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Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth black?

L

lucyruth

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
202
...could it be that it's not really platinum? :shock:

It is the vintage new old stock plat setting I just got on eBay... Haven't sent or taken it anywhere yet as I'm waiting to be 100% sure I want to reset my diamond in it.

So I noticed it looking dingy. Actually it's always been dingy since I got it. I haven't worn it as my fingers are too fat for it right now.

I looked at it today and realized that I'm not sure I love it due to the gray dull appearance. So I dug out a jeweler's polishing cloth that I picked up and went to work on it. Black marks on the cloth like it was old silver! Lots and lots of black. And the ring is now shiny! BUT, I thought platinum wasn't supposed to tarnish?!?

Yikes! Not sure how to tell for sure. Could take it somewhere I guess but I hate the scratch/acid test.

What do you think? I'm about to email the seller and ask if they ever tested it but they are high volume so they might now even remember the ring!

My huge fear is its not new old stock platinum but new silver repro! Kills me to even write that. It is marked platinum but so what...
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

Polishing cloth (one of three I turned black)
Then a shiny ring - platinum?

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Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

Interesting because I always thought platinum did not tarnish. Did a quick search and while I found several articles about polishing cloths turning black after polishing silver and silver plate, I did not find anything about it doing so after polishing platinum. Could your platinum ring have been plated? Was it really dirty? Now that it is clean, did it happen again?

While this is a cozy section of the board, it does not as busy as Rocky Talk. You should ask the moderators to move this thread over there as it will get more attention.
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

I guess it was dirty from sitting around for a long time. Don't know how long it would take to tarnish if silver!

I did ask to have it moved; thanks!
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

This is a dorky and inconclusive test, but since it's the evening and until you can get to a jeweler ... Try just weighing it in the palm of your hand vs a silver ring around the same size. Die cast platinum will be a LOT heavier (or use a little food scale or something if you have one - the one I bought a month ago for dieting has come in much handier for weighing jewelry, lol). I would guess as old stock it could just have been VERY dirty - I was digging the crud out of my similar filigree setting for AGES.
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

Circe, that's great! I weighed and unfortunately don't have a silver ring but its less than my Jabel plat bands. It's 2.7g, they are a bit higher and feel heavier. I went online and looked at repro silver filigree type mounts and they were mostly less, say in the 1.9-2.2g range. But the plat ones I saw online were mostly heavier. This seems to be right in between! I'm a little encouraged by this though. Perhaps it was just cruddy and is very delicate?

I guess I'll have to book it to a jeweler tomorrow and ask. Hard to do with three little ones along! :wink2:
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

I've read that platinum does tarnish, just not as fast as other metals, so if it's been sitting around for years it makes sense it would have tarnished.
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

Who did you buy it from? I think the best course of action would be to have it tested by a jeweler.
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

Bought it on eBay from oldtreasures.... I'm going to take it to a jeweler soon. Just hard to with so many itty bitties...

Will update!
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

Oldtreasures333. I have bought from them. I think I saw your mounting in completed. He is definitely cheap with the pictures - 2 is all you get and there was not one of the hallmark. But he is pretty honest. They buy a lot of old stock, so I am going to say imo that it was probably dirt and just needed a good cleaning.
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

I went at it again with the cloth and its def shiny now... Filled a couple more cloths with black. Finally the black stopped coming. With silver I've found there's no end to the oxidation using one of those cloths. The hallmark looks fine. It's prob just filthy, you're right.
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

It sure looks shiny in your picture!
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

I don't think it has anything to do with your ring (or the material it's made of). I believe it has to do with the cloth. Some polishing cloths contain "buffing" compounds (sort of like this: http://www.pjtool.com/6pcjewelersrougeandpolishingcompoundkit.aspx?gclid=CJzv9om34bcCFQdk7Aods1UApg) and that's what makes the black marks (the black marks are not tarnish from your jewelry). I have used polishing cloths for years, on all kinds of metals, and the black marks occur with all of them.
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

Well that last idea makes me feel a lot better! I never thought of that!
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

It’s definitely just the polishing cloth. I just polished a couple of my platinum bands and grabbed the polishing cloth so see if there was any difference in marks left on the cloth between the ones I polished and the ones that have been sitting in my jewelry box. They all left the same black marks on the cloth. That setting is beautiful, by the way!
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

Thank you! I feel 100% better about it! Thanks one the compliment. I do like it. But it's too tight too wear now (4 months pregnant). So the motivation to reset is not there. I don't want to size as it will fit me I hope in about 9 months or so..... First world problems!
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

Platinum jewelry is not 100% platinum. Look up the other metals used as alloys, and I'd wager that some or all of them do oxidize. I've bought old platinum rings and they were dull & darker gray, like a cast iron color. So, something in the mix definitely does tarnish.
 
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

That's prob a factor. It's just stamped platinum so I don't know what else is in it. It was a dull gray at first!
 
Sorry to reply on a very old post but where did you read that? I have seen many very very old pieces of platinum jewelry but no signs of tarnish. In fact, Platinum is actually very difficult to oxidise.
We have ourselves been working with platinum for quite a few years now & never seen our old pieces tarnish.

Diamondless said:
Re: Why does my antique plat ring turn my polishing cloth bl

I've read that platinum does tarnish, just not as fast as other metals, so if it's been sitting around for years it makes sense it would have tarnished.
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