Repair work on 375 mixed metal ring... thick black gunk!

Hi all =)

Hope you are keeping safe out there.
I'm hoping someone with more experience than I can help with a job I have!

I have been given a wedding ring to repair. I cleaned with hot water/soap and a toothbrush then ran it in the ultrasonic prior to working on it.
It's hallmarked 375 gold and appears solid yellow gold with a twisted tri colour decorated band along the centre in red gold, white and yellow.
When I heated the ring to start soldering (there's a small crack in the rose gold needing repair)... some black gunk started seeping out from between the tri colour band and decorative ring edge.
I stopped heating further just in case it was something I haven't come across and put it in some pickle!
Is it possible this is just more of the 2o years of dirt coming out or should I be aware of something else it could be?
I was able to clean it off with some elbow grease but it took some shifting.

Thanks in advance...
I've tried to attach a picture but it keeps failing!

Maria

Attachment 12812

Picture if it's worked!

What came out in the ultrasonic , that would indicate whether it’s just lots of dirt or something else? It is pure gold?

I'd concur. For really gunked up pieces I sometimes soak them in caustic soda prior to the u/s clean.

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Originally Posted by CJ57

What came out in the ultrasonic , that would indicate whether it’s just lots of dirt or something else? It is pure gold?

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Thanks so much for your replies!
I only have a cheap ultrasonic so yes I might need to soak it first for a bit.
It is hallmarked as 375 and feels pretty solid. White gold always makes me nervous as it seems to stain pretty quickly and I have had trouble removing firestain from a white gold ring when I first started which traumatised me =).

Caustic soda sounds scary Peter?!

If attempting a repair on combined 9ct yellow and white gold, be sure to use only easy solder, or better still make your excuses and hand it back. Dennis.

Ha. Yes, my husband unexpectedly brought it home from a work colleague otherwise I would have kindly refused this sort of job!

I have now been informed it is from H Samuels...hollow under neath the twisted area and filled with gunk perhaps?
Offer to make a new one?!

Or you could still refuse and let your husband explain why without asking you first he didn’t know. You could have all sorts of problems and then they’ll blame you and not expect to pay. The repair will probably cost more than the ring did. I’d stop now!

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Originally Posted by CJ57

Or you could still refuse and let your husband explain why without asking you first. You could have all sorts of problems and then they’ll blame you and not expect to pay. The repar will probably cost moser than the ring did. I’d stop now!

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Thanks Caroline, yes I think it's looking that way. I hate giving things back and I like a challenge but not a world of pain =).

Thanks all. I can spend too long thinking about things when working on my own sometimes!
Maria

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Originally Posted by Madge

Thanks Caroline, yes I think it's looking that way. I hate giving things back and I like a challenge but not a world of pain =).

Thanks all. I can spend too long thinking about things when working on my own sometimes!
Maria

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Sometimes that happens, especially just now. I’ve now edited my seemingly illiterate post:/

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Originally Posted by Madge

Caustic soda sounds scary Peter?!

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It's something to treat with caution - but most chemicals are, really. It's very effective on accumulated gunk in rings, providing there's no stones that won't handle it.

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Originally Posted by ps_bond

It's something to treat with caution - but most chemicals are, really. It's very effective on accumulated gunk in rings, providing there's no stones that won't handle it.

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Great thanks, if it doesn't go back I might give that a try.
Thanks for your help.

Maria

Seems its probably the gunk keeping it together.

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Originally Posted by art925

Seems its probably the gunk keeping it together.

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This was my worry! :-O

Thanks all for for your guidance. I have just finished it. I soaked in some boiling water and then blasted with my household steam cleaner, then had another go at heating and low and behold no more gunk bubbling up..phew.
I burnished the cracked bit down and held in my third hand, used some easy 18ct solder i had lying around as couldn't find any 9ct easy.
It's worked to solder down the little crack that had curled up and have polished out the surface scratches and hopefully she can wear again for a while (until new cracks appear no doubt!).

Maria

Attachment 12826

all polished =)

Great result Maria, always feels good when you achieve the impossible.

Oh well done Maria - I think I might have ducked this one (after a bad experience with something similar!)

Congratulations, Maria. A satisfied customer and a reprieved husband.
Hope you don't get a flow of these now. Dennis.

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Originally Posted by Dennis

Congratulations, Maria. A satisfied customer and a reprieved husband.
Hope you don't get a flow of these now. Dennis.

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Oh gosh I hope not!
She was over the moon with it and they've said they'll have me re-work into something new when it comes to it =)