Cleaning jewelry | Tips for gold plated, gold & silver
Do you want to polish a piece of jewelry because it has become duller by wearing it and are you curious how you can do that yourself at home? In this blog we explain how you can easily clean your jewelry at home.
Beware of gems when cleaning your jewelry
First of all, we would like to emphasize that you should always be careful of the gemstones when cleaning your jewelry. Some gemstones are very sensitive and can discolor quickly. It is not good for most gemstones to bring them into contact with soap and chemicals, this can even change the color of the gemstone. It is best to clean the gemstone itself with a soft toothbrush or soft dry cloth.
Cleaning gold plated jewelry
The most frequently asked question of the moment is how to clean gold plated jewelry. Gold plated jewelry is composed of a base material such as silver or brass with a layer of gold plating over it. And of course you want to keep this layer of gold plating as long as possible so that your jewelry keeps the gold color. Our advice is therefore to clean gold plated jewelry as little as possible. Never polish gold plated jewelry with water, a cleaning agent or soap, this will affect the gold plating! What you can do is use a dry soft cloth to polish your gold plated jewelry. Would you like to know more about how to prevent discoloration of gold plated jewelry? Read our blog about it, click here .
Cleaning gold jewelry
Pure gold jewelry is best cleaned with soapy water and washing-up liquid. To clean the jewelry, use a soft toothbrush. Always rinse the jewelry well with lukewarm water and dry it with a soft cloth. Do not leave the jewelry in soapy water for a long time, that is not good for your jewelry.
Cleaning brass jewelry
Brass itself is a gold-colored metal. Brass is a metal that itself has the color gold because it is a mix of copper and brass. No layer of gold has been used over another metal as is the case with gold colored stainless steel. This is also the direct difference between brass and gold-colored stainless steel. Stainless steel is silver in itself, but is provided with a layer of (chrome) gold.
Brass is therefore very suitable for making gold jewelry. Brass can become a bit darker in color when worn. However, brass is easy to polish. A handy remedy is Brasso, which can be bought at the supermarket. With a soft dry cloth, you can polish brass jewelry to a beautiful shine. Do you have brass jewelry with gold plating over it? Then follow the above tips for cleaning gold plated jewelry. Only when the plating has completely worn off can you polish the jewelry with, for example, Brasso. Otherwise it will affect the gold plating!
Cleaning sterling silver jewelry
By wearing silver can oxidize, your jewelry will get a black or green attack. Don't worry, you can easily wipe this off! There are many ways to polish silver, but the best is to use a solution of lukewarm water with dish soap. You can use a soft toothbrush or soft cloth to clean the jewelry. Always rinse the jewelry well with lukewarm water and dry it well with a soft cloth.
Have jewelry professionally cleaned?
Silver and real gold jewelry can be cleaned by a jeweler. A jeweler can also immediately check whether the gems are still firmly attached, so that you do not lose them and the jewelry will look like new again!
Tips to keep jewelry beautiful for a long time
Always be careful with chemical agents such as soap, make up, etc. Most jewelry and gemstones will become less beautiful from these agents. It is also very important to store your jewelry properly when you are not wearing it. A dark airtight space such as a jewelry box is best for your jewelry. Do you want to read more about the care of jewelry? Then click here .
