I have a "small" problem and would like to ask for advice. For some strange reason, I dipped two gold bracelets (yellow gold) in a solution of water and baking soda and boiled them. Well, now the bracelets look silver, turned unrecognizable. To be sure, I melted a ring (bought from here, 100% sure it is gold) and something similar happened to it - it turned white, but not so much. Does anyone know how (and if at all) the yellow color can be restored? And yes, the bracelets are gold or at least for such I bought them from a jewelry house in Sofia years ago. Until that moment, they were yellow and shiny.
Answers 4
So they are fakes! Gold, platinum, rhodium, etc. are precious metals and react extremely difficult with other substances! The only way to dissolve gold is by treating it with a mixture of concentrated hydrochloric and nitric acids. Baking soda in water can have absolutely no effect on gold objects!
Your bracelets are not gold, or if they have gold in them, it is quite a small amount compared to other metals. Neither soda nor the heat of boiling water can affect gold. Otherwise, the bridesmaids could not print their engagement rings in soda cakes.
The bracelets were gilded ... at best! The ring is also gilded or something like that - if you don't believe me, go to a jeweler and it's a bad performance. I have REAL gold jewelry and nothing happens to them. However, I have silver-plated cutlery and of course things happen to them over time ... so they cheated on you
They are fake. I cleaned silver with soda. Cleans black and gives shine. I have never heard of gold being cleaned like this, but by the logic of precious metals it should be the same. There is no way baking soda can harm gold.