Cleaning Gold Jewellery
GOLD JEWELLERY LOOKING DULL?
Cleaning Gold Jewellery
Are your favourite pieces of gold jewellery looking dull and lifeless? When was the last time you gave your gold jewellery a good clean? How often should you clean gold jewellery? Learn about cleaning gold jewellery with our jewellery care guides…
WHY GOLD LOSES ITS LUSTRE
Introduction
Gold jewellery comes in 9kt, 14kt, 18kt and 22kt. Just like silver, pure .999 gold is too soft to really craft jewellery from which is why it is alloyed with other metals to give it the strength to make jewellery that won’t as easily scratch or damage. 9kt Gold is made up of 37.5% gold, 14kt is made of 58.5% gold, 18kt is made up of 75% gold and 22kt made of 91.6% gold. The rest is made up of alloy metals like zinc and copper which can be susceptible to tarnish and oxidisation due to general day to day factors and reacting with sulphur in the air.
This is why caring for your gold jewellery goes a long way to making sure it keeps its lustre. If possible, it is recommended to clean gold jewellery at least once a week if you wear it every day. For a statement piece that only makes an appearance on special occasions, cleaning it after every wear or once a month should be just fine.
YELLOW, WHITE OR ROSE GOLD?
Cleaning Your Gold Jewellery
In general, yellow gold, white gold and rose gold can all be cleaned in the same way. The one thing to point out though is that sometimes white gold jewellery can be rhodium plated. If your white gold jewellery is rhodium plated, it is important to take care when polishing your jewellery to make sure you don’t wear away at the plating.
When cleaning gold jewellery, using a gold jewellery cleaner like Connoisseurs Precious Jewellery Cleaner is generally our number one go to since it is fast working and leaves a professional sparkle on your gold jewellery as well as being safe to use with diamonds and most gemstones except for pearls, opals & turquoise. For more information on cleaning gemstones, please visit our cleaning gemstone jewellery guide.
With that said you do not necessarily need a gold jewellery cleaner to clean your gold jewellery at home like a professional. Using warm water with a tiny bit of mild washing up liquid or vinegar is a great way to bring back the shine of your gold jewellery.
A QUICK, CONVENIENT & EFFECTIVE WAY…
Connoisseurs Precious Jewellery Cleaner
- Unscrew the lid of your Connoisseurs Precious Jewellery Cleaner and remove the seal.
- Place a piece of gold or platinum jewellery into the dip tray and submerge in the solution for no longer than 30 seconds.
- Remove the drip tray from the solution and rinse the jewellery under warm water to remove the residue.
- Carefully and gently use a soft bristle brush or an old toothbrush to clean those hard to reach places and in between settings while making sure not to scratch your jewellery.
- Gently dab your jewellery dry using a soft or microfiber cloth to prevent scratches to your jewellery
- Using a polishing cloth, give your jewellery a once over to bring out its natural shine and lustre. (Connoisseurs Ultrasoft Gold Jewellery Polishing Cloth is perfect for this as it leaves a protective anti-tarnish layer and gives gold jewellery a professional sparkle. Please take care when polishing rhodium plated white gold.)
USING BITS AROUND THE HOUSE
Mild Washing Up Liquid & Water
If you prefer to use the warm water & a mild washing up liquid method, then we recommend following this method: (please note that if your jewellery is set with gemstones, only use room temperature water as many stones are sensitive to drastic temperature changes. Please see our Cleaning Gemstone Jewellery guide for more information.)
- Fill up a bowl of warm water and add one small drop of a very mild washing up liquid.
- Place your jewellery inside the soapy water and let it soak for around 20-30 minutes
- Remove the jewellery from the water and use a soft cloth to remove the leftover dirt and reach those hard to reach areas
- To dry, gently dab your jewellery with a lint free cloth to make sure it does not get scratched, then give it a polish to bring out its shine. (Connoisseurs Gold Polishing Cloth is perfect for this as it is two in one and also leaves a protective layer that prevents new tarnish and gives gold jewellery a professional sparkle. However polishing is not really recommended for white gold jewellery that is rhodium plated as you may scratch or wear away the plating.)
WHAT NOT TO DO…
Stay Away From:
PLEASE NEVER USE BLEACH OR HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS ON YOUR JEWELLERY. These types of cleaners are a surefire way to ruin your jewellery in no time and should be avoided at all costs.
Toothpaste is another novel cleaning method we recommend staying clear of as the chemicals inside can strip away the metals of your jewellery over time and leave it looking dull.
