Do Gun Solvents/Oils/Cleaners Damage Gold Rings?

twofewscrews

twofewscrews

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Got married the other weekend (6/03) and it was awesome. I've been wearing the wedding band (10k gold ring) non stop since then. I went with 10k over 14k as I work in construction (but can still wear the ring) and am pretty hard on the items I wear daily. I was told 10k is a harder metal then 14k thus it is harder to damage/scuff. Today is my first trip to the range as a married man and as I was packing my gear it hit me, "when I get home and clean my firearms, should I take off my ring? Do gun solvents damage metal rings?"

The only solvent I currently use now its Hoppes #9 so this is more a question born out of curiosity rather then an oh %#*@ moment.

Do (can) Gun Solvents/Oils/Cleaners damage a gold ring? If so why? I assume ammonia based solvents but what else?

Have you ever destroyed a wedding band using a gun related chemical/concoction? If so which one?
 
I use Hoppes (one of many gun cleaning agents on the bench). I wear rubber surgical gloves as a rule when using any gun cleaning solvent. If you don’t wear gloves then I’d take the ring off not to protect it but to be able to clean in that area effectively and to keep from solvent being retained under it.

Lol… married for two weeks. Congrats to you. Let me know when you hit 40. I told the wife divorce is no longer an option. It’s personal now. I’m determined to shovel dirt on her coffin.

But all seriousness aside. It will 41 years for us on the 20th of this month.

If my wife was on her deathbed I’d go through the front gates of Hell, playing the bagpipes, doing a jig barefoot across freshly broken bottle shards wearing nothing but a kilt and a smile if it gave her one more day with our kids.
 
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don't know, but if that is a concern, solvent aren't good for you to get it all over your hands either, never mind the ring. we all get stuff on our hands now and agian, but I find a box of latex gloves limits the exposure.
 
Congrats OP!

Monday will be 31 years for me.

Wear gloves that will keep the chemicals from passing through, Nitrile are the best option.

Some chemicals like brake parts cleaner and ammonia are not good for people. That and the wife will give you "THAT" look, from the smell.
 
Well, been married to this one for 32 years and still wearing the same wedding ring. Been cleaning firearms for that entire time (and before) without gloves and used every type of cleaning solutions and degreasing solutions I could buy (everyone knows the latest thing is the best) as evidenced by my storage cabinet.
Nope, now 83 years old, ring is 32 years old and only I show signs of damage.:rofl:
 
Congratulations!

I've been wearing a gold wedding band for 53+ years now and have been cleaning guns even longer; never a problem. Actually, worked with all manner of chemicals in the automotive repair business with no ill effect. The only things I am aware of that will harm gold itself is mercury and aqua regia (a combination of nitric and sulphuric acids). You are not likely to encounter either of those in your daily activity.
 
Frank Ettin said:
probably depends on what the gold in the ring is alloyed with.
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From (potentially fickle) memory, mercury amalgam refined gold will naturally have silver in it, you then alloy that with copper and nickle to get to 10,12,14 karat "purity."

Now, the prices on those alloying metals have seen some significant prices kikes of late, so a more modern jeweler/metallurgist will need to speak to those.

The copper content does suggest some risk to copper-alloyed gold when using "copper solvents." However, when "we" speak of "copper solvents" we are actually speaking about "gilding metals" which are a mix of copper, brass (itself an alloy of copper and tin), and tin & antimony. So, the risk of "dissolving" or "leeching" metals out of a gold alloy is probably reasonably low.

That's due to the alloying process occurring when the metals are in a molten state, the crystalline lattices of the metals become intertwined, and lock them together.

Now, in our modern times, with gold at astounding price points, question of whether "plating" has become a more economical way to make jewelry (back to needing a modern jeweler). Plated items would become "at risk" from any break in that plating. I'll guess that plating is more common in specie than in jewellery, if only due to the need to size jewellery, which wants gross mechanical manipulation.

Dunno, will be fascinating to see the responses this gets.

My personal experience with 10kt dates back to 12APR82:
Ring_mine_82.png
Needs a cleaning, I see--and it gets removed, a lot, based on knowing what I'd do to recover & restore it. I have peers whose Rings are near-smooth, too.
 
twofewscrews said:
Do (can) Gun Solvents/Oils/Cleaners damage a gold ring?
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Yes sir, I believe solvents, oils and cleaners cause gold rings to shrink. My wife (of 52 years this month) and I had to replace our wedding rings about 10 years back because our original wedding rings were too tight. Furthermore, my original wedding ring had shrunk more than my wife's original wedding ring - probably because, even though my wife cleans her own guns, I use a lot more oils and solvents for things other than guns than she does. ;):D
 
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.308 Norma said:
Yes sir, I believe solvents, oils and cleaners cause gold rings to shrink. My wife (of 52 years this month) and I had to replace our wedding rings about 10 years back because our original wedding rings were too tight. Furthermore, my original wedding ring had shrunk more than my wife's original wedding ring - probably because, even though my wife cleans her own guns, I use a lot more oils and solvents for things other than guns than she does. ;):D
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56 years for us today, but my better half has never fired a gun.
My ring shrank all by its lonesome. Honest.
 
