How to clean gold jewelry, including those encrusted with stones, at home? Causes of contamination, care rules and home remedies for cleaning gold jewelry. Useful tips.
The content of the article:
Gold is a noble metal, but even it tends to become dirty and darken, causing it to stop sparkling and shimmering. To eliminate such a defect, gold jewelry should be periodically cleaned without damaging its surface. Products can be taken to a workshop for professional sanding, or you can clean them at home yourself. In this review, you will learn how to clean gold jewelry, including items with stones, using available tools, how to avoid damaging or scratching them, and much more.
Causes of contamination of gold jewelry
Gold is a soft metal that can easily deform, so jewelry of the highest standard is not made. To give the product hardness, other metals are added to the alloy: silver, zinc, copper, cadmium, etc. These additives oxidize when they come into contact with water or air, causing a film of dark and dull oxide to appear on the products. In domestic conditions, gold products can become contaminated by dust, grease, body sweat, cosmetics, creams, etc. Another reason is contact with chemical fumes and medications.
Rules for caring for gold jewelry
In order to clean gold in the future as rarely as possible and protect the metal from damage, it should be properly cared for. To do this, be sure to remove gold jewelry before:
- Cleaning the house.
- Hand wash with washing powders.
- Taking a shower.
- Going to the bathhouse and sauna.
- Sports activities.
- Visiting the solarium.
- Use of cosmetics and medical products.
- When working with paints and abrasives.
Home Remedies for Cleaning Gold
The easiest and most cost-effective way to clean is to use a fabric like fleece with soft pile. They need to rub the gold until it shines and is clean. This is the most gentle and suitable method for any product that should be used regularly. But if the contamination is old, and the dark oxide film is located in hard-to-reach places, then this method is not suitable. Then more effective liquids should be used.
Soapy water
- First option- Dissolve dishwashing detergent or soap in warm water. Place decorations in the soap solution. After a few hours, clean the products with a toothbrush and rinse with running water.
- Second way- prepare the solution as in the first case, lower the gold and boil for 2 minutes. Then clean with a soft brush, as in the first case.
Water with soda
Fill the gold with water and heat it. Then pour in soda (1 tbsp per 200 ml of water) and boil for 2 minutes. Remove jewelry, brush and rinse.
Sugar solution
Dissolve 1 tbsp in 200 ml of water. l. sugar and place the gold for 3-4 hours. Afterwards, rinse the jewelry so that it is not sticky. This method will remove grease and dust, but will not cope with heavy dirt.
Toothpaste
Cover the gold with paste and use a soft toothbrush to brush as you would your teeth. The duration depends on the degree of contamination. Toothpaste contains a slightly abrasive substance, the action of which softens the foaming substance. Therefore, the jewelry will be cleaned without damage.
Onion juice
Cut the onion and rub the cut side over the decorations. Leave the gold for 2 hours for the juice to take effect. Rinse afterwards.
Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia
Pour 200 ml of water, 3 tsp into a glass or enamel container. ammonia, 2 tbsp. l. peroxide and a drop of liquid soap. Leave the gold in the solution for 2 hours. Ammonia and peroxide react with oxides, which purifies the gold. This method is not suitable for products with stones and containing chemicals that are sensitive to ammonia and peroxide.
Ammonia and washing powder
Pour washing powder into 200 ml of hot water and pour in ammonia. Place gold in the solution for 2 hours, then rinse.
Rules for cleaning gold jewelry inlaid with stones
For each individual type of stone, certain jewelry cleaning products are used.
Pearl, turquoise, coral
Carefully wipe the gold frame with ammonia so that it does not get on the stone. Wipe the stone itself with a cotton swab dipped in soapy water.
Zirconium, cubic zirconia, diamond
On the contrary, these stones are not afraid of ammonia; it will restore their shine and transparency. You can clean jewelry with zirconium, cubic zirconia or diamond with a solution of ammonia and soap using a soft cloth. It is important not to boil such jewelry or soak it for a long time if the stone is set with glue.
