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How To Turn A Copper Or Brass Ring Into Real Gold

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Before & After: A copper ring duplicated in real gold.

Do you own an inexpensive copper or brass ring? There are many of these types of rings out there.

Copper and Brass rings can be gold plated to give the jewelry the appearance of being real gold.

The downside to gold plating is that the plating can eventually wear off and turn your finger black or green.

Have a question about your ring? Ask a goldsmith!


Gold Plating Can Wear Off

The color difference between the shanks of the copper and gold ring is quite remarkable.

A lot of copper rings that have been gold plated can look really good at the beginning. The problem is that over a period of time as the ring is worn, the gold plating will eventually disappear, revealing the copper base metal.

There is also the problem of uneven wear. The gold plating will wear out quicker on some areas of the ring than others. The result is a less than desirable look of copper mixed with flaky gold plating.


Solid Gold Rings Retain Their Gold Appearance

Copper and brass get dulled out and the gold shines on.

The great thing about solid gold rings, is that they will always remain gold. The color wont change to a copper or brass color.

In addition, solid gold will not turn your finger green. The only way a gold ring will have an affect on your finger is if you have an allergy to gold or other metals in the gold based alloy.

Question: Is it possible to re-plate a copper or brass ring with gold?

Answer: Generally it is pretty hard to find a jeweler who would be able or willing to replate a ring with gold plating. One reason is because it is very difficult to achieve consistent results.

Secondly, even if a ring is gold plated again it will inevitability wear out like it already did the first time.


How To Change A Copper or Brass Ring To Real Gold

CAD renderings allow the client to see exactly how a ring will look before it is cast in metal.

We want to help! Get a FREE QUOTE to turn a copper or brass ring into real gold.

Step 1: Copy The Design

Using CAD software, as well as a 3-D jewelry scanner, the original ring design was copied in it’s exactness.

Step 2: The New Ring Is Cast In Gold

The CAD is then used to print a 3D wax, which is then invested and cast in gold. To learn more about the casting process, read here!

Step 3: New Stones Are Set Into the Ring

peridots and diamonds with their brilliance

The new ring was set with marquise shaped peridots and diamonds. These stones will hold up a lot better than the stones in the original copper ring.


Before vs After:

The copper ring vs the gold ring

The end result is a brand new ring, cast in solid 14KT yellow gold. This new ring will be one that can last for many many years without fear of discoloration!

The design was copied in it’s exactness and the results speak for themselves!

To see more, I completed a similar project previously. Read about how to turn a “fake” ring into the real thing.

Filed Under: Custom Jewelry & Repair, Posts Tagged With: CAD, copper ring, peridot and diamond ring, real gold ring, ring design, turning a fake ring real

About

Greetings, I'm Jordan! I'm a goldsmith specializing in sustainable custom jewelry.

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