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Beginner June 2012

Engagement Ring scratches....

sarahb3426, 10 February, 2011 at 21:34 Posted on Planning 0 28

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☹️ Am a bit worried about my ER, we only got engaged in October last year and yes I wear my ring every day, but take it off and put if in it's box at night when I go to bed, but it has lots of scratches on it already, on the band, is this normal? is everyone else's like this?

My ring is a Diamond Solitaire Platinum band ring, a thought Platinum was meant to be a strong ring??

It's getting to me a bit, I mean I want to wear this ring forever but I keep noticing marks on it.

My OH reckons if I take it to the jewellers where he bought it from they will polish it and the marks will come off - is this correct about the marks coming of?

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28 replies

Latest activity by 1Lucie, 11 February, 2011 at 12:25

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Baroness · 10 February, 2011 at 21:39
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I am the same. Mine's platinum and very scratched! It does look much better when it's polished though, try not to worry
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Beginner July 2012
Blonde Viki · 10 February, 2011 at 21:42
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I feel the same - I've only been wearing mine for a few months and have been very disappointed by how quickly the palm-facing side of the band has tarnished. I only have a desk job too so it's not like I'm rough with it!!

This is what I thought, though I confess I don't really understand what is meant by it!

I'm going to have it buffed up properly before I get married so the wedding ring won't outshine it
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BumbleBrat · 10 February, 2011 at 21:44
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My first engagement ring was platinum and that scratched loads too.. I think any ring scratches tbh, mainly at the bottom. You can get it polished which will remove the scratches.
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Beginner June 2012
sarahb3426 · 10 February, 2011 at 21:49
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Thanks ladies,

Am probably over reacting but just didnt think it would scratch so much and so soon! Will defo make a trip to the jewellers and have it polished.
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Beginner January 2012
ForTheLoveOfMrsBrown · 10 February, 2011 at 21:51
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By "stronger", I assume you mean "harder". Well, it IS "stronger" than gold but, in the grand scheme of things, platinum is not an especially "hard" metal. It is very resistant to corrosion/tarnish (oxidation) and that's why it's used in jewellery. But this is a chemical property and has nothing to do with its physical charactersitics (i.e. it's soft). You should avoid knocking it, having it against gemstones, etc, exactly the same precautions you'd take with a gold ring.
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Beginner February 2011
excitedbee · 10 February, 2011 at 21:52
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Platinum and palladium are known to scratch more than white gold, but white gold has the disadvantage of the rhodium coating wearing off and looking yellowy. The jeweller will polish it up sparkly in about 10 minutes, unfortunately i have to send my white gold ring away to be re-coated and takes 1-2 weeks!! Very annoying.
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Beginner January 2009
sammy_wheeler · 10 February, 2011 at 22:24
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Oh no thats not good. take it to the jewellers and see hwat they say

mine white gold and ive been wearing it everyday for a year (on monday) and never tkae it off and mine ie perfect- no scratches
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Beginner September 2011
ai3x · 10 February, 2011 at 22:44
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Quick tip on this one is that a white gold ring doesn't have to be coated. The one I bought my OH isn't and while it's not quite as shiny as a coated ring it doesn't ever go yellow. A quick polish and it's back to it's normal state.

Alex
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BumbleBrat · 10 February, 2011 at 22:46
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? Do you do nothing all day?

