Antique-ing Gold Rings ?
Q: Hello all: We just picked up our rings! Yippee! They are white gold bands with a Celtic knot design all the way around. I think they are very pretty the way they are, but the design doesn't stand out, you have to look kind of close. The picture in the catalog shows the ring with the background filled in with black and the design stands out nicely. The jeweler gave us the option of having the rings "antiqued" which looks nice but I'm afraid to make this decision. I guess what I'm doing here is just fishing for people's opinions on the look of gold rings that have had this done to them. I've never paid much attention to fine jewelry - I just get "street fair" jewelry. Has anyone else out there had this done to any rings? I know that gold doesn't tarnish so will it look weird to have it darkened?
A: Well, I (unfortunately) went the other way with a piece of antique jewelery. My mother gave me a ring that had been made from an antique stick pin that belonged to her...when she took it to the jeweler, she told him to make it into a ring, but to * leave* the detailing (the black stuff in the cracks). She liked that, that's what made it look *old*. Well, the jeweler took it upon himself to shine that ring up nice and new for her..... :-( She was livid, but was told that there was nothing they could do..once the black stuff is gone, it's gone. So I have a "shiny new looking" antique ring. Based on your post, maybe I can take it and have the "old" put back in? Well, let me see if I can help here. My husband's ring is notwork also, but in yellow gold. Our jeweler carved the patern such that there is a plain section to allow wear and resizing without mucking with the patern. He also thought that the patern without the antiquing was too quiet and wanted the design to stand out. We went ahead and had it antiqued, and he loves it. The only thing you should know is that it will wear off, and have to be redone. Antiqueing is simply a special paint that affixes to the metal, it can be undone if you