I have a 14K gold necklace that I don’t wear because I prefer a silver color. My friend said that if I shower with it a few times, it will start to appear silver. Is she right, or will I just ruin my necklace?
Anyone know of ways to make it look silver? Or should I give up on it?
That would happen if the necklace is gold-plated, in which case you’re just seeing stainless steel underneath. If it’s actual gold, it won’t change color.
You could have a jeweler rhodium-plate it. Rhodium is a very white metal, a sister-metal to platinum, and is customarily used to plate platinum and white gold items for an especially shiny white metallic look. However, the plating will last only as long as any other plating job; weeks to years depending on how often you wear it and how hard you are on the chain. Not all jewelers have the facilities or the inclination to electroplate chains, either.
If the necklace is currently solid 14K yellow gold, showering won’t make it change color or ruin it in any way, unless it is a very lightweight herringbone and gets tangled in your hair. (As friedo noted, it might change color if it is simply gold-plated.) You might be better off seeing if you can trade it in for a white gold or silver chain, if you really don’t like the look.
just buy a damn silver necklace.
I think what zuma meant to say was, “Welcome to the SDMB Tigress.”
I guess we’re trying to “think outside of the box” on this one, eh? (There’s another thread right now on that phrase.)
Anyway, as was said above, if the necklace is real gold, immersion in water shouldn’t change the color.
I remember when I graduated college, a buddy of mine got a class ring. He didn’t want to pay for gold though, so he settled for “yellow ultrium.” The ring did look gold, but, after he had it for a few days, it started looking more and more silver. Within a week, it was pretty much silver in color. So, it seems that “yellow ultrium” can turn into “white ultrium” pretty easily.
For what it’s worth I recommend that you consider trading in your necklace. If you go to one of those jewelry exchange little booth type places, you may be able to negotiate something reasonable. Also, consider getting “white gold” instead of silver. It’s a lot nicer.
See, now I would just buy a damn silver necklace, but here’s the thing: a friend got me the necklace (I probably sound rather mean, don’t I?), and I’d rather not trade it in. However, I don’t wear gold, and it’s a pretty necklace, and I don’t want to just leave it lying in a jewelry box forever. If I can’t do anything about it, then I’ll just leave it the way it is. <b>Gaudere</b>, do you know about how much would it cost to rhodium-plate it?
grr at the <b> in my reply. look of embarrassment
Just dip your necklace in mercury! It’ll immediately amalgamate with the mercury forming a silvery alloy.
(Uuhh… the preceding advice offered without warrenty).
I though the whole value of gold was that it was “immutable”.
That means it won’t rust or tarnish.
The main mixture for non-pure gold is silver.
When silver tarnishes it gets black, so if it’s getting lighter, it’s probably not even part gold, but completely fake.
Lumpy, I’ll assume you’re joking, but the dangers of your suggestion should be mentioned.
Gold will indeed amalgamate with the mercury (or many metals) immediately. I’m not sure how silvery it’d be, but there’s a significant disadvantage. Anyone wearing it on skin would gradually get mercury poisoning. This isn’t funny. An experimental chemist I knew always removed his wedding ring before working with mercury because of this, even though he would be wearing gloves…
I’ve since heard that if you heat jewelry in a kiln or furnace to just below the temperature where it melts, the mercury will evaporate off. Better not to have to do this, but it’s nice to know the option is there.
It’ll evaporate (well, sublimate(?)) even in solid phase at room temperature eventually, thus filling your room with mercury vapor, which is even worse.
That is just TOO FUNNY!!! 
Oh well. I’ll just leave it the way it is and just buy a damn silver necklace.
In other news… it’s my birthday today!