out: take the jewelry to a jeweler for re-plating.
Impurities in gold earrings
As you know, gold is a very soft material and in its original form, it can be easily deformed. Imagine gold earrings that can be easily bent, because then in a short time they will look terrible and fixing it is difficult and makes no sense. To avoid this problem, special alloys are added to gold, which are called ligatures. Such alloys are most often made from silver and copper.
Violation of the use of alloys in gold leads to the loss of certain qualities of this noble metal, and specifically can lead to oxidation.
It is worth noting that sometimes such violations are made deliberately, as this leads to cheaper production. At the same time, this violation will not be visible from the outside.
Jeweler's opinion
Molokanov N.M.
Jeweler, 26 years of experience in jewelry production.
The most common reason for the appearance of yellowness on white gold is poor-quality jewelry. Therefore, you need to purchase precious jewelry in jewelry stores. There is no need to be shy about asking for a certificate for decoration or asking for an examination. In all serious salons there are special devices with which you can determine the composition of the alloy. It is also recommended to buy gold jewelry of the highest standard. They will cost more, but their quality is much higher. There is no need to save on yourself. In addition, jewelry will retain its attractive appearance for a long time if you care for it correctly: - do not get carried away with cleaning with unknown means; act delicately; - regular laundry soap or dishwashing detergent works best; - if the ring or earrings have a precious stone, then rinse with regular running water or soda water. The safest thing to do is to entrust your favorite jewelry to a specialist who will return it to its whiteness using professional methods.
Tips for cleaning and selecting gold jewelry
Before cleaning gold jewelry, you need to remove all precious and semi-precious stones from it, as chemical solutions can ruin them. Rubbing gold during the cleaning process is only allowed with a soft cloth or napkin, otherwise it can be scratched. After washing the jewelry, you need to dry it thoroughly, since due to the water remaining on the surface of the gold, an oxidation process may begin and the jewelry will darken again.
When choosing jewelry, it is very important to remember that low-grade gold darkens the fastest, so it is not advisable to purchase it. Jewelry made from high-quality alloy can remain beautiful and sparkling for a long time.
If for any reason the buyer is suspicious of the quality of the chosen jewelry, it is best to refuse to purchase it. Such precautions will allow a person to avoid problems with gold darkening.
Don't skimp when purchasing jewelry!
Probably the first thought of everyone who encountered such a situation was the thought of deception. Indeed, cases of fraud have become more frequent recently. Nowadays, an expensive item bought from a tray often turns out to be an ordinary piece of copper. In the arsenal of modern jewelry manufacturers there are such techniques and materials that even a sophisticated buyer cannot distinguish gold from its fake at first glance.
“Samovar” gold, high-quality counterfeits of which have filled market stalls and spontaneous gold markets, can be found not only among sellers on trains or electric trains, but also simply in a stall selling various jewelry. In this case, it is not surprising that the jewelry leaves black marks on the skin.
Even more common is gold, the quality of which is lower than that stated in the sample. This type of jewelry contains a large number of additional metals and impurities, which oxidize when they come into contact with the skin. As a result, the skin darkens. It is usually quite difficult to prove fraud later: there are no checks, certificates, and often upon returning to the place of the transaction you will not find even the most dishonest businessman.
To protect yourself from such a waste of money and nerves, it is better to purchase precious items in stores that have the appropriate documents indicating the quality of the goods and confirming the transaction. In this case, having checks and receipts in hand, it will be easier to prove that you are right in the event of a poor-quality purchase.
If your ear hurts
Another common cause of complaint is ear pain when wearing gold earrings. This can happen due to several factors:
- If the jewelry is new, then a possible reason is the presence of metal in the ligature, to which an individual reaction manifests itself. Like, for example, the same allergy to nickel. In rare cases, copper can also cause allergies.
- Old earrings can cause pain if hormonal changes have occurred in a woman’s body. This condition can be caused by both certain diseases and physiological conditions of the body, for example, pregnancy.
- If earrings are not worn constantly, but periodically, such a reaction may occur if during the period when the jewelry was not worn, the holes begin to heal. As it heals, connective tissue forms, which is damaged when the earrings are reinserted into the ears, causing inflammation.
- People with hypersensitive skin should avoid wearing gold earrings altogether.
- Also, prolonged wearing of large earrings can cause pain.
If pain occurs, the earrings should be removed for a while and then put back on. If the pain does not go away, then perhaps they are not worth wearing at all. As a last resort, if the pain is very severe or there are traces of an inflammatory reaction and does not go away, you should consult a doctor.
After determining the cause of the darkening of the gold, it is necessary to clean the jewelry. This can be done with a brush and toothpaste, ammonia or a regular soap solution. If the plaque is poorly cleaned, then the cause of the darkening of the gold is most likely iodine or iodine-containing substances. After removing the plaque, you need to treat the area where the skin comes into contact with the jewelry and your ears with alcohol or another antiseptic, and then try wearing them again.
A phenomenon such as the darkening of gold is often accompanied by explanations from others, which can sometimes even cause fear. As you can see, the reason could be much simpler and safer.
