Cleaning your Gold Jewelry at Home

Real gold jewelry doesn’t need much maintenance. Gold doesn’t tarnish, after all, and appreciates in value over time. When used for long periods of time however, gold jewelry may accumulate dust and grime. Gold is also prone to scratches and dents, and this is pretty common if you wear jewelry while cleaning or playing sports. Maintaining and cleaning your gold jewelry isn’t exactly rocket science, but you do need to do so regularly, to keep your treasures looking as beautiful as the first day you've bought them.

The water solution

Personally, I like using lukewarm water when cleaning my jewelry. All I do is submerge them in clean water for a few minutes and wipe them with a soft cloth afterward. I also recommend a solution of water and liquid dish detergent to take care of grime build-up. I use a soft bristle brush - definitely no toothbrush or hard-bristled brushes - to remove the grime. The lukewarm water (or even hot water) loosens the grime pretty easily, while the detergent cleans the surface more thoroughly. Once I have the cleaning done, I usually place my jewelry on a soft cloth to air dry.

Some people like to use toothpaste instead of detergent; however some toothpaste brands can be pretty strong. If you must use toothpaste, please do not apply it directly into the jewelry. I guess this applies to the use of any kind of detergent as well. Dilute any cleaning solution in water first, before allowing it to get in contact with your gold.

How to clean white gold

Many people like wearing white gold jewelry. White gold looks less conspicuous and can be paired with almost anything, from sterling silver to platinum to crystals. When I’m cleaning white gold, I usually do the same process mentioned above, as it tends to work well with both yellow and white gold varieties.

White gold jewelry may necessitate more than simple cleaning once it begins to darken or turn light yellow.This could be an indication that the rhodium plating – the silver white metal that gives gold jewelry a silvery look - has started to wear off. While rhodium-plated white gold normally doesn’t wear, abrasive solutions and constant friction may cause the plating to wear off over time. In these cases, it is best to have your white gold re-plated and cleaned by a professional.

Gold with gemstones

Submerging gold jewelry with gemstones - especially the vintage ones - in water is never a good idea. Many gemstones are glued into the gold material and easily come off when immersed in water. Also when you have very old jewelry, some form of tarnishing is pretty normal. It's pretty easy to damage vintage jewelry by using abrasive solutions. If you have gold jewelry that’s been handed over by your mom or your grand mom, especially ones with semi-precious or precious gemstones in it, a soft cloth for cleaning will do. If the items necessitate tougher cleaning, there are always professionals willing to do the cleaning for you.

A few tips though:

- Make sure that your jewelries are dry before storing them away.

- Never use a stiff brush when cleaning.

- Do not wear gold jewelry in the shower. Constant exposure to soap can affect its luster.

- Do not wear gold in swimming pools or expose them to chlorine. Chlorine can damage gold to a significant degree, resulting in the weakening of this soft metal and eventually, breakage.