Why is my jewellery bending

 

WHY IS MY JEWELLERY BENDING?

As Jewellery consultants we get so many questions regarding the products we represent. Usual questions at purchase point such as “are your products genuine?” “Will the color not wear off?” “Will it not rust?” Etc. We do our best to furnish our clients with information that will give them confidence in our products.  When clients bring back their products for repair they have even more questions to ask. Questions such as “why has the stone fallen?” “why is it bending?” etc. Clients interpret Genuity in different ways. Some think because it is genuine it should never fault in any way at all.

For example, some people assume that original gold or silver is indestructible. However, all metals do bend under certain conditions. When a stone falls from a ring it does not remove the Genuity of the ring.  Let’s remember that the process of making these genuine products is done by humans. With time everything succumbs to wear and tear. Statements like “if its original and genuine why is it bending and why has the stone fallen?” are uttered by clients all the time, due to frustration and lack of knowledge.

Is it genuine?

She came in ‘guns blazing’ saying we sold her a fake ring. My colleague and I remained calm as we waited to hear her story. She took off her ring and indicated that the ring had bent, and for sure it was badly bent. We asked her what happened, and she said she just saw it like that.

“I didn’t do anything and l don’t even do house chores but l just saw the ring like this. I bought this ring just a month ago! And telling myself am buying from Aurex something original and genuine!” explained Mrs XYZ.

“Are you sure you didn’t bump it on a door or a wall or something?” My colleague asked. Mrs XYZ replied with an even higher pitched voice,
“Like l told you ladies, l did nothing of that sort! I just saw it like this!”
“Ok maa’m, it will have to be taken to the factory for repair…
“Are your rings even genuine? Mrs XYZ cut me off before I finished explaining.
“Yes they are…” I replied
“…If its genuine why is it bending like this? I am very disappointed ladies!” She uttered while reaching inside her handbag.

She took out her ringing phone from the bag and answered it as she walked out leaving her 3piece ring on the counter. We thought she would come back soon after her call but a day, then another and another day passed, and she did not come back.

WHY IS IT BENDING?

Most people do not even notice when their ring bends until at a later stage. This is because unless one is caught on a door or hit by something or consciously threw it on the floor and stepped on it or sat on it, it is really hard to notice how and when the ring bent.
So, let’s dive in and educate each other on why your Jewellery is bending!!

There are a number of factors that contribute to the bent Jewellery predicament and these may include the following;

• It is made out of soft metal
• It was crushed
• Ring was thin to begin with
• Sizing thinned it out
• It is worn out or old
• The ring size is too big,

It is made out of soft metal

Your ring is made out of exceptionally soft metal. Gold is a very soft metal hardened by mixing with other alloys such as copper, silver, nickel, and zinc so that it can be molded into Jewellery of different shapes and sizes. Silver just like gold is a similarly very soft malleable metal which is prone to bend. This means that our Jewellery at some point will bend easily even by hand. You will notice that after a while your gold or silver ring has bent or thinned out usually at the bottom were friction mostly occurs.

It was crushed

If one lifts up weights with their ring on, honestly it will be damaged. By weights l mean all type of heavy lifting. It could be a bucket of water, you might be moving furniture around. Gold is malleable and heats up as you wear it. This means that, Heavy pressure, or even a tight grip on the steering wheel or physical activity increases chances of it being crushed and bending or even breaking at some point.

You hear people saying l lift luggage, I push the baby stroller or my work is only driving…anything that is solid or applies pressure to your ring can crush or weaken it…

Ring was thin to begin with

Some rings just come straight from factory thin. This is due to pricing and design. Clients are price sensitive already because of the unstable economies, hence they tend to opt for more affordable ring designs. These more affordable rings are usually light weight and for it to be light weight it has to be thin. Therefore, it will wear out quicker and very easily bend compared to a much more a thicker ring. Thicker rings have a much higher price however. So, if one prefers a more durable piece they have to be ready to pay more. That’s just how it is.

 

Sizing thinned it out

Constant resizing on one ring causes it to wear out and thin due to repeated polishing. The thinner it becomes the easier for it to bend. It is therefore important to ask your jeweller to refurbish your ring and add more material where possible,at a price. However sometimes it becomes cheaper to purchase a new ring in your size all together.

It is worn out or old.

You have had your ring for 10years or more. Its been looking good until recently you noticed that it looks skewed into a not so flattering oval shape. Worse still below it is looking thinner than when it was purchased. This is due to wear and tear. In addition, the ring might have gone for resizing at most twice. Friction and too much resizing thins the ring making it easy to bend and eventually it might snap and break.

The ring is too big

If the ring size is too big for the owner it is prone to easily bend because of too much friction as it constantly turns around the finger. Turning and gripping of the ring due to nervousness or deep thought can result in the owner bending it unconciously. Mrs XYZ could have been doing that to her ring. Mrs XYZ is also a driver whose ring could have bent due to repeated tight grips on her steering wheel as she drove.

Back to Mrs XYZ

A few days later Mrs XYZ came back to the shop having calmed down and in a better mood. I explained to her how sometimes, due to certain circumstances mentioned above, jewellery may bend or thin out. She was more receptive and understanding. She even apologized for her previous outburst and requested for her ring to be sent for repair. I was happy to have her sign the repair form and also pack her ring in her presence. She left the shop after a few laughs and casual stories, she also dropped a praising email on sales@aurex.co.zw

In the end, Mrs XYZ understood that original or genuine does not mean something is immune to damages. It simply means it has value as long as it is kept well. Let’s bear in mind that we all are original human beings but does it mean we don’t fall and get hurt and bleed? Absolutely not!