Diamond
Diamond is the strongest gemstone. Products with it tolerate any cleaning agents and methods.
Sapphire, ruby, emerald
Clean these stones with soapy water. Then they will not become cloudy and will not lose their beautiful bright color.
- Do not rub soda on the gold, as this will damage the surface of the product. Baking soda leaves deep scratches. Moreover, the higher the standard of the jewelry, the more mechanical damage.
- For cleaning, do not use any acids on jewelry with stones.
- Gold is a soft metal, so do not use rough abrasives (steel wool, needles, sharp objects).
- Clean clogged dirt in the engraving, openwork pattern or on the inside with a wooden toothpick with a thin layer of cotton wool wrapped around the tip.
It's no secret that over time, gold jewelry loses its shine, its original attractiveness and no longer adorns its owner as it did on the first day of their meeting. Many women are worried about the condition of their jewelry and prefer to turn to jewelers for help. But gold jewelry can be cleaned at home, and there is nothing complicated about this procedure!
Cleaning jewelry: the golden rule!Before you start cleaning your favorite earrings or necklace, remember one golden rule.
An easy way to clean any type of gold jewelry
Simple stains on jewelry in the form of dust can be easily removed with a soap solution. For this we need:
- regular soap. Alternatives to regular soap can be: shampoo, liquid dishwashing detergent, liquid powder;
- water 300-500 ml (temperature 50-60 °C);
- water container;
- a soft cloth;
- toothbrush (with soft bristles).
Attention! Cleaning white gold with a toothbrush is strictly prohibited!
Ammonia protects the purity of your jewelry
Unfortunately, ordinary soap solution does not always effectively cope with severe stains, so ammonia comes to the aid of owners of earrings and rings. Very often, stains form on gold jewelry due to the oxidation of the metals included in the alloy of the jewelry. The admixture of other metals (silver Ag, copper Cu, nickel Ni, zinc Zn) in the composition of the jewelry is a necessary condition, since gold itself is very soft and fragile.
Oxidized elements are easily removed with the help of ammonia, which, reacting with copper and silver oxides, leads to the formation of compounds that are subsequently easily soluble in water.
To clean gold jewelry we will need:
- ammonia;
- small capacity.
White gold
Before making recommendations for cleaning white gold jewelry, you need to determine what is included in the alloy.
White gold is an alloy of gold, copper, nickel or palladium. Nickel is what gives jewelry its white color. Jewelry made of white gold is coated with rhodium on top. This material gives the product additional strength, but over time the rhodium wears off. That is why when cleaning white gold items from dust and other deposits, you should use a soft cloth.
You can clean white gold products using the well-known ammonia solution. So, we need:
- ammonia;
- shampoo;
- pure water;
- capacity.
Jewelry with precious stones
Cleaning gold jewelry containing precious stones requires even more attention. In order not to damage the precious stone itself, as well as the fastenings, it is necessary to clean it with jeweler's precision. In this case, ordinary cotton swabs will come to our aid. So, we will need:
- cotton buds;
- cologne or alcohol tonic.
Folk methods for cleaning gold jewelry
Take note! To keep your jewelry in pristine condition and avoid the hassle of trying to remove stains or dirt from your items, make it a habit to clean your jewelry once a month.
Basic rules for storing gold jewelry
To ensure that you enjoy your gold earrings and bracelets for many years, follow the basic rules for storing jewelry:
- Each piece of jewelry should be kept separate from the other. You can separate jewelry using any fabric, such as flannel.
- It is necessary to store gold not on a shelf or on a windowsill, but in a box where the jewelry will not gather dust and sunlight will not fall on it.
- Always remove jewelry when performing daily housework.
They delight us with their appearance and shine.
However, even with the most careful treatment, over time gold becomes dull, products made from it become dirty, and stains may appear on them.
You will learn how to clean gold at home in this article.
