EEK my WF ring is starting to rust!!

[jaz464]

Has anyone had this problem before. The ring is less than 6 months old. The area where the head is placed onto the shank, on the inside is starting to rust. It is a dry, dark reddish color. It was where the 2 pieces were welded together. What caused this? I don''t wash it with anything harsh. The rust is starting to come around the corner, to the side of the shank. Please, help!

 

[msdarlinjoy]

Oh No!

That''s not good! I don''t know what would have caused this, I know someone will be able to figure this out, and I hope it doesn''t spread anymore.

Can you take it to the jeweler who made the setting and have them look at it?

I don''t know what to say, other than, try not to be scared ... I am sure it can be fixed, just figuring out what happened, so it won''t happen again!

Hug to you!

Others will chime in soon!

 

[Mara]

how odd! i have never heard of that before!

maybe you DO need to wash it with some chemicals? ultrasonic? sorry i have no info to assist but i would just call WF tomorrow and address it with them. good luck!

 

[AndyRosse]

Wow, never heard of that! Can you post a pic?

 

[Kaleigh]

Yikes!! Call WF tomorrow. No clue why that would happen. Good luck!!!

 

[strmrdr]

what material is the ring made of?
Sounds like a chemical reaction of some sort.
Does it come off with a soft brush and soapy water?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I would be curious to see a picture as well. How odd.

 

[MissAva]

Oh wow I have never heard of that happening with fine jewelry. *hugs* What does it look like? Have you taken any pictures, would you post them?
I would call Whiteflash first thing in the morning, and send your rep an email detailing what the problem is where it is and photos of the problem. The more information the easier it will be for them to know what happened and how to make it right.
Hopefully it is not rust.

 

[TheDoctor]

What is the ring made of?
If 14 k white gold, it is likely an example of over-usage of less than great quality solder, and thin rhoduim plating.
If yellow gold, you need to go to a higher karat, girl. your body chemistry is causing the reaction with the alloys.
If platinum, well, the solder is too plentiful and of a low quality.

It''s not "rust", but a reaction to something you or your environment produces. Try a thorough cleaning...it could be cookie dough....festering...sorry, but people get the darndest corruption stuck to their rings!

 

[Kaleigh]

jazmine,
Can you post some pics for us??

 

[jaz464]

It's a platinum ring. Here is a pic of the ring. I cannot get a good close up of the rust though. The rust is happening on the inside of the two curved pieces holding up the head. I clean my ring each day with dawn and warm water. Once a week I use ammonia and warm water. I clean it with a soft toothbrush. I have not tried to get the rust off. I don't know if I should. I'm sure I will be sending it back to Whiteflash tomorrow. I want them to be able to see where the rust is.

 

[Carlotta]

Don''t think gold/platinum can rust.

But it could be where the ring was heated/soldered, and now it is "turning" like white gold rings that need to be plated.....but you said it''s supposed to be plat....hmmmmmm...

 

[jaz464]

Yes, rust may not be the right word. It is right where the 2 pieces are soldered or welded together. My fiance said that when we first got the ring it was rough inside of there and he had wondered if anything like this would happen later on. Thanks for letting me know now!

Do you all think I should try to get it off, with a brush or something? I'm guessing it would just come back. I don't want to clean it off. I want WF to fix it.

The inside where the "rust" is occuring is not shiny platinum like the shank. It looks like it was never finished.

 

[Mara]

the doctor just said that it wouldn''t be rust...but some sort of chemical reaction. i wouldn''t imagine platinum could rust either. i would try to get the stuff off....why send it out if it just needs a good cleaning?? if there is ever anything funky about my ring, i clean the heck out of it. we have had a few other gals here who thought they had something wrong with their ring and all it needed was a good cleaning at their local jeweler.

 

[MissAva]

Any chance of going to a B&M/mall store and asking them to clean it for you?

 

[valeria101]

Some sort of solder marks I'd guess... although I wonder if that can be the case on a paved ring. If so cleaning will not do much. Not sure what is done about them, but it is possible to mask the spots (plating?). It shouldn't take long and how difficult such a touch up might be depends on what is going on in the area - is there pave nearby etc. WF should be able to answer this way better and fix the glitch too.

 

[jaz464]

I emailed Bob and I'm sure I will hear from him tomorrow. I will ask him if I should try to remove the "rust" myself or send it back.

Yes, in the inside of that area, there is no plating. If it was plated, this might not happen.

