Help! Pandora Ring

Kate2410

Hello,
I really dont know what else to do.
I recently bought a sterling sliver ring from Pandora. After just a few days it turned my finger green and had started to tarnish.
I took it back to the shop after just 5 days and they sent it away for 'repair' basically just to get it cleaned.
I got it back on monday and again after just a few hours of wearing it my finger had gone green. I called the store back and was told it must be reacting with my skin and they can not issue a refund as it is not a manufacturing fault.
I have contacted head office with no joy, just keep getting the same line of its not a manufacturing fault.
I understand this but now I am stuck with a £40 ring I can not wear. Help, do I have any rights or is this just unfortunate?
Any advise would be great!
Thanks
Kate

browneyedbazzi

The shop doesn't have any obligation to accept a return unless the goods are faulty or if they have a policy that says they accept returns for refund/exchange for x days.

I've had similar reactions to metals in the past myself...with a ring, the easiest way I've found to overcome it is to paint the inside of the band with some clear nail polish. It doesn't change the look of the ring and acts as a barrier to stop the metal reacting with your skin.

Your other alternative is to try to sell the ring.

pinkshoes

a quick google sorts the problem out:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070209101240AAy9EfZ

Sterling silver is an alloy of silver 92.5% and copper 7.5%. When it is worked by a jeweler it will be heated if it is soldered. As a result it may become coated in red copper oxide. Usually this is removed by pickling in a solution of sodium bisulphite which produces a weak sulphuric acid solution. If you have a ring that has not been properly pickled prior to polishing it may still have copper on its surface that will react with your perspiration to make a green copper compound that stains the skin.

I would suggest soaking your rings in a mixture of household ammonia and water (50/50)for a day or two. The ammonia solution will turn blue as it forms a copper ammonia ion and this will not hurt the silver. After that, your rings will not turn your skin green because the copper has been removed from the surface of the sterling.