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help damaged antique from acid test

Kvintage

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
46
yesterday i went to a high end jewelry store one hour from my house and got my antique cluster ring ultrasonic cleaned and sized. today i went to a local small store to see if they had any 18k old bands in my size. they did not and the owner took my ring and without my permission acid tested the top silver prongs. i told him they were silver and he said no their platinum or white gold they would not use silver with 18k yellow gold and my rings not old its in good shape. now my ring is badly tarnished on some of the silver prongs. i called the high end store. they said the stones have to be removed and it has to be polished. they said it could damage or weaken the silver prongs because its an old ring. what should i do? how much is this going to cost? will my ring be ok? i dont know why the guy would touch my ring like that. i was just looking for a gold band.!!!
 

Kvintage

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
46
Ring before acid test 20210114_130156.jpg
 

Kvintage

Rough_Rock
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Jan 21, 2020
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46
Ring after 20210114_162853.jpg
 

Kvintage

Rough_Rock
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46
Ring after acid test 20210114_163205.jpg
 

Bron357

Ideal_Rock
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Jan 22, 2014
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6,532
what! I would have ripped shreds (verbally) from him.
Acid testing ON fine jewellery should NEVER happen.
The correct way to use acids to test metal content is to rub a small amount of the metal to be tested onto the touchstone and apply acid to that.
Silver was regularly used in fine jewellery in Georgian and Victorian times! It’s actually a way of helping to date antique jewellery.
Is the guy an idiot or something?
The acid won’t have structurally compromised the silver prongs and I don’t believe the diamonds need to be unmounted just for a repolish. It can be buffed out by a competent jeweller using jewellers rouge and a wheel. This is what jewellers have to do to remove solder marks.
You first could try using a product called ”Tarn Off it’s a liquid metal cleaner for silver. It won’t damage the diamonds. 985A06BF-AEB8-4133-840E-B50D584E4BA5.jpeg You would need a soft toothbrush to dip into the liquid and then brush away at the prongs. Rinse in hot water and then use a soft cloth to polish.
 

Kvintage

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
46
will this damage the yellow gold? the tarnish is under the diamonds. i told him the silver meant that it was old and he said its wasn't worn. i just had it cleaned it looked perfect.
 

Redwoods-hiker-girl

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 1, 2014
Messages
663
will this damage the yellow gold? the tarnish is under the diamonds. i told him the silver meant that it was old and he said its wasn't worn. i just had it cleaned it looked perfect.

The bottle's label states it can be used on gold, so I'd assume that it's safe. Good luck!
 

Kvintage

Rough_Rock
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Jan 21, 2020
Messages
46
he acid tested it for gold or platinum. i dont know what the different acids used on different metals are .
 

stracci2000

Ideal_Rock
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Jun 26, 2007
Messages
8,342

Your ring is beautiful!!!
I would bring that ring right back to the jeweler and have him remove that tarnish spot immediately.
You could use Tarn-X, as @Bron357 suggested, washing it thoroughly with soap and water right afterward. However, since the jeweler did it, he needs to remedy the situation.

But on another note, I'm gonna defend Tarn-X.
I use it all the time on my sterling serving pieces and also my jewelry.
Firstly, the awful before and after photos in that article are deceptive. The 'after' pieces obviously need hand polishing.
I think that point was deliberately omitted.
And I'm not even going to talk about uneducated people who remove the patina from antiques!
Tarn-X should be applied sparingly and immediately after achieving the results, it should be washed from all surfaces with soap and water. Then the pieces need to be hand polished.
OK--I'm off my soap box!
 
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Kvintage

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
46
how would i polish the prongs? its under the diamonds. would i run the risk of damaging the prongs? i dont want to loosen the diamonds. i dont want the acid test guy to touch it again. i have an appointment with the high end jeweler on Wednesday.
 
