Why Did My Gold "Turn"?

A client in my store yesterday had a 14kt yellow gold bracelet with a blackened area on it, which reminded me about when gold supposedly "turns."

First of all, when we say that a piece of jewelry "turns", we are really referring to the plating on metal that is in the process of wearing off. Turning can include the visible peeling of the top layer of metal, pitting, different textures on the same area or a green color being present. Real gold, meaning karated gold, does not "turn."

Instead, real gold "tarnishes." Tarnish can (in almost all cases) be cleaned off via sudsy ammonia, Tarn-x or machine buffing by a jeweler.

If the tarnish on your genuine gold is orangish in color, it could be a result of hard water in your home, some perfumes, lotions, colognes or hairspray. These are good reasons to always put your jewelry on last before leaving the house!

If the tarnish is blackish in color, it could be a result of contact with bleach or chlorine. Diabetics and highly acid people can also darken the color of real gold.

The client I mentioned at the beginning of this post had been cleaning her bathroom with her jewelry on, and clearly bleach had come into contact with it. Just another reason to avoid housework at all costs!

Our bench jeweler cleaned and buffed the bracelet back to gleaming like-new, and the lady was thrilled. I love a happy client!

Note: Although in most cases these examples hold true, if you have any question about a piece of jewelry, take it your local independent jeweler for an expert opinion. In most cases, they will gladly tell you free of charge. (If they act grumpy or annoyed, find another jeweler!)