The underside of mine is scratched from day to day stuff.
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Beginner January 2009
sammy_wheeler · 10 February, 2011 at 22:48
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Haha i wish bb

how wierd! i do everything in it- work, washing up, shower, aerobics, step aerobics, full body workout, sleep, play games, play with best friends baby.

it never comes off and it looks perfect. its 18ct does that make a difference?- i dont understand ring speak hehe
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Beginner February 2011
excitedbee · 10 February, 2011 at 22:51
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I think i must be quite heavy-handed, mine goes yellowy underneath every 4-6 months!
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BumbleBrat · 10 February, 2011 at 22:54
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Mine's 18ct too, I've had it since last July and the whole of the bottom is dull now, the top part is still nice and shiny though. Mine is a size too big so maybe it is easily touched by things.. The table when I put my hand down etc :/
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Beginner January 2009
sammy_wheeler · 10 February, 2011 at 22:56
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Aww you got engaged the time we booked ours

ah mine is the right size so maybe that helps- is there a reason yours is too big?
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Rockstar November 2011
jenny18/11/11 · 10 February, 2011 at 23:03
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Mine's 18ct White gold too, have had it since late August, and just been having a look at it after reading this thread. There are a few scratches, and it's not quite as shiny as it was, though I don't think it's going yellowy yet. Mine is the right size too, so not sure that stops it getting scratched. Having said that, I do wear it all the time, and am particularly clumsy.
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Beginner June 2011
Fleur10 · 10 February, 2011 at 23:16
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I think sometimes it can all depend on how you are with your hands, how conscious you are of your ring, if you take it off for cleaning, household jobs etc.. I've been wearing my ring for about 18 months now and the band part is fine, I take my ring off at night and put it in its box and I never wear it for doing any chores. Its a vintage 1930's ring but the jeweller said he could tell that it had been very looked after.

A tip for you - when we bought my ring the jeweller had given it a lovely polish, afterwards I purchased a platinum polishing cloth from ebay and every week I give the whole ring a good polish and the band comes up lovely, like brand new

If it keeps scratching up and you are not doing anything to get it scratched perhaps you should consult the jeweller you purchased it from.
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Beginner February 2012
FutureMrsRon · 11 February, 2011 at 08:21
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My ring is 18 ct white gold and is scratched to bits on the palm side! It managed about 3 days before the first little mark lol OH went mental but I told him it happens.......it was one size too big for me when we got it and one cold day I was waving at my friend with my left hand and it flew off and bounced down the drive! OH has now told me I'm only allowed to wave with my right hand LOL

I took my ring to a jewellers nearby to be polished and re-coated and it only took then a couple of days, looked brilliant when it came back too.

I'm thinking about getting my wedding ring in palladium as it doesn't need to be re-coated like white gold does - what do you think?
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Beginner May 2011
Panjita · 11 February, 2011 at 09:10
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Mine is white gold and got a bit yellowy looking after 18 months, but I took it into the jewellers and it was like new within 20 mins. Only cost £10 too

Also, the place I bought my wedding ring from told me take my ER in just before the wedding and they would re-dip it for free so it was all sparkly and new like my WR. Worth asking at your jewellers when you buy your WR (if you have white gold)
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Beginner September 2011
Kooks · 11 February, 2011 at 09:40
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I've had my ring since October and the palm side of it is quite scratched, it's platinum - I do wear it every day but work in an office so it's not getting bashed about. I take it off to ride, clean etc but guess it's just one of those things. I'll take it to be polished before we get married.
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Beginner June 2012
sarahb3426 · 11 February, 2011 at 09:43
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Hi, I do all the things am meant to I think, I take it off each night and put it back in it's box, I take it off when doing house work etc and have a part time office job at the moment, and don't wear it at work as the place is really dirty and am lifting things also, so didnt think it should be as scratched as it is. Make take a trip to the jewellers and get them to polish it up and take a look at it, and thanks for the advice on the platinum polishing cloth, off to e-bay i go to check if i can get one! x
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Beginner June 2011

Browny · 11 February, 2011 at 09:44

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My ER is 18ct White Gold and I've bought a palladium WR. The WR looks so shiny and new compared to my ER, although I've worn it since last April so it does need coating. I plan to get my ER changed to a palladium band eventually, but it annoys me that if the ER hasnt been coated in a whilte they will look different next to each other. BUT I didnt want to have to take both the ER and WR in for coating every 6-12 months as I dont like the thought of having no rings!