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kgizo

Ideal_Rock
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Dec 14, 2009
Messages
2,603
they said the stones have to be removed and it has to be polished. they said it could damage or weaken the silver prongs because its an old ring

To clarify, is the high end jeweler saying the acid test could weaken the silver or the removal of the diamonds and polish could weaken the silver? Is the damage just on the halo stones at 8 and 9 o’clock?
When you see the high end jeweler I would ask about Tarn-X and if they don’t recommend using it then ask for a detailed estimate for them to repair, sleep on it, and if you decide to proceed take the estimate to the idiot jeweler and tell them they need to pay for the repair. I agree with you and would not let idiot jeweler touch your ring again. Take better photos of the damage in the event you need to escalate this.
 

Kvintage

Rough_Rock
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Jan 21, 2020
Messages
46
romans jewelers the high end jeweler said removing the stones in old rings could be like opening Pandora's box. i asked them about silver jewelry cleaner and they said no. i asked about ultrasonic cleaning it again and they said it wouldn't remove tarnish. i will have to be polished.
 

Rfisher

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 19, 2013
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romans jewelers the high end jeweler said removing the stones in old rings could be like opening Pandora's box. i asked them about silver jewelry cleaner and they said no. i asked about ultrasonic cleaning it again and they said it wouldn't remove tarnish. i will have to be polished.

If the high end jeweler you are taking about doesn’t have much experience with working on antiques- I wouldn’t have them do the work. With them mentioning Pandora’s box, they are either shying away because they don’t want to do it, or just preparing you for worst case possibilities. Like opening walls in an old house. Plus - if they aren’t that experienced in working on old rings and having them look like they once did - you may be ending up worse off in the end, with period inappropriate work done. (Have had that happen myself)
I wouldn’t attempt polishing it myself, either. Because I am lazy and I’d want the black removed from underneath the stones as well.
I would send it to someone with experience in antique ring resto/repair and expect the whack job jeweler that got you into this situation to cover the costs.
I wouldn’t take them to court over it - but I’d sure try to get them to be somehow responsible.

Signed- Karen
and that’s ok in this situation.
 

Kvintage

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
46
From their website. I just got my ring sized they they did a great job. ( first picture) Screenshot_20210115-165938_Chrome.jpg Screenshot_20210115-165911_Chrome.jpg
 

Kvintage

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
46
the Pandora comment was from the sales lady. i think it was the "legal disclaimer talk" they said they would take care of it and be carful.
 

Kvintage

Rough_Rock
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Jan 21, 2020
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46
i dont know where else i would take it. in in new jersey by the Pennsylvania border
 

kgizo

Ideal_Rock
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Dec 14, 2009
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2,603
Where did you purchase the ring? Could you ask them for advice / repair recommendation?
 

ItsMainelyYou

Ideal_Rock
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Jun 27, 2014
Messages
4,747
Do you have a yellow sunshine cloth handy? It's not going to damage the metal or stones. A quick buff with that could go a long way to at least polishing the visible silverwork. If visually there is still an issue, then explore the unmount and repair options.
 

Kvintage

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
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46
bought in private sale
 

Kvintage

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
46
Do you have a yellow sunshine cloth handy? It's not going to damage the metal or stones. A quick buff with that could go a long way to at least polishing the visible silverwork. If visually there is still an issue, then explore the unmount and repair options.

i love the rings in your thumbnail. i dont know what a sunshine cloth is
 

ItsMainelyYou

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 27, 2014
Messages
4,747
i love the rings in your thumbnail. i dont know what a sunshine cloth is

41Nnm-NyjML._AC_.jpg Thank you!
A Sunshine cloth (blue or yellow colored is fine) is a non abrasive jewelry cloth with a mild tarnish remover you can find on Amazon or local stores like Walmart/Target etc, jewelry stores sometimes carry them as well. It will help with the tarnish on the top prongs without damaging metal/stones. You have a beautiful antique ring- try this less invasive option first. If more is needed then you can go from there.
 
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