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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Help. I've varnished my wedding ring

11 replies

DiamondsDilemma · 04/04/2022 14:37

Ok I will just preface this with yes I am that stupid.

So I don't normally piss about with DIY. But I needed to varnish a fence with outdoor waterproof varnish. All fine until I came to wash the brushes.

Then I had a brain far and started to wash them like my watercolour paintbrushes, as in using my hands to massage the varnish off.
Obviously when I realised my mistake I stopped, but absolutely coated my hands, wedding ring and engagement ring with varnish!

At the time I tried to soap them off. Nail varnish remover and hoped for the best.

It did not turn out well. I have three problems.

My engagement ring is one of those open ones. The bottom of the diamond has a horrible covering of varnish, which I guess is where everything I missed dripped down.

My wedding ring has small delicate diamonds. Gone dull and I assume the white gold of both rings has a good covering of varnish.

The skin on my hands is cracked dry and horrible.

Please help Mumsnet. Both rings are really important to me and I can't believe I have been so stupid.

Cries.

OP posts:
WeCouldBeSpearows · 04/04/2022 14:42

I would speak to a jeweller. I wouldn't want to risk trying it myself.

Gizacluethen · 04/04/2022 14:48

Yeah I'd take them to a jeweller. Shit happens, they'll have them good as new.

ComDummings · 04/04/2022 14:50

Yeah a jeweller should be able to get it clean

AdaColeman · 04/04/2022 14:56

Take the rings to a jeweller to be cleaned, they will have vibrating baths etc for thorough safe cleaning.

For your hands try O'Keefe's working hands (Boots) or Neutrogena Norwegian formulae, widely available.

incognitoforthisone · 04/04/2022 14:56

As others have said, definitely take them to a jeweller that does a repair or cleaning service. You will definitely not be the only person to have had this problem - this sort of thing happens all the time. I'm pretty sure that for a jeweller it would be a matter of soaking the jewellery in a specific solution and then scrubbing it clean with a little toothbrush before they polish it up for you. Obviously it would need to be the right kind of solution to avoid damaging the jewellery, but a jeweller will know what to use. Don't worry!

tobedtoMN · 04/04/2022 15:13

White spirit would have been a better solvent to remove the varnish.

jimmyhill · 04/04/2022 15:41

Never wear rings and do DIY! There are worse things than stained jewellery... like degloving injuries

Original poster
DiamondsDilemma · 07/04/2022 16:01

Ok so I got it cleaned by a jeweller and the top is ok, however the bottom bit of the diamond is still coated in varnish. I wonder if it will come off in time or if I need to see someone specialist(no idea how to find this though)

OP posts:
WeCouldBeSpearows · 07/04/2022 16:45

Did you mention it to the jeweller that cleaned it? Surely they would have been able to advise you, given that they've seen the ring and they know about jewellery?

neatlittlerows · 07/04/2022 16:47

A decent jeweller is a specialist. They should know who to send the ring off to if they can’t do it. Just ask them.

Fuuuuuckit · 07/04/2022 16:55

Meh. My rings stay on for all sorts of gardening, diy, car mechanic-in. Its very unlikely that large-scale varnish will need solvents to remove, have you tried just keeping them on and washing as normal?

Making bread always cleans my rings nicely Confused

I'm not sure why a proper jeweller couldn't sort them out though, mine go off occasionally for re-polishing/coating (due to afore-mentioned diy, car mechanic-ing and gardening) and always come back as good as new, costs about £50

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