Question 1

can this remove scratches and scuff marks on white gold rings?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It certainly can. Just be careful not to get too heavy-handed with the rubbing. It doesn't take an awful lot of pressure for the product to do its thing. But, the thing that is true about most white gold that does not hold true for other forms/colors of gold, is that white gold is generally plated with another metal, rhodium, in order to achieve that brilliant, bright, really "WHITE!" color it has when it's new. That is the substance - rhodium - and the procedure - plating - used when people talk about getting their wedding or other rings "dipped" or "redipped"  after they have lost their bright "new ring" luster, shine, and color.

The thickness of the layer is actually microscopic, for a couple of very good reasons. One of which is, if it is plated too thickly, then it can become brittle and just chip off in pieces, instead of wearing away slowly. The other is, in spite of that particular effect, rhodium is exceptionally expensive - even more than platinum ounce per ounce - and a thick plating, even one that is too thick to last, would be so expensive it would generally cost more than the piece itself would without plating.

The point here is, that since rhodium can wear away, just with everyday normal wear, getting too frantic with the polishing can speed up that process artificially, and you can end up with a piece that may look shiny, but no longer looks like the bright, white metal it looked like when new. The rhodium wearing away can make the piece look slightly yellowish, or even a dull grayish color, because that is the true color of the alloyed gold underneath, if it was alloyed, or mixed with, certain other metals in the production process.

Nickel used to be one of the metals that was used regularly, along with one or two others, to "bleach" the yellow out of yellow gold and try and get it as white as possible. But, it's also the metal that causes skin reactions in people who are "allergic" to white gold, and isn't used nearly as frequently now. Other metals, like Palladium, can be used as well, and get much better results, not even needing plating, but Palladium is also rather expensive, and not a lot of white gold is currently made that way now, because of that higher cost.

The directions for this product say to NOT use it on costume jewelry OR on plated metals, which white gold could qualify as, if you have the kind that is rhodium plated. If you have a relatively new piece, which should have most of its rhodium still in place, you might try a light "test polish" on an inconspicuous place, like the inside of the band, or the underside of the outside of a ring, since that's the part that wears away first, and see how it comes out. It won't ruin the ring really, since white gold is easily replated with the only part you could take off, which is the rhodium.

If the ring is somewhat older, take a look at it next to a new white gold piece, or up against new polished silver, and see if your piece which needs polishing has started to change color yet. If it has, and that's really the part about it that troubles you, then this product can't fix that. Only a replating with rhodium can repair that issue.

Question 2

Is it good to use for stainless steel necklace chain?

Accepted Answer

Our Polishing Cream can clean a stainless steel chain, removing any dirt or grime build-up. Here's a suggestion for chains: Wet the chain, wipe a little Polishing Cream on the chain, brush lightly with a soft toothbrush, rinse well with water and dry. It should polish the chain to a sparkling shine. Hope this helps.

Question 3

Does it take the yellow look off of white gold rings?

Accepted Answer

Why do people who have no answer to a question, have to come and post that they don't know?? That is certainly not helpful.

However, I can answer your question, as you will see. WHITE gold has that pure, bright white, brilliant, shiny color because when it is made into jewelry, one of the last steps in the production process is that it is plated with another metal called rhodium, then polished. Most compounds, generally called alloys, of white gold are produced by mixing pure yellow gold, as it is found naturally, with another metal or two (sometimes three) that sort of "bleach" out most of the yellow, and render it as close to white as chemically and optically possible.

As I said at the beginning, the only other way to create that clean bright whiteness is by electroplating it with rhodium. Rhodium is a metal in the platinum family of metals, which also includes palladium, osmium, and iridium. Since that is a plating, or a thin coating, it can and will be worn away over time, and with wear. Rings are, of course, subjected to the most wear, being worn on the hands, and so show that wear fastest.

And the ONLY way to restore that new look to your jewelry is to take it to a jeweler who does repair work on gold jewelry, and have it replated. There is no polish that will make it look like new, or remove that yellowish tinge to the metal, since what you are actually seeing is the unplated metal underneath where the rhodium used to be.

A jeweler that does gold repair work must be able to replate rhodium, because the processes of repair generally include torch work, for soldering and/or softening up the gold enough to make it workable, and that heat destroys the rhodium coating. Therefore, it must be replated when the work is completed. To simply have the rhodium replated when it is missing from wear, involves a thorough cleaning and polishing the pieces to a fine, smooth surface, and then subjecting it to the electroplating process. If you are more curious, there are plenty of videos on YouTube which explain and show the process further. Go and learn from them as well, and then amaze your friends!

As for the cost, it can vary, depending on the original condition of the piece when you present it for the work, and the size to a point, since a piece very much larger than a ring or ring set, will require more work and more rhodium to cover it! Pieces that are only partly white gold, with the rest of it yellow, rose, and/or green, have those portions masked off before replating, so the rhodium only goes where it's wanted. An example of that would be a two-tone engagement or wedding ring where the band or shank is yellow gold, and the prongs or the top portion holding the diamond or diamonds is the only white gold part. Rhodium is more expensive than platinum, ounce per ounce. But since plating requires so much less metal than creating a whole piece of jewelry from platinum, it sort of balances itself out in the end.

And, no, it's not possible to make jewelry itself out of rhodium, because it is impossible to work as you do gold or platinum, and even in plating, if it is too thick, it becomes brittle and can chip away in pieces, instead of just wearing away gradually. (Not to mention the expense.💰) One thing about that wearing away business, is that lower "value" producers of white gold jewelry tend to plate their pieces with the absolute minimum thickness of rhodium, and so those pieces can show rhodium wear much sooner than those pieces created and sold by the better quality producers and vendors. Sometimes in as little as under a year, where the better quality pieces can go as long as two or even three, depending on the regularity and "roughness" of the wear it's exposed to. Wedding bands, which are generally worn 24/7/365, unfortunately under all types of conditions, will show it soonest.

Question 4

Does this polish diamonds along with the white gold on my wedding ring?

Accepted Answer

This product will clean the gold on your wedding ring, it is not intended to clean diamonds.  However, if you are using a brush to clean your prongs on an engagement ring, the brushing action in that area will help to remove dirt on your diamond.  For everyday use though, to clean diamonds, gemstones, and pearls, we recommend our Liquid Jewelry Cleaner.

Material Features	Non-Toxic, Biodegradable, Natural
Number of Items	1
Item Weight	3.5 Ounces
Unit Count	2 Ounce
Item Volume	2 Fluid Ounces
Special Features	Non Toxic
Contains Liquid Contents?	No
Specific Uses For Product	tarnish removal, metal polishing
Surface Recommendation	Sink, Tile
Item Form	Cream
Scent	Fresh

Sparkle Bright ProductsAll-Natural Jewelry Cleaner | Tarnish Remover & Polishing Cream, 2oz. (57g) | Gold, Silver, & Platinum Precious Metal Polish for Jewelry Cleaning

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