 

[TheDoctor]

One of the most misunderstood aspects of platinum assembly is the solder.
Platinum solder actaully contains very little platiinum.
It is formulated to flow easily and make attachments fairly sound.
I say "fairly".
As long as there is aenough surface-to surface contact, the solder will provide adequate security. What is may do, as a side-effect, is tarnish. It is made up of a combination of elements that work well, but may not provide trouble-free service over time.
From PM West''s website (a precious metals refiner)

"The first solders that actually contain 90 to 95% platinum have completed initial testing with rave reviews. These solders solve many of the problems associated with previous platinum solders, such as porosity, unsightly seams, poor color and a simple lack of platinum. The new “Plumb Platinum” solders are available in 3 different flows, making platinum work much more reliable than in the past."

This may be what the problem has its roots in. Solders are problematic, but some of the refiners are developing better ones. Hopefully, manufacturers will get rid of the old crap.

 

[moon river]

Yikes!!! Could it be some sort of ''patina'' from the solder? Maybe some of the alloys coming through or something? I highly doubt rust but it''s not something I would want to live with. Let us know what it is so we can be informed if it ever happens to us. I hope you don''t have to go without your fabulous ring too long.

 

[MissGotRocks]

I know the answer to this one! I bought three prong martini earring settings from WF and they did the same thing! Right where the head was soldered to the post. I contacted WF and they offered to let me send them back but that seemed sort of foolish so I used some copper cleaner - Wright''s Copper Cleaner to be exact - it is in a red and white container and is sort of a paste with a spong. The discoloring came right off. It is not rust but obviously a chemical reaction of some sort. Must be in the weld - and maybe our skin just reacts with it somehow. I clean my earrings everyday so it wasn''t because of being dirty or built up or anything. I will see how long it takes to happen again. However, if it was my ering I might think about sending it back to them to find out the exact cause. It''s not a major deal but it''s not quite right either!

If you do send it back, please let me know what they say!

 

[jaz464]

Oh thanks for that response Missgotrocks. How long ago did this happen?

 

[MissGotRocks]

Probably about a month ago. I emailed Lesley and she told me that they were from Stuller and that they had never had a problem. As I said, they offered for me to send them back but I decided to try the copper cleaner first. It worked but there is an ever so faint tinge coming back. As I said, with earrings it''s no big deal. Even if it didn''t come off you wouldn''t see it. If it was a ring, however, I''d want a little better fix. I''m sure they will respond to you tomorrow. Good luck!

 

[moon river]

So is it the way your body chemistry reacts to the solder?

 

[RockDoc]

It is very possible that the word that would be fitting here is oxidation . Alloys used with precious metals do have a tendancy to oxidize.

For instance, when silver turns black or tarnishes it is oxidation.

As the other Doctor wrote..... solder has been problematic.

Electro cleaning ( the reverse of electro-plating ) is probably what is needed so it gets to the difficult smaller areas that you appear to be writing about.

This you cannot do at home.

Rockdoc

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 4/2/2006 8:38:39 PM
Author: RockDoc


Electro cleaning ( the reverse of electro-plating ) is probably what is needed so it gets to the difficult smaller areas that you appear to be writing about.


This you cannot do at home.


Rockdoc

Is that anything like and acid bath?

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 4/2/2006 8:44:30 PM
Author: mrssalvo

Date: 4/2/2006 8:38:39 PM
Author: RockDoc


Electro cleaning ( the reverse of electro-plating ) is probably what is needed so it gets to the difficult smaller areas that you appear to be writing about.


This you cannot do at home.


Rockdoc

Is that anything like and acid bath?

Not sure...... It could be if the cleaner is acid or acid based. But I think not.

Rockdoc

 

[kenny]

Have you been cooking with tomato paste again?

Have you been working in red clay.

It may be some foreign material that got on there.

Do you have a loupe and a good light?

I wouldn't mail it back till I've ruled out gunk.

 

[jaz464]

It absolutely is not dirt of any kind. I never wear my ring for anything dirtier than driving my car and pushing a shopping cart. Each night, it soaks in warm soapy water. I can actually see where the plating stops and where the "rust" begin. It looks just like rust on a car.

 

[SuzyQZ]

Jazmine:
What a terrible discovery! I''m sure WF will make everything right, but I can only imagine your anxiety. Keep us posted as to what they say the problem is and if it can be prevented from recurring again. Don''t worry, I''m confident everything will work itself out!

 

[TravelingGal]

FYI, Bob at Whiteflash is on vacation this week, so you may not hear from him until next week...

Sorry to hear about your ring...that is a bit disconcerting!