Few Months Old Toledo Stained Art Work

[AGiulius]

I bought a Toledo M900 few months ago, used it for a couple of days, cleaned it and put it in the pen case. Today, by chance, I took it out and immediately noticed stains on the beautiful art work. Initially I thought it was oxidation, but even if the main metal in Toledo is silver, everything is plated with gold. Oxidation or not I'm very unhappy with how this expensive Toledo looks after less than a year. I attached some pics, maybe you guys have seen this before. I will also contact Pelikan.

[Uncial]

Looks like tarnish. Have you tried rubbing it away with a soft cloth?

[mana]

Gold, as in gold alloys (such as 14k or 18k gold) and plating (in this case vermeil) does tarnish, 24k gold doesn't. Jewelers or sunshine cloth (meant for gold) should be able to deal with that, really nothing out of the ordinary in that sense.

[farazqamar]

I agree. I have the same on a number of pens with vermeil including the toledo.

[AGiulius]

Thank you @Uncial, @mana and @farazqamar for the replies. I am more relaxed now that you're telling me this is something you've experienced before. The thing is I have a second Toledo M900, bought shortly after, as a gift for someone, and it looks pristine, in perfect condition. The tarnished one has been sitting in a Visconti pen case and the later in its original case. And none of my other pens have a single tarnish; granted I have been collecting fountain pens for ~2 years and some have seen paper more than others.

[gmax]

Some leather pen cases cause this type of tarnish on stored pens, because of the particular leather tanning process followed.

 

I freaked the first time I saw that "rainbow" coloured tarnish on a gold-plated pen clip, but thankfully it easily buffs off with a jewellers cloth.

[AGiulius]

Some leather pen cases cause this type of tarnish on stored pens, because of the particular leather tanning process followed.

 

I freaked the first time I saw that "rainbow" coloured tarnish on a gold-plated pen clip, but thankfully it easily buffs off with a jewellers cloth.

The pen was sitting in a "Visconti Dreamtouch Leather 3 Pen Holder" with another Pelikan. I also have a "Visconti Dreamtouch Leather 12 Pen Holder" and no other pen was tarnished by the black felt material that's inside these cases.