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Can anyone identify a strange orange subtance set behind diamond???

R

Richard Harris

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Mar 26, 2020
Messages
10
Hi, I've just joined the forum.

I recently purchased a diamond ring and is has a strange hard orange substance set behind the stone. It doesn't seem to effect the colour of the stone from the front and it looks like it's intended to be there. It doesn't seem to be the result of some kind of bodged repair either? I'd love an answer to this so I can explain to a potential customer. many thanks, Richard.

SH4937 - 5.jpgSH4937 - 1.jpg
 
I have seen a polymer back filler in a couple rings made of silver, but not gold or platinum. There is evidence in your photos that the ring is hand assembled, or even hand made, and not just a 1 piece casting. I doubt you'd see any difference if you picked out the filler. It just might be an accumulation of dirt, etc that never was washed out. Put it in an ultrasonic and see what happens.
 
oldminer said:
I have seen a polymer back filler in a couple rings made of silver, but not gold or platinum. There is evidence in your photos that the ring is hand assembled, or even hand made, and not just a 1 piece casting. I doubt you'd see any difference if you picked out the filler. It just might be an accumulation of dirt, etc that never was washed out. Put it in an ultrasonic and see what happens.
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Thank you for your opinion Oldminer, much appreciated. It's pretty solid in there, I don't think it's dirt etc. The polymer seems to be a pretty good answer though.
 
Is the cavity completely filled with the substance? If so, ive never seen a dirt build up that bad lol. It must b put there on purpose.
 
No expert, here!! Just want to tell you what this looks like to MY eyes, based upon the photo provided.
Yellow gold.
It looks like yellow gold. Unpolished, yellow gold.
 
Matthews1127 said:
No expert, here!! Just want to tell you what this looks like to MY eyes, based upon the photo provided.
Yellow gold.
It looks like yellow gold. Unpolished, yellow gold.
Click to expand...

Oh! is that an illusion bc it looks see thru, rather than opaque.
 
Ok, I'll say it...this is bizarre lol! It looks like some kind of hardened gel. Seems somewhat transparent because you can see the light coming in from the diamond. I can't imagine why this would be put there.
 
Where’d you buy it? Might you ask the seller?
 
I have seen similar when someone was working with chemicals and the open area were trapping them against their skin and causing issues so a jeweler filled the void with epoxy.
 
Karl_K said:
I have seen similar when someone was working with chemicals and the open area were trapping them against their skin and causing issues so a jeweler filled the void with epoxy.
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Wow that makes sense. My husband gets contact dermatitis from water and the soap at the hospital he works at getting caught under his ring. Is this a good idea?
 
meesmom said:
Wow that makes sense. My husband gets contact dermatitis from water and the soap at the hospital he works at getting caught under his ring. Is this a good idea?
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It worked for at least one person.
 
Karl_K said:
I have seen similar when someone was working with chemicals and the open area were trapping them against their skin and causing issues so a jeweler filled the void with epoxy.
Click to expand...

Ah this makes sense, I think we have an answer!
 
Do you think the epoxy was originally that color or has it been turned orange/brown by age, exposure to products etc? It seems a clear epoxy would have been preferable.
 
1ofakind said:
Do you think the epoxy was originally that color or has it been turned orange/brown by age, exposure to products etc? It seems a clear epoxy would have been preferable.
Click to expand...
Many of the clear epoxies are not rated for skin contact even when cured but many clear when first cured epoxies quickly color so impossible to say.
It also looks like it was not put in a vacuum chamber to remove the bubbles before it was used.
Since most jewelers are not epoxy experts so that is to be expected and makes me lean even more to it being epoxy.

edit.. something(epoxy coated paper?) could have been put in there to keep the epoxy off the diamond adding color.
 
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I think it is a mass of these particles
1585290880394.png
 
meesmom said:
Is the cavity completely filled with the substance? If so, ive never seen a dirt build up that bad lol. It must b put there on purpose.
Click to expand...

Hi, yes it's completely filled, I'm pretty sure it's not dirt build up.
 
Matthews1127 said:
No expert, here!! Just want to tell you what this looks like to MY eyes, based upon the photo provided.
Yellow gold.
It looks like yellow gold. Unpolished, yellow gold.
Click to expand...

Hi, thank you, however I'm sure it's not metal, it has a rough hardened resin feel to it.
 
1ofakind said:
Do you think the epoxy was originally that color or has it been turned orange/brown by age, exposure to products etc? It seems a clear epoxy would have been preferable.
Click to expand...

That's a really good point, it did cross my mind that what ever it is may have "gone off" over the years.
 
Karl_K said:
Many of the clear epoxies are not rated for skin contact even when cured but many clear when first cured epoxies quickly color so impossible to say.
It also looks like it was not put in a vacuum chamber to remove the bubbles before it was used.
Since most jewelers are not epoxy experts so that is to be expected and makes me lean even more to it being epoxy.

edit.. something(epoxy coated paper?) could have been put in there to keep the epoxy off the diamond adding color.
Click to expand...

I think it may have made sense for the top to be foiled perhaps, then it would have reflected the light, but it's orange all the way through, no foil or similar.
 
If it were mine, I would very gently pick it out with a needle or sharp tweezers.
Using a loupe, and without scratching the metal, of course.
It will probably come out in one chunk, anyway.
It does indeed look like old epoxy, Perhaps the diamond was loose and a previous owner thought that would be the solution, who knows?
It wouldn't be the first time a lay person tried to fix fine jewelry with glue!
 
stracci2000 said:
If it were mine, I would very gently pick it out with a needle or sharp tweezers.
Using a loupe, and without scratching the metal, of course.
It will probably come out in one chunk, anyway.
It does indeed look like old epoxy, Perhaps the diamond was loose and a previous owner thought that would be the solution, who knows?
It wouldn't be the first time a lay person tried to fix fine jewelry with glue!
Click to expand...

I think this is going to go off to our jeweller to get removed, seems like the easiest solution! Thank you.
 
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