Wedding Rings (merged)

across

i dont recommend Beaverbrooks i have a diamond set wedding band and a diamond came out and got lost and they were very unhelpful it cost a fortune and i also got a solitare (expensive)engagement ring there but they didnt care much. overpriced /poor quality goods is my experience of the shop.

Emms

Were getting ours from Goldsmiths. Got my engagement ring there and we are both very happy with it and never had any problems with them. Were using Tesco Clubcard deals vouchers to buy them so there not going to cost us anything yay!

Emma

bluep

I can't believe this has happened!

I went to a really nice local jewellers to order our wedding rings 8 weeks ago and took in my engagement ring that was 14ct white gold bought in germany. He looked at it closely and said he couldn't make 14ct rings as he wouldn't be able to get it hallmarked here but that he could make a 9ct or a 18ct white gold ring that would match. We chose 9ct as it is more hard wearing and I'm not really in for having the most expensive option just for the heck of it.

My fiance went and payed for and picked up the rings today (including my engagement ring that the chap was polishing) - we get married next saturday (12th of august) and when I got home from work this evening I tried my ring on and it doesn't match the colour of the engagement ring!!!!! ARGHHHH!

My engagement ring basically looks silver whereas the wedding band is a yellowly white gold - I am not happy - it is noticeable, I'm not just being picky - the ring looks a very pale yellow.

So I'm panicking as its a week before the wedding and I can't call the guy until tomorrow morning and I'm at work all the time until Sunday so my fiance can take the rings back to him on friday but I can't do anything myself. I'm mad becuase the chap at the jewellers was so nice as well!

My questions are:
1) is 9ct white gold just that colour, or can the colours differ? Surely he shouldn't have said they would match when they blatently don't.

2) will he be able to change the colour or would we have to go for either 18ct gold, platinum or silver?

3) I take it that to change the colour, he'd actually have to remake the rings and send them off for hallmarking again? Or would he be likely to give them to us unhallmarked and hallmark them when we get back off of our honeymoon

4) If we just get our money back (I think we have a right to this in this case, don't we?) can I go into a high street jewellers and buy some rings off of the shelf or do they have to be ordered in? We are both pretty normal ring sizes and we just want very plain 5/6mm and 3mm mens and womens plain bands.

I really really want to use the rings in our wedding ceremony that we will wear afterwards rather than use any old rings and then get our rings a few weeks later.

Any ideas/comments? Thanks.

15lsp

hi i used to work in a jewellers and its a common problem. If your engagement ring is over a year old it will probably need Rhodium Plating again. It can either go gray or yellow. White gold is basically yellow gold with a plating to make it look white. I always recommended platinum for wedding bands & everyday jewellery as white gold will need to be rhodiumed every couple of years.

If the new ring is pale yellow take it back and they will/should rhodium plate it for you.
Some info below http://www.24carat.co.uk/whitegoldturnsyellow.html

bluep

Thanks for the explanation and the useful link. I was worried that it was the actual mix of the alloy that created the colour - made it more silvery or more yellowly, I didn't know that it was rhodium plating.

So he could plate it without having to remake / or rehallmark it? That would be fantastic as the rings are perfect apart from the colour.

My engagement ring is fine - it looks exactly the same as when we bought it 3 years ago (fine germanic workmanship!!!), except slightly scratched up by daily use - this has gone since he polished it today.

(some hope that it might all be alright then..!!)

lisa_75

bluep wrote:

Thanks for the explanation and the useful link. I was worried that it was the actual mix of the alloy that created the colour - made it more silvery or more yellowly, I didn't know that it was rhodium plating.

So he could plate it without having to remake / or rehallmark it? That would be fantastic as the rings are perfect apart from the colour.

My engagement ring is fine - it looks exactly the same as when we bought it 3 years ago (fine germanic workmanship!!!), except slightly scratched up by daily use - this has gone since he polished it today.

(some hope that it might all be alright then..!!)

Don't worry, replating does not mean that it has to be remade. White gold rings need to be relplated every couple of years anyway as they go yellow with wear over time. I am suprised no one told you this when you bought the ring.

I just had my wedding ring replated after a year of use and it looks like new. It only cost about 7.99.

15lsp

I am suprised no one told you this when you bought the ring.

I know, we were trained to tell all customers about white gold. But the jeweller may have assumed you knew if you already wore white gold.

Basically you dip it in some chemical to turn it white. Ive used it on my yellow gold ring on the claws around the diamonds to make them look bigger

If you're careful with your rings ie. take them off when cleaning the rhodium will last longer. I have an 18ct white gold ring thats still as new but i dont wear it everyday. White gold on men doesnt last as long basically because they are more likely to get their hands dirty.

The rhodium should last at least 12 months so if it wears off sooner take it back & they will do it for free if you have receipt. Both your rings will need rhodium plating in the future. Your 14k ring probably has a thicker plating on but that will wear off in time.

Its quite common for silver to be rhodium plated too.

bluep

Thanks guys,
I phoned the jeweller and he said no problem bring it in, he'll change the plating solution slightly to make it the right colour and then it will take about half an hour! Panic over - thanks very much, I think I would have probably lost half a stone in nerves worrying that night before the next mornign when I could phone him!! Although that might not have been such abad thing lol.

Glad

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