Can you re-cast band in dif. material?

[w@ntonsoup]

I''m sure this is a common question, so sorry if it''s been asked and answered dozens of times before!

Our rings are 14K yellow gold, and we''d love to have silver-colored rings. What are our options? Can you dip them in white gold every year? (How much is that?) Can you have them turned into a mold and recast in platinum? I''ve never researched this at all but I know it would make my wife very happy.

 

[jstarfireb]

I''m no expert, but I wouldn''t be surprised if you could dip yellow gold in rhodium in the same way that white gold is rhodium plated.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Date: 9/12/2008 2:21:41 PM
Author: jstarfireb
I''m no expert, but I wouldn''t be surprised if you could dip yellow gold in rhodium in the same way that white gold is rhodium plated.

Yes, you can. However it needs to be redipped quite frequently, as the yellow colour will be obvious faster than the faint yellow of white gold.

It is possible to create a mold from most rings, but any stones will have to be removed and then reset.

 

[w@ntonsoup]

Date: 9/12/2008 3:03:12 PM
Author: Lady_Disdain
However it needs to be redipped quite frequently, as the yellow colour will be obvious faster than the faint yellow of white gold.

Yeah I''d heard that so wasn''t sure if we wanted to go that route.

It is possible to create a mold from most rings, but any stones will have to be removed and then reset.

Any idea of the cost (of dipping or recasting) ?

 

[oldmancoyote]

Dipping (which is really electrolytic plating) is of the order of a few tens of $ (30 - 60 should cover it). Depending on how active a life you lead, how fussy/sensitive you are about yellow showing on the shank, the quality of the plating and your body chemistry, it will last from some weeks to some months of constant wear.

Getting even a ballpark estimate on the cost of recasting is tough without knowing what the current setting looks like and what material you'd want it in (rhodium-plated 14k WG? unplated 18k WG? palladium? platinum? stainless steel? titanium?), however I'd say that even for a very simple ring you are looking at a few hundred $ per ring in workmanship to unset, mould, cast, finish and re-set, plus the cost of materials. Some materials and shapes are unsuitable for casting, too, so there may be some constraints that would add considerably to the cost of replicating the pieces.

You would be almost certainly better off financially - if not emotionally - finding a setting in a white finish and moving any stones across; unless you had the rings custom made, it's very likely you'll be able to find the same design being offered in a different colour. Or you may take the opportunity to change to a different style.

 

[w@ntonsoup]

Thanks - how do I find a reliable/reputable custom jeweler than can handle recasting a band in a different material?

 

[MMT]

I just looked into this. My old setting was yellow gold and I wanted white. They said it would be 60-70 per ring. They say it will turn faster on different people. I have friends dipping every 6 months. I figure for that price I was better off buying a whole new setting. I love my new white gold setting. If I did it I was planning on taking it off alot for showering and cleaning to make it last longer. Good luck