Polishing platinum

[heather318]

I have a platinum engagement ring and wanted to get it polished to hopefully get some of the scratches out of it. Is this usually something that they can do quickly, and while you are standing there? Or is it something that takes a little longer? Does this depend on the jeweler?

Also, how effective is this for removing scratches?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I would wait for at least a year to 6 months and see if you prefer it once it develops a patina - most people do.
if you get hooked on super shiny you will polish it away in 10 years

 

[monarch64]

I''d plan on leaving your ring for at least an hour at your jeweler''s if they will even agree to do it same day. And I completely agree with Gary, if your ring is relatively new, wait a little longer and see how you feel about the patina that will develop over time. One of the very few and minor drawbacks to plat. is that it does not remain shiny and new looking for very long with daily wear, but it is something that many people come to accept and love about it. I didn''t have my plat. rings polished for 4+ years and just recently had a "light" polish done and they looked almost brand new again, I almost missed the patina because I''d grown so used to it!

 

[rainydaze]

i waited 6 years to polish my platinum rings and they were brought back to new with it. it took about 10 minutes, while i waited. the jeweler did it for free, since i bought the rings from them. since i wore them 24/7 and am not gentle with my hands, they were moderately scratched up again within a month, but so it goes with platinum. i did read in another thread it is not recommended to polish too frequently - once a year, no more, and less frequently if you can stand it, seemed to be the recommendation.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 10/31/2007 2:27:55 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
I would wait for at least a year to 6 months and see if you prefer it once it develops a patina - most people do.
if you get hooked on super shiny you will polish it away in 10 years

I only wear WG, so admittedly don''t know a lot about Platinum. And maybe I have misunderstood some postings about it, but I thought I read that the benefit to Platinum over over WG was that with Plat, when you polished it, it just smooshed the metal back over/into the scratches,( just moved it around), instead of actually rubbing it down/away to a smooth finish again.

Did I misunderstand?

 

[belle]

Date: 10/31/2007 8:48:25 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 10/31/2007 2:27:55 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
I would wait for at least a year to 6 months and see if you prefer it once it develops a patina - most people do.
if you get hooked on super shiny you will polish it away in 10 years

I only wear WG, so admittedly don''t know a lot about Platinum. And maybe I have misunderstood some postings about it, but I thought I read that the benefit to Platinum over over WG was that with Plat, when you polished it, it just smooshed the metal back over/into the scratches,( just moved it around), instead of actually rubbing it down/away to a smooth finish again.

Did I misunderstand?

that is what i recall too ellen.

maybe we''re both on the wrong planet though

 

[Ellen]

Date: 10/31/2007 8:55:18 AM
Author: belle
that is what i recall too ellen.

maybe we''re both on the wrong planet though

Hmmm. Well, if we are, we''re in good company.

 

[echelon6]

Normal wear caused scratches on platinum moves the metal apart, with no material loss of platinum

Polishing however does remove platinum, and it is reasonable to expect that after 10 years of bi-annual polishing, a plat ring can wear down. This is what I recall from reading

 

[Ellen]

Date: 10/31/2007 9:41:39 AM
Author: echelon6
Normal wear caused scratches on platinum moves the metal apart, with no material loss of platinum

Polishing however does remove platinum, and it is reasonable to expect that after 10 years of bi-annual polishing, a plat ring can wear down. This is what I recall from reading

I went in search of, only because I was positive I had read what I and belle recalled. I found this thread by you, among others, which seems to indicate we were correct? (See neatfreak and John Q''s posts) Seems it''s an "insignificant" amount?

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-causes-platinum-patina-exactly.66725/

 

[heather318]

Thank you all for your replies. The patina doesn''t bother me because it is on the back of the ring and there isn''t any on the front.. I just look at it as character! There are just two larger scratches towards the sides on both sides that kinda bugged me, but I don''t think I would risk wearing off some of the platinum to get them polished out..

 

[echelon6]

Date: 10/31/2007 10:22:51 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 10/31/2007 9:41:39 AM

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Normal wear caused scratches on platinum moves the metal apart, with no material loss of platinum


Polishing however does remove platinum, and it is reasonable to expect that after 10 years of bi-annual polishing, a plat ring can wear down. This is what I recall from reading

I went in search of, only because I was positive I had read what I and belle recalled. I found this thread by you, among others, which seems to indicate we were correct? (See neatfreak and John Q''s posts) Seems it''s an ''insignificant'' amount?


https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-causes-platinum-patina-exactly.66725/

Thanks Ellen I remember that thread established that an amount of Pt is lost during polishing, albeit "insignificant". So technically speaking, Pt is lost. I thought the others were arguing that there was NO Pt lost at all, which I thought was wrong.

 

[Ellen]

Well actually, we were both right. But my real point was, I don't see it being polished away in 10 years.

 

[echelon6]

I see where you''re coming from and I think its speculation really, whether 10 years worth of polishing leaves a noticeable effect on a Pt ring. Could go both ways, depending on the polisher and how he/she tends to do things.