Problems with Blue Nile

[Kaleigh]

Date: 1/14/2009 8:24:08 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 1/14/2009 4:08:26 PM
Author: Rockdiamond
Yes- that''s great that the resolution was acceptable to you!


The conversation about white gold was not exactly correct though....

White gold should stay white- period.

Yes, rhodium plating will brighten the color of white gold- but if you''re seeing yellow, that''s a different story entirely.

What that sounds like is a yellow gold ring which was plated white. In that case, yes, it''s reasonable to expect the white to turn yellow.

But NOT if it''s properly alloyed 14, or even 18kt white gold.

This isn''t true IMO. It does start to yellow. What it doesn''t do is turn into yellow gold. But that doesn''t mean that it won''t start yellowing more and thus achieve a yellow cast to the metal.

Ditto.

 

[Rockdiamond]

I suppose I''m using personal experience....but in a different way than you guys that own ad wear white gold.
Most of the time I see white gold when it''s newly finished out of the factory.
When rings come back after being worn- especially for extended periods of heavy wear- the metal looks really.....dingy.

I have found this to be true of every white metal.
Sometimes platinum rings come back for re-sizing- and they look ....gray!
But after a re-polish the metal should look white again.
SO it''s kind of true for all white metals.

If someone purchased a white gold ring and there''s noticeable yellowing, then I would say that''s a reason to ask the seller to step in and fix the problem.
I mean, you should be able to buy white gold and get a satisfactory product.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 1/14/2009 10:13:29 PM
Author: Rockdiamond
I suppose I'm using personal experience....but in a different way than you guys that own ad wear white gold.

Most of the time I see white gold when it's newly finished out of the factory.

When rings come back after being worn- especially for extended periods of heavy wear- the metal looks really.....dingy.


I have found this to be true of every white metal.

Sometimes platinum rings come back for re-sizing- and they look ....gray!

But after a re-polish the metal should look white again.

SO it's kind of true for all white metals.


If someone purchased a white gold ring and there's noticeable yellowing, then I would say that's a reason to ask the seller to step in and fix the problem.

I mean, you should be able to buy white gold and get a satisfactory product.

I still disagree with ya. White gold is yellow gold mixed with something else to make it appear white. But because there is yellow gold in the mix, when unplated, it almost always looks yellowish. If it were white in the first place many people wouldn't bother re-rhodium plating it all the time especially because gold doesn't tend to develop scratches as easily as platinum...

I agree that as rings get beat up they look dingy, but that is a different issue than the one at hand.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 1/14/2009 10:21:28 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 1/14/2009 10:13:29 PM
Author: Rockdiamond
I suppose I''m using personal experience....but in a different way than you guys that own ad wear white gold.

Most of the time I see white gold when it''s newly finished out of the factory.

When rings come back after being worn- especially for extended periods of heavy wear- the metal looks really.....dingy.


I have found this to be true of every white metal.

Sometimes platinum rings come back for re-sizing- and they look ....gray!

But after a re-polish the metal should look white again.

SO it''s kind of true for all white metals.


If someone purchased a white gold ring and there''s noticeable yellowing, then I would say that''s a reason to ask the seller to step in and fix the problem.

I mean, you should be able to buy white gold and get a satisfactory product.

I still disagree with ya. White gold is yellow gold mixed with something else to make it appear white. But because there is yellow gold in the mix, when unplated, it almost always looks yellowish. If it were white in the first place many people wouldn''t bother re-rhodium plating it all the time especially because gold doesn''t tend to develop scratches as easily as platinum...

I agree that as rings get beat up they look dingy, but that is a different issue than the one at hand.

I disagree too, so another ditto. NF, you make a good point as always.

 

[strmrdr]

I have to agree with NF also.
The only white gold that is actually white is the 14k x1 alloys.
The 18k x1 type are pretty close.
The rest are yellowish off-white when not plated.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Well, I guess for you guys, platinum, or 14kt white gold is the only answer1
But there is a tremendous amount of 18kt white gold sold by some of the most prestigious sellers in the world- so a lot of people actually can buy and wear 18kt white gold.

I also feel that a person buying white gold in 18karat has the right to expect a white metal- if they see something else, they should expect satisfaction from the seller.

As a side note- we''''ve sold hundreds of rings in white gold over the past few years- not one has come back due to yellowing.

 

[elmo]

+3 on NF's reply. The benchmark PS article on this by John Pollard is here. Compare #2 in the photo which is rhodium plated with #3 which is unplated. Quite a difference, especially the contrast as the rhodium starts to wear off. But I agree with you David that as platinum wears it looks more gray than white, something else for folks to be aware of when choosing - either you like the gray patina or you still need maintenance.