I doubt the solvents and oils used on firearms will harm your ring. I have found that solvents and detergents that get UNDER my ring cause a moderately severe irritation of the skin of my finger, though.
I always remove my ring and place it in my pants pocket before hand washing or using any liquids or solvents that might cause such irritation; OR wear protective gloves, which is ALWAYS a good thing to do when handling any solvent.
 
.308 Norma said:
Yes sir, I believe solvents, oils and cleaners cause gold rings to shrink. My wife (of 52 years this month) and I had to replace our wedding rings about 10 years back because our original wedding rings were too tight. Furthermore, my original wedding ring had shrunk more than my wife's original wedding ring - probably because, even though my wife cleans her own guns, I use a lot more oils and solvents for things other than guns than she does. ;):D
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They've also shrunk the standard inch. Used to be I bought 32" belts when I was first married, now my belts have to have 40 of them.

I believe aqua regia (Royal Water or liquid) is commonly HCl + HNO3, althoug i suppose HCl + H2SO4 might be another lab solvent for gold.

I think the answer to your question lies in what the other alloying metals are.

I myself took my rings off whenever I was screwing with machines th-t had more muscles than me. I also either took off my ties or later, had spousie cut them apart in back and lightly baste them back together with only two thread loops.

I think Borax also "does things" to or with gold, but memories fade.

Terry, 230RN
"Actually, you're much safer with me with a gun than you are with me without a gun."
 
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I don’t know about risk to your ring but, congratulations on y’alls sacrament of marriage. We have been married 41 years...........I think she is starting to like me a bit now.
We both like to shoot/plink and habitually remove rings when washing dishes or cleaning guns, etc.
10k likely contains copper, so copper solvent likely has an impact.
Bless you both.
 
230RN said:
They;ve also shrunk the standard inch. Used to be I bought 32" belts when I was first married, now my belts have to have 40 of them.
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Ah Ha! So that's why I have to buy 40-inch belts nowadays. :D
230RN said:
I myself took my rings off whenever I was screwing with machines th-t had more muscles than me.
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Yeppers, retired maintenance electrician here. My ring and wristwatch used to go in my pocket when I got to work, and I didn't put them back on until I left work.
The fact is, in 1971 (even before I had my wedding ring) I was working on something up underneath the dashboard in my classic '55 T-bird, and I managed to short my wristwatch band across the ammeter terminals. I still have that wristwatch and the metal band with its clasp welded shut. I only keep it around for sentimental reasons - because I sure as heck have never needed a reminder about not wearing jewelry when I'm working around electricity. :eek:
 
Congrats and happy trails for you and your bride!

I opted for 10k gold for my ring when I got married back in the day. I was never much into bling bling. It was a simple band.

I wouldn't worry about the gold part, but the other metals maybe. I always took my ring off and put it in a pocket or jewelry box in the house when I did anything like cleaning guns, working on the car, truck, etc. I wasn't worried about solvents so much as I was scratching up the ring, or scratching up other things with it. But mostly didn't want to get my ring finger stuck when reaching into tight places or working with electrical.

I had two rings, my wedding band, and on my right hand a gold ring with the Christian symbol (Greek letters) Chi Rho. I always took both of them off when cleaning guns or fixing things around the house.

PS: Gold rings don't shrink from solvents like Hoppe's #9. Fingers swell as we age, so rings may have to be resized.
 
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I can think of nothing nastier than bluing solution @ 300 degrees. It will eat an animal carcass down to the bones in seconds. Pure 24 karat gold is impervious to the stuff. The lessor grades of gold...not so sure. Since bluing salts consist of sodium nitrate, sodium nitride and sodium hydroxide, they are about as nasty alkaline as anything can get. Don't know if any of the stronger acids affect gold, but I'm pretty sure cleaning solvents won't hurt your ring.
 
I also work construction and have gone to wearing the silicone rings. Much safer because I normally break 1 or 2 a year. As far as gun cleaning solvents damaging your gold ring I think you're safe but as others have said getting those under the ring can cause irritation.
 
Thanks for all the well wishes and the info. I didn't think cleaning solvents and whatnot would harm the ring, but I also wanted make sure I didn't have an "oh $%*#" moment followed by a conversation with the wife about why I need a new ring :D
 
Congrats, but by all means, buy yourself a rubber wedding band from Qalo or Groove and don’t wear that gold ring on a job site. Number one, it SUCKS to de-glove a finger. Second, your day-to-day work is going to be harsher on a gold band than any gun cleaner.
 
A side practical note related to OP: if one is removing or replacing rings or other jewelry in the bathroom, make sure the drain is closed.

Wife2 let a valuable earring slip through that little gap around the bathroom sink stopper.

Guess who had the unpleasant job of climbing around under the sink, removing the P-trap, and cleaning it out (ickie-poo) to see if it was still in there. It was, and I got a true Heroic Reward for retrieving it, so I suppose it was worth the disgusting effort, both dollar-wise and Other Wise.

But she made me wash my hands first.

Terry, 230RN
"Actually, you're much safer with me with a gun than you are with me without a gun."
 
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drband said:
Gold is impervious to gun solvents.


I would rethink wearing any rings in a construction environment. My opinion.
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That's the smart advice, but after 39 years of wearing mine doing maintenance work, plus after work work, so far so good.
My buddies dad almost ripped his finger off falling of the roof and catching his ring on something.

And no damage to it from all kinds of stuff from gas/diesel/solvents/etc
 
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