As we age, gold jewelry begins to tarnish and become dirty. Sweat, friction and dust tarnish them. However, it is possible to find your gold jewelry as dazzling as on the first day. There are cleaning specifics depending on the color of the gold and the stones present on the jewelry or not. The solutions we offer can therefore be used for all gold jewellery.
Some tips and tricks:
In order to best preserve the brilliance of your gold jewellery, avoid spraying lacquer or perfume on your jewellery. Silverware damages jewelry. We do not recommend using them to clean them.
When you are not wearing your gold jewellery, cover it with chamois leather by storing it in its case.
Place a piece of white chalk to prevent the humidity in your jewelry box from damaging and oxidizing your jewelry.
How do I maintain my gold jewelery on a daily basis?
Yellow gold jewel
The jewel in yellow gold is the one that is the best resistant to water, but you must however avoid putting it in contact with hairspray or perfume. It is also not recommended to wear it during a sports or manual activity to avoid any contact with sweat or dirt. If your jewelry gets dirty, we explain how to clean it in the Clean and shine gold jewelry section.
Rose gold jewel
A rose gold jewel requires at least as much attention as a yellow gold jewel. Therefore, you must avoid putting it in contact with water and wearing it during sports or manual activities to prevent contact with sweat or dirt which would alter its shine.
White gold jewel
As with rose gold jewelry, white gold jewelry requires the same care. You must avoid all contact with water, chemicals and do not wear your white gold jewelery when you practice a sport or carry out a manual activity.
Gold jewelry with precious stones
Gold jewelry with precious stones requires a lot of attention. You should avoid wearing them when you wash your hands, play sports or any other sporting and manual activity such as cooking for example. In addition, the stones fear chemicals and cosmetics, so avoid spraying them with perfume or hairspray.
Clean and shine gold jewelry: ring, necklace, bracelet, earrings
Gold is a precious metal that must be taken care of so that our wedding rings, engagement rings or other gold jewelry last ad vitam aeternam. Taking care of your precious gold jewelry on a daily basis allows you to space out the cleanings. However, it is still necessary if you want your diamond ring or your gold chain to be sparkling like the first day. Indeed, over time, the jewel can get dirty despite regular maintenance. You can go directly to a jeweler and ask for ready-to-purchase baths or even special wipes. However, there are also cleaning possibilities that you can do yourself and which we have listed for you.
Yellow gold jewel
It is simple to clean a yellow gold ring so that it regains all its brilliance. Several possibilities are available to you, with products that you surely already have in your cupboards:
– Water with Marseille soap
– Toothpaste, leaving to dry then rinsing with lukewarm water
– Blanc de Meudon with household alcohol
– Water with baking soda
– White vinegar in lukewarm water
– A little dishwashing liquid in lukewarm water
You can use a soft toothbrush for these different solutions and immerse the jewelry for ten minutes in a bowl with the chosen mixture. Remember to rinse well with clean water and dry with a soft cloth.
Jewel in Rose Gold
A rose gold jewel requires more care. In order not to alter the color of the gold, you have to be extra careful. To do this, simply soak your jewelry in a bowl or basin with warm soapy water for 1 to 2 minutes only. Then wipe it with a soft, clean cloth. Avoid rubbing too hard to preserve its color.
White Gold Jewel
A white gold jewel will require the same attention as a rose gold jewel. You should know that white gold jewelery is covered with a layer of rhodium which gradually fades over time. This is why it should be gently rubbed with a soft toothbrush when cleaning. In addition, in order to preserve your jewel, you can go to a jewelry store to ask for a new rhodium plating. In general, this is done every year or even every two years depending on the condition of your jewel. Since rings are more exposed to friction than necklaces, bracelets and earrings, it is generally necessary to do this every year.
Gold ring set with precious and fine stones
As explained above, jewelry set with precious stones and semi-precious stones (or semi-precious stones such as citrine, lapis lazuli, opal or even moonstone) is very fragile. Indeed, precious stones such as emerald, sapphire or ruby are afraid of hot water and the diamond will tarnish if you clean it with greasy products such as moisturizing soap for example. This is why the cleaning stage must be done with the greatest delicacy.
So if you want to clean your wedding ring set with diamonds and revive the color of the gold without damaging the stone, cleaning with warm water and Marseille soap remains the most effective and the most respectful of the jewel. After rinsing it with lukewarm water, wipe it with a soft, clean cloth. You can refer to the previous points to adapt the cleaning according to the gold color of your jewel.
Polishing
Polishing is a technique that polishes and shines your gold jewelry and therefore removes all scratches. This technique is practiced directly in jewelry. If you want to polish a white gold ring, it will sometimes be necessary to apply a new layer of rhodium.
Rhodium plating
Rhodium is a metal that is part of the platinum group. You should know that this precious metal is worth more than gold. Its color is silvery white. Its advantage is that it neither tarnishes nor oxidizes. Silver jewelry is also most often rhodium because it is a metal that tarnishes.
Rhodium plating consists of plating a jewel with rhodium. As a result, a thin layer of this metal is coated on the white gold or silver jewellery. White gold is rather gray before being rhodium-plated. Rhodium plating then makes the jewel whiter and shinier. In case of wear, the gray can take precedence over the white. This is why a new rhodium plating may become necessary.
Rings in particular are subject to more wear and tear than necklaces, earrings or bracelets. To apply a layer of rhodium on your jewelry so that it regains its shine, just go to a jewelry store either once a year or every two years depending on the condition of your jewelry. Moreover, if you want to polish your white gold jewelry, it will sometimes be necessary to apply a new layer of rhodium at the same time.