 

[Judah Gutwein]

Agent9,

Really glad this all worked out for you...and yes, this forum is a great place!

This converation is really interesting..

The "gray" in the platinum over time, is what they call a patina or a burnished/matte finish, which is completely unique to this metal.

In fact, the analogy I would use to describe the aesthetic difference between white gold and platinum over time (they look very similar, if not identical straight out of the showcase..) is kinda like the difference between a glossy photograph and a matte finish photograph. You are always given this choice when you go to have your pictures developed. Some people go for one look over the other and of course, this is a personal and subjective choice.

The other way to differentiate between the two metals right away, is in the weight of the two pieces. Take two identical rings, one in plat and one in gold and of course the platinum ring is heavier.

I always joke around about this platinum patina and the people who love and swear by the look.....

For someone to showcase a platinum ring right out of the display window, you'd have to pry the ring off her finger to feel the substantial weight before you realize that the ring is plat.

Of course, if anybody gets that close to your gals finger/ring, you'd probably have 'em arrested straight away!

However, over time, when the patina really kicks in given the daily wear of the platinum metal, all of a sudden, all you need to do is look at the ring..and you know its platinum..

Now you can show off the platinum, without having to take the ring off!!! (this is a joke, of course!)

With respect to gold and as others here have pointed out, there really is no such thing as white gold being able to retain the same pure white look over time, same as a truly white metal like platinum or palladium (Palladium is a derivative and byproduct of mined nickel..it is a purified white metal which is used in place of nickel, since some people have shown an allergic reaction to nickel. Palladium actually came about as a non toxic, hypoallergenic metal for surgical use...can you believe that!)

The simple reason for this, is because gold in its purest form is not white. Instead, it is yellow or a derivative thereof (Russian gold, Israeli gold etc. all have their own hues, tinges and subtleties..).

Thus, it needs to be "created" / plated in some type of process to give it its white coloration.

Depending on this process (some manufacturers are better at it than others..) it will tend to fade over time, where the original yellow color will start to reassert itself. This phenomenon is almost inevitable.

These are the kind of rings you might see your friends wearing, where you kind of wonder..is it white or yellow??
Basically, they are white gold pieces that need to be re-dipped etc.

Sorry for the long post.....

 

[ImpatientOne]

Date: 1/3/2009 6:34:29 PM
Author: deegee
White gold doesn''t work well with my skin. My rings need replated after only about 3 months, and it costs $40 per ring (I have 3) each time. I have a necklace that doesn''t touch my skin, and I have never had to have it replated. I plan to have my rings reset in platinum so that I don''t have to keep having them replated all the time!

I replaced my original WG setting with a more expensive setting thinking my first one was just poor quality, but I have decided it is my body chemistry that''s the problem since my second setting does the same thing.

Me, too! After a year with white gold having to be replated every few months, I upgraded to platinum abd have never loked back! I only wish I had gotten the platinum to begin with...

 

[Rockdiamond]

The physics are clear- gold is a yellow metal, and 18kt is 75% gold- so it is harder to mask the yellow color.
I am not doubting those that have had problems. Hopefully the sellers of these problem pieces have taken responsibility and fixed the problem.

In spite of this, white gold can be made correctly.
I can speak of personal experience.
One time I did have our guys make a massive gents ring in 18kt white gold- and that was a disaster. It wasn''t the yellowing as much as the difficulty in working with a large item in 18kt white. There was porosity, and it was un-fixable.

18kt white does have properties that make it difficult to work ( compared to 14kt white, or 18kt yellow)
But other than that large men''s ring we''ve never had a problem.

It could be that our factory has the correct experience in alloying the metal.

We''d know if there was a problem because we offer a lifetime warranty- we''d replace a ring if it had yellowed.
Never one complaint about yellowing- and as I said we''ve got quite a few white gold rings out there.

I still recommend platinum - or 14kt white gold- over 18kt white- we all agree 18kt white is not the optimum choice.
But there are sellers offering it that do it correctly.
Tiffany''s sells a lot of 18kt white gold.....are they ...wrong?


Judah- would you accept an order for an 18kt white gold ring, or decline on the basis that the metal will yellow?

 

[Judah Gutwein]

David,

I accept orders on everything!

Best,

 

[DebShine]

I had no idea that is one reason why metals got so schmutzy looking. No wonder I couldn''t clean my ring to the point of in-store prettiness... boy, don''t I feel dumb!

 

[tlh]

Glad you had a happy result!