How to Make a Yellowing White Gold Ring Sparkle Again
White gold rings don't look the same forever. Wear and time can give these rings a yellowish hue. Why does this happen, and what can you do to get your ring's original colour back?
Why Does White Gold Turn Yellow?
Gold is always yellow. While your ring looked white when you first got it, this white hue wasn't natural. It was added to the piece during its manufacture.
Typically, jewellers coat gold with substances like rhodium to create white gold effects. This metallic element covers the natural yellow colour of gold and turns it into a brighter platinum-like material.
However, this colour is basically a plating on top of the gold. As time passes, you may notice that your ring loses its shiny white appearance and starts to look a dull, creamy yellow.
Basically, when this happens, the original rhodium coating is wearing off. The yellow tinge you can see is the gold underneath the plating that is now showing through.
This happens naturally with white gold. If you only wear your ring occasionally, then it may take years to get to this stage. However, if you wear a white gold ring every day and never take it off, then it may lose its colour more quickly.
Can You Make Your Ring White Again?
While you might assume that your ring has changed colour because it needs a clean, this isn't usually the case with white gold pieces. If you give the ring a good scrub, all you'll do is remove more of the rhodium plating.
A jeweller can help, however. You can restore white gold to its original colour by having it re-plated with rhodium. Here, your jeweller adds a new coating to the ring which makes it look white again.
Will the Ring Stay White After Re-Plating?
Once your ring has a new coating of rhodium, it will look like it did originally. However, this coating, like the original one, will also wear off over time. So, you may need to repeat this process in the future if your ring looks yellow again.
When you take your ring into your jewellery repair shop, ask the jeweller for advice on how to keep the coating in good shape for longer. For example, your jeweller may recommend that you take the ring off when you do housework or go for a swim. This should prevent some wear to its rhodium coat.
To learn more about jewellery repair, contact a jeweller in your area.