Just something to think about!

Beginner January 2012

ForTheLoveOfMrsBrown · 11 February, 2011 at 09:54

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My wedding ring is tungsten, which is absolute rock when it comes to hardness. Apparently, I am going to have to be careful not to scratch everything I touch!

Beginner September 2011

knitting_vixen · 11 February, 2011 at 10:02

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As I understand it, when a jeweller polishes platinum to remove scratches, they actually take a very very thin layer off the ring like if you are sanding something (this is how they remove the scratches). So by all means go and get it done before the wedding, but I wouldn't do it too regularly else you'd weaken the ring. I might be wrong, ask the jeweller!

I have an 18k white gold ring, and like some of the other ladies on here I have had it since September and it is in very good condition, I can't see any scratches at all. It is a harder metal than platinum because 18k white gold is 75% gold and 25% other metal. The other metals make it stronger (gold is a soft metal(), so a 9k gold ring would be harder still. Though 18k needs replating less than 9k (my wedding band is 9k so we will see).

For those of you with platinum rings I have pasted a link which has some tips on how to prevent scratching:

http://www.essortment.com/removing-scratches-jewelry-46282.html

Beginner May 2011

Panjita · 11 February, 2011 at 10:10

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My ER is 9carat and it's hardly scratched at all, but like I said, went a bit yellow after 18 months or so. Makes you wonder if it's worth spending extra for the platinum?

Beginner March 2011

Twickers · 11 February, 2011 at 10:21

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My ring is platinum too and has a few small scratches on the palm side. The way I was told about the 'strngth' of platinum is that it will scratch - but the difference to gold is that it doesn't wear away, it just displaces slightly - so over time your ring won't get thin or weaken (which gold may do afer years of wear and tear). I'm getting mine polished before the wedding, and the jeweller told me that this can be done as often as you wish with no ill effects to the ring. I have never heard of a white gold that doesn't need to be dipped - as it is yellow gold that has a rhodium plating. This is why my H2b lwent for a palladium ring, so he didn't have to worry about it going slightly yellow over time and needing to send it away.

I wouldn't worry - it is a lot tougher than it appears!

Beginner July 2010

hughef36 · 11 February, 2011 at 10:25

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Im on my second one !!! i went swimming for months in it going to the gym and a peice fell out, it went for testing and they gave me a new one in the end but i think it was the chlorine in the pool but i didnt tell them that he he . Apparantly Chlorine is highly corrosive to white gold i make sure i take it off now, but this second ring is just as scratched now.

VIP August 2012

Knees · 11 February, 2011 at 11:41

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My understanding is the same at Twickers', in that scratches in platinum can be "repaired" by polishing. OH bought my ring but when I took it in to be resized, they shined it up beautifully for me and told me that whenever I had a special event etc, that I could take it in to be polished. I've only taken it in once since then and it looked 10 times better.

Mine has the odd scratch on the palm side, but nothing particularly obvious.

Beginner September 2011

ai3x · 11 February, 2011 at 12:01

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Here's a good article which explains it all:

https://www.qualitysilver.co.uk/acatalog/White-Gold-Rhodium-Plating.html

Basically it all comes down to quality. Grade 1 white gold does look very white on it's own and as such doesn't really require the coating. As you move down to grade 3 or 4 though it's really the rhodium which is making it white and as that wears away you'll see yellow gold.

One other thing is that my ring maker advised me that you shouldn't wear a WR and ER together if they're of different metals. I can't remember the reason why, anybody else heard this?

Beginner March 2011

Twickers · 11 February, 2011 at 12:08

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That article still says that Grade one is rhodium plated (or very rarely mixed with another metal eg. palladium)- it's just less yellow to start with. My understanding from the jeweller is that white gold is not a naturally occuring metal - hence the dipping.

I have heard about not wearing a WR and an ER together that are different metals too - think it has something to do with the 'stronger' metal wearing the other one.