Cleaning Gold Jewelry
Gold jewelry, such as wedding rings, is usually designed to withstand daily wear. However, like almost any other material, gold wears down with use. Cleaning your gold jewelry helps keep your beloved and valuable pieces beautifully sparkling, and at the same time, you extend their lifespan. By cleaning your jewelry regularly, you also avoid skin irritation caused by ingrained dirt and grease.
How often should gold jewelry be cleaned?
Gold jewelry can be cleaned weekly or as often as deemed necessary. Gold rings and gold earrings, in particular, should be cleaned at least once a week, as their continuous skin contact means they collect the most grease and dirt. You can also assess the appearance of your jewelry with your own eyes. Has your beloved piece lost its sparkle and doesn't look as good as it used to? If the jewelry looks dull and lackluster, it's time to clean it.
To keep your beloved jewelry as bright as possible for as long as possible, try to always remove your jewelry before...
- Exercise or other activities that cause sweating
- Swimming and especially swimming in chlorinated water in swimming pools
- Using cosmetic products (perfume, hairspray, etc.)
- Cleaning or if you are otherwise in contact with household chemicals
Gold jewelry cleaning instructions: how to clean gold jewelry
Cleaning gold jewelry at home is easy, and you can find the necessary cleaning products and polishing cloths for cleaning and polishing jewelry in our online store's selection. Jeweler services should be used when the jewelry is extremely dirty and dull, or when the jewelry has various gemstones or pearls.
Cleaning gold jewelry with mild soapy water
The easiest way to clean gold jewelry at home is to soak it in diluted soapy water for about 30 minutes. After soaking, clean the jewelry by gently rubbing it with a soft toothbrush. After cleaning, it is important to rinse the jewelry thoroughly with plenty of water and dry it carefully with a soft cloth.
We do not recommend soap washing for jewelry with glued parts (such as gemstones). Over time, soapy water can dissolve the glue and cause gemstones to fall out. If the damage has already occurred, don't worry! A loose stone is relatively easy for a jeweler to re-glue.
Cleaning gold jewelry with a gold polishing cloth
To tackle stubborn dirt and achieve a very shiny result, yellow gold and rose gold jewelry can be cleaned by rubbing them with a gold polishing cloth. A gold polishing cloth does not contain as strong chemicals as, for example, a silver polishing cloth, so washing the jewelry after cloth cleaning is not necessary. If you have sensitive and easily irritated skin, rinsing with water after cloth cleaning won't hurt.
White gold jewelry is often surface-treated with rhodium, a precious metal belonging to the platinum group. Rhodium plating gives white gold jewelry a shiny and beautiful light surface. A gold polishing cloth should be used carefully on white gold jewelry, as cleaning with the cloth and all mechanical rubbing wears away the rhodium plating.
Cleaning gold jewelry with gold cleaning solution
Gold jewelry can also be cleaned with cleaning solutions specially designed for diamond and gold jewelry. The jewelry is submerged in the cleaning solution in a small basket and left to soak for about two minutes. Submersion cleaning restores the jewelry's shine and effectively cleans even the smallest details. Cleaning can be done weekly or as often as deemed necessary. After submersion, the jewelry should be rinsed thoroughly with plenty of water and dried with a soft cloth.
If the jewelry contains pearls or other porous gemstones, they should not be cleaned with gold cleaning solution. Diamonds and other hard gemstones, as well as cubic zirconia, can withstand cleaning with gold cleaning solution.
Cleaning gold with baking soda
Cleaning gold jewelry can also be done at home, but the cleaning result may not be as good as what a gold cleaning product achieves. Cleaning gold jewelry at home can be done with ingredients already found in many homes: water, dish soap, and baking soda. By combining these ingredients, you can make a dirt-removing cleaning paste that makes cleaning gold at home easy.
Cleaning a gold ring
Cleaning rings is easily done with either water and soap or gold polishing cloths available from jewelry stores. Ring cleaning can also be referred to as gold ring polishing, as dirt and grease make the ring dull. Ring cleaning, in turn, restores gold's natural brilliance. It is recommended to clean rings at least once a week, as they are in constant contact with your skin and therefore collect the most grease and dirt.