There has been a lot
of controversy about gold discoloring with many speculations as to whether gold
discolors or not. The parlance “gold tarnish” is commonly used to refer to an
obvious deterioration of gold object which is often noticeable. The deterioration
could be in the form fading that is accompanied with an unappealing change in
color. Through the course of this blog, you would be presented with unequivocal
insight that clarifies this misunderstanding while explaining the various
parlances that pertains to gold.
When compared with
other elements, Gold has a distinctive quality of remaining unchanged by
environmental conditions. Absolute gold does not blend with oxygen which is why
it remains impervious to the effects of oxygen. For this reason, gold is
typically characterized by a flawless and glistening appearance and does not
corrode, or discolor. While this remains the case, getting absolute gold in
jewelry form can be a daunting task as most gold jewelries are fused with other
elements. Jewelry cannot be made with absolute gold because gold element is not
strong enough. To offset this challenge, jewelries must be alloyed by
introducing merging it with other metals which dilutes the purity of gold.
Contrary to pervasive
misconception, gold does not corrode.
However, the metals that is merged with gold particularly when making
jewelries is what is affected by oxygen, humidity and other environmental
conditions and corrodes.
Given the aforesaid,
it can be easily deduced that an increase in the amount of gold that is added
to the jewelry would lower the likelihood of the jewelry rusting. In light of
this information, it is impossible for 24 karat gold jewelry to corrode.
When jewelry contains
a lesser amount of gold karat then it becomes susceptible to water oxygen and
would corrode over time. In jewelries with 14 karat of gold, there would be
signs of corrosion after a while. In jewelries with 18 karat gold, the
possibility of dulling is quite low however there is still a chance.
The likelihood of a
gold jewelry discoloring increases tremendously when the jewelry contains
smaller amount of gold. In a more explicit expression, when a gold jewelry dulls,
it becomes expected that it is not 24 karat gold jewelry. Nonetheless, when a gold jewelry tarnishes,
the deterioration process is very gradual when compared with sterling silver.
Various factors that can accelerate gold deterioration would include the
following:
·
When oxygen merges with sulfur compounds and joins
with humidity it could have a profound impact on gold jewelries, particularly
gold jewelries with low amount of gold thereby accelerating dulling.
·
Quite unexpectedly, the rate at which gold jewelry discolors
would vary from one person to the other, and this is largely because of the
acidity of emissions.
·
Exposing gold jewelry to concentrated chemicals like
perfumes, detergents and so on, are very effective in dulling 14 karat gold and
18 karat gold in other cases.
·
Food with considerable levels of acid and sulfur can
also accelerate dulling of gold jewelry.
Protective measures
While gold jewelry is
a very resilient item, you still have to make efforts to protect it from
extreme conditions that could cause it to discolor. Various protective measures
that you can incorporate would include:
·
Avoid
washing clothes and doing the dishes with your gold jewelry on. When you do this repeatedly, the culminate
impact if the soap and other concentrated detergents would cause gradual
discoloration of the gold jewelry, particularly when it is a 14 karat gold.
·
Keeping
of gold jewelry is also important as gold jewelries must be stored in a way
that prevents them from brushing each other.
Using jewelry boxes with tiny compartments that isolate the gold
jewelries and application of emollient are effective ways to avoid friction.
While this is largely
uncommon, there are instances where people complain about discoloration of 21
and 22 karat gold jewelry. This rare occurrence is often attributed to harsh
environmental situations and this is contrary to impressions that the gold
jewelry is a counterfeit. When a gold jewelry is constantly exposed to acidic
environments, the likelihood of discoloration would rise significantly. While
discoloration of 21 and 22 karat gold jewelry is highly improbable, environment
and personal routine can affect it.
Refurbishing discolored
gold
Refurbishing corroding gold jewelry can be achieved by taking out the
affected area whether it is corrosion or dull appearance. You would have to
take away the top layer that carries the affected part with the use of liquid
soap that does not contain phosphate and warm water. To get rid of the
discoloration, you would have to clean the gold jewelry repeatedly using a soft
fabric. Avoid the inclination to rough materials and highly acid substances to
clean the jewelry as this could exacerbate the problem. Once you have achieved
a desirable result, you can now lay the gold out to dry. You can always shine
your gold jewelry with cotton for a glistering appearance.
In cases where your gold jewelry looks faded after a considerable period
of wearing, you can rejuvenate the appearance of the gold jewelry by giving it
to a veteran to help you clean it for a shinier look. Avoid the inclination to
give your gold jewelry to a newbie as a skilled touch is always better.
Precious metal knowledge source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szz81Ue7nz0
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