Left to its own devices, gold jewellery won’t tarnish or corrode. However, with regular wear, your gold jewellery will eventually accumulate a film of soap, body oils and even grease. Taking proper care of your fine gold jewellery, which includes periodic cleanings, will ensure that it continues to be a point of pride throughout your lifetime
Remove your gold jewellery before showering, bathing, or cleaning. The exposure to soap and chemicals can dull the gold, necessitating more frequent cleanings.
This is especially important if you’re using abrasive cleaners, as fine gold is a soft metal and will scratch readily.
Chlorine can also permanently discolour gold, so take your jewellery off before going into a hot tub or swimming pool.
Handle your gold jewellery carefully, as delicate pieces and gem settings can also easily bend out of shape.
Buff your gold jewellery with a soft chamois cloth if it seems to be losing its lustre. This might be enough to restore the shine right away, with no further cleaning necessary.
Periodic Cleanings
To clean your jewellery, it is recommended using a few drops of mild dish detergent mixed in a bowl of warm water. Dip each piece of gold in the mixture, 1 at a time. Don’t pile all your gold into the bowl at once; the pieces might get scratched.
Wipe the gold gently with a very soft cloth.
NOTE Vigorous scrubbing with a toothbrush could scratch your gold. Nevertheless, if you have a very heavily ornamented piece with many cracks and crevices, using a soft-bristled child’s toothbrush may be the only way of getting it clean. Rinse the gold gently in warm water until all traces of the soap are gone and the water runs clear. Buff and polish the gold gently with chamois or another soft cloth before you put the jewelry away.
Tips
- If you’re not sure you can properly care for your gold jewellery, take it to a jeweller to be professionally cleaned.
- If your gold jewellery contains gemstone accents or other metals, make sure that the other metals and gemstones can handle the cleaning process.
- Ultrasonic cleaners are an acceptable alternative method for cleaning gold jewellery.
How you maintain gold jewellery is as important as regular cleaning and cautious handling. Scratches and abrasion are some of the biggest sources of dangers to your gold pieces, so store each one apart from the other in a soft cloth box. If you must store several gold pieces together, enfold each piece of gold jewellery in a piece of tissue paper or soft cloth to protect it.
Caring for your Silver Jewellery
Care for your silver jewellery as you would your gold jewellery as outlined above.
Care for gemstones, pearls and diamonds
Diamonds: Whilst diamond is the hardest mineral on Earth measuring 10 out of 10 on Mohs scale, they are not indestructible. Extreme force or sudden impact on certain part of a diamond can cause it to chip, scratch or even crack.
Any jewellery pieces that has diamonds set in them, should be worn with care. Remember to store your diamond jewellery in a dry cool place and separately from other items to prevent them rubbing against each other.
Simple method to clean the diamond jewellery at home is to soak them in warm soapy water, using soft bristle toothbrush (if necessary) to clean in, around and under the setting where majority of the dirt can get trapped. Rinse with clean water and finishing with a soft microfibre cloth to dry.
Gemstones and pearls:
Our opals and coloured gemstones should be gently wiped with a damp soft cloth and mild detergent. Please avoid bleach, chemicals and cleaners as these can damage the stone and the use of an ultrasonic cleaner, as the intense vibrations may cause cracking.
Many gemstones including pearls are quite delicate. Hot water, harsh chemicals and cleaners should be avoided.
We encourage you to clean your precious gemstones with a clean, soft, damp cloth after wearing.
Pearls and emeralds should be cleaned using an untreated, dry, soft cloth only. Do not use tissue paper or paper towels to clean gemstones as they can cause scratching.
We highly recommend having jewellery pieces periodically cleaned and inspected by a professional jeweller to maintain and longevity and integrity of the piece.
