Hello, this is Erin from ONE OF ONE.
Today we'd like to answer a question we hear all the time: when you polish a piece of fine jewelry, how much gold do you actually lose? Instead of guessing, we'll show you the numbers we recorded ourselves.
At a pre-owned luxury boutique like ours, every piece is cleaned before it goes on sale, and polished when its condition calls for it. Polishing removes everyday scratches and smooths the surface. Pieces worn daily, such as a Cartier Love ring, a Bulgari Serpenti necklace or a Tiffany bracelet, pick up fine scratches easily.
Polishing uses a compound with fine abrasives to clear away light scratches and signs of wear and bring back the original shine. But because it physically removes a thin layer of metal, many owners worry about how much gold disappears in the process. So we weighed each piece before and after polishing and kept the records.
1. Cartier Love Ring: Before and After
Men's Love Ring, Classic, size 57. Before: 6.27 g. After: 6.12 g. Difference: 0.15 g.
Women's Love Ring, Classic, 1 diamond, size 50. Before: 4.51 g. After: 4.42 g. Difference: 0.09 g.
Even within the same Love ring line, the weight lost varied with the design and the condition of the piece.
2. Cartier and Tiffany Bracelets
Cartier Love Bracelet, white gold cuff. Before: 26.95 g. After: 26.80 g. Difference: 0.15 g.
Tiffany T Wide Bangle. Before: 31.27 g. After: 30.96 g. Difference: 0.31 g. (The after-polishing photo was not kept, so we're sharing the recorded weights only.)
Summary
Cartier Love Ring Classic, size 57 (men's): 6.27 g → 6.12 g, a difference of 0.15 g.
Cartier Love Ring Classic, 1 diamond, size 50 (women's): 4.51 g → 4.42 g, a difference of 0.09 g.
Cartier Love Bracelet, white gold cuff: 26.95 g → 26.80 g, a difference of 0.15 g.
Tiffany T Wide Bangle: 31.27 g → 30.96 g, a difference of 0.31 g.
Across these four pieces, a single polish removed about 0.09–0.31 g. In value, that is roughly KRW 10,000–30,000 worth of gold per polish.
These figures come from these specific pieces, so they won't apply to every piece of luxury jewelry. Results for other brands such as Bulgari and Boucheron also vary with the design, the surface condition and how much work the piece needs.
3. How Often Should You Polish?
Because polishing physically removes metal, a little is lost every time, as the numbers above show. Polishing too often can wear down edges, engravings and fine details, so we don't recommend doing it frequently.
For everyday care, wipe your jewelry with a soft cloth. If it looks dull or dirty, try cleaning it before polishing. Save polishing for when scratches have clearly built up and you want the piece looking new again, and have its condition checked first.
4. Will Independent Polishing Void Boutique Service?
No. Having a piece polished by an independent workshop doesn't stop you from getting it polished or serviced at the brand's boutique later.
If new scratches appear after an independent polish, you can still take the piece to the boutique for service. There's no way for them to tell that it was polished elsewhere, and as long as the piece is authentic and its serial number is intact, the boutique will polish it.
Jewelry Polishing at ONE OF ONE
Many people give up on boutique polishing once they hear how long it takes. At ONE OF ONE, we polish Cartier, Bulgari, Boucheron and Tiffany jewelry, among other brands, and return it in about 1–2 days.
Base prices. Ring: KRW 30,000. Necklace: KRW 50,000. Earrings: KRW 60,000. Bracelet: KRW 70,000. Whether a piece can be polished, and what it costs, depends on its design and condition.
Final Thoughts
The more precious the piece, the less it makes sense to polish it again and again just to keep it looking new. Polishing at the right moment matters more. Since care affects both the condition and the value of your jewelry, it's worth having an expert take a look.
If you have any questions about polishing, feel free to reach out.
Questions about a piece?
Authentication and buying are by appointment at our Apgujeong showroom in Seoul. Send us photos and we'll take a first look.
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