Micky Roof Tech Tip- DO CHEMICALS AFFECT YOUR GOLD?

MICKY ROOF TECH TIP:
Do chemicals affect your gold?

by Jerry Bowers
A wife loses a stone from her ring. The husband blames the wife, the wife blames the jeweler, the jeweler blames the manufacturer...and sometimes, the manufacturer looks for answers. Hoover & Strong, a highly regarded supplier of jewelry items in gold, silver and platinum, has studied the causes of prong breakage, and has determined that the greatest factors are exposure to chlorine and bromine—chemicals commonly used in hot tubs, swimming pools, laundry products, and even municipal water supplies.
Hoover & Strong conducted a controlled experiment to evaluate the effects of common chlorine and bromine products on jewelry settings. Household bleach (heated and unheated), hot tub chlorine and bromine solutions, and a chlorine-free dishwashing detergent were tested on 14-karat and 18-karat nickel white settings (both rhodium plated and unplated), and on palladium white gold and platinum settings. The settings were tested both with mounted stones and without.
RANKINGS
Based on the results of the experiment, the metals were rated from the most chemical-resistant to the least, as follows: platinum, rhodium plated 14K palladium white gold, 14K palladium white gold, rhodium plated nickel white gold, 18K nickel white gold, and 14K nickel white gold. And the tests confirmed that higher chemical concentations, longer exposures, and higher temperatures all contributed to accelerated deterioration of the settings.
The rings soaked in heated bleach suffered the most catastrophic failure. The 14K nickel white gold was the first to fail in all solutions except the household detergent, which had little or no effect on any of the settings.
THE RESULTS
Under the chlorine and bromine concentrations used in the experiment, how soon might prong failure occur? Here's a look at the results with respect to the 14K nickel white settings tested (remember, these were the most highly susceptible to the chemicals' effects).

- 5 percent chlorine bleach heated to 110 degrees Fahrenheit: prong failure would occur after 21 hours of exposure. (Only the platinum and palladium white gold settings held their stones in this, the "worst" test solution.)
- 5 percent chlorine bleach at room temperature: prong failure would occur after 120 hours of exposure.
- 5 ppm (parts per million) chlorine using hot tub chemicals: prong failure would occur after 312 hours or 156 days (based on two hours a day, seven days a week).
- 5 ppm bromine using hot tub chemicals: prong failure would occur after 384 hours or 192 days.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Use platinum and/or 14K palladium white settings. Rhodium plated 18K or 14K white gold (any alloy) is superior to unplated, as the plating offers a protective coating similar to paint protecting metal against rust.
Don't wear jewelry in hot tubs and swimming pools; remove it, too, when using laundry or cleaning products (or sterilization products used in the medical field). And, never clean rings or other fine jewelry with bleach—take them to a trusted jeweler for cleaning and a checkup.

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