Who hasn't had a disappointed customer who has returned to your shop with a defective 8ct or 9ct piece of jewellery shortly after purchase or repair? In some cases, the jewellery parts have completely crumbled or the newly attached clasp has disintegrated into several components?

The most common cause of this physical destruction is stress corrosion cracking. This phenomenon occurs when cracks form in materials under the influence of stresses and corrosive media.

Stress corrosion cracking is characterised by the fact that deformed alloys crack under the influence of certain chemicals without any apparent external influence. The main triggering influences are stress states, alloy composition and chemicals.

Low-carat alloys below a fineness of 585/- are particularly susceptible to stress corrosion cracking. For example, 8ct or 9ct often contains high levels of additives such as zinc. Such jewellery / findings / wires can be damaged even after a short period of wear, especially if they come into contact with corrosive substances such as ammonia, ammonium salts or sulphur dioxide.

Read the entire article on stress corrosion cracking here.