Removing mercury from rings - HELP !!!

[osprey]

This is an urgent plea for help. My mother has got mercury embedded in her platinum rings after a thermometer broke while she was cleaning. Is there any way to remove it or will it have to be taken to a jewellers?

[Teddio]

Finely powdered sulphur rubbed into the affected part of the ring should remove the mercury without affecting the platinum. Be careful when disposing of the residue, it's toxic.

[osprey]

Teddio - thanks for the advice. Any idea where I could get any powdered sulphur?

[jake-the-peg]

Larger garden centres sell sulphur candles in tins for disinfecting greenhouses.

The particles are a few milimeters in size but you could easily grind a spoonfull or so to a powder

[osprey]

jake-the-peg - Many thanks for that.

[gen2]

Sulphur is useful when dealing with spillages of free mercury. Unfortunately, mercury forms an alloy (called an amalgam) with other metals and the only sure way to remove it is by heat.

DON'T DO THIS YOURSELF. MERCURY VAPOUR IS HIGHLY TOXIC

Mercury boils (turns into a vapour) at 357 degrees Celsius
Platinum will not melt until the temperature reaches 1768 degrees Celsius. Temperatures between these two should drive off the mercury but this must be done under safe conditions that will not pollute or expose others to potential risk of harm.

[osprey]

Thanks to both Teddio and jake-the-peg for their advice. We got some sulphur candles from a agrdeb centre, ground it down to a powder and (wearing gloves) applied it to the rings and the mercury was successfully removed. We left the rings overnight and this morning were delighted with the results - no trace of the mercury whatsoever.

[osprey]

Oops! - agrdeb should have been garden; that'll teach me to look at what I've typed before pressing submit.