How to clean gold at home: from grease and dirt
It’s easy to remove traces of dirt from gold jewelry - in a small container you need to mix hot water (50-70°C) and one of the detergents:
Liquid dishwashing detergent
Soap, grated on a coarse grater (preferably laundry soap)
Shampoo
Washing powder
The gold jewelry is placed in the resulting solution for 2-3 hours, after this procedure the dirt and grease will soften and can be easily removed with a regular toothbrush with soft bristles. After this, the jewelry should be thoroughly rinsed under running water and allowed to dry.
If after such a soapy “bathing” dirt still remains, the procedure must be repeated.
Another way to easily clean dirt and grease is to boil it in a soapy solution. The gold product is placed in a container with such a solution and boiled for 2-3 minutes. Next, you should clean the product with a brush, as in the first method.
To give gold items shine, you can put them in a sugar solution overnight; to prepare the solution, add 2-3 teaspoons of sugar to a glass of water.
An excellent effect is achieved by a paste made from Vaseline, soap shavings, water and chalk (in powder), taken in equal proportions. After cleaning with this mixture, gold jewelry looks like new.
How to clean gold at home: “folk” recipes
There are some ancient folk recipes that will help restore gold products to their original shine.
1. Grate the onion, moisten a napkin with the juice and wipe the gold item with it.
2. Apply lipstick to the surface of the product, and after a while wipe it with a dry cloth. The lipstick contains titanium dioxide, which will help remove tarnish from the surface of the gold.
3. An aqueous solution of borax will help remove heavy stains, but it is powerless against stains. It is necessary to wipe the product with a cloth soaked in the solution, then rinse it under running water.
4. Cleaning the gold surface with toothpaste can also have a good effect, but requires caution. To apply the paste, use a soft toothbrush or cloth.
5. Occasionally it happens that iodine stains appear on a gold product. A hyposulfite solution, which is sold in departments for amateur photographers, will help clean it.
6. Another method that our ancestors used. You need to take a little beer and the white of an egg, mix thoroughly, apply it to a cloth and wipe the gold jewelry with this mixture. After this, rinse with running water and dry.
How to clean gold at home if it is old
If the gold is old, it may have stains or a film of oxide on it. To clean such products, ammonia and hydrogen peroxide are used.
Add to a glass of warm water:
1 teaspoon ammonia
30 ml 30% hydrogen peroxide solution
1 spoon of liquid soap
All components must be mixed in a non-metallic container, and the products must be placed in the solution for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with running water and wipe with flannel or suede.
Using ammonia you can also achieve good results in the fight against oxides. To a glass of water you need to add ½ teaspoon of a 10% ammonia solution and 1 teaspoon of any detergent. After you put gold jewelry there, the water will immediately darken, the product is then removed from the solution and washed under running water.
If the product contains precious stones, these cleaning methods cannot be used.
A solution of soda also cleans gold from oxides well (just do not apply soda powder to the product and rub it, scratches may remain on the surface).
Place a piece of foil in a small container, place gold jewelry on it, and fill it with soda solution (a tablespoon of soda per glass of water). Leave for several hours. Then rinse the product under running water and dry.
Another cleaning method is boiling in a soda solution. Add a few drops of dishwashing detergent to the soda solution and boil for 10-15 minutes. After this, rinse and wipe dry.
Gold is also possible clean with saline solution(for ½ glass of water - 3 tablespoons of non-iodized salt). Leave your jewelry in this solution overnight, wipe with a soft cloth and enjoy its shine.
If none of the methods gives the desired result, you can purchase a special professional paste or foam for cleaning gold products. It is sold in jewelry stores and large household chemical departments; it is inexpensive and lasts a long time.
Cleaning Jewelry ultrasound– another modern way to clean jewelry. Ultrasonic devices are very effective and will help clean gold in hard-to-reach places, but they are also quite expensive.
How to clean gold at home: if products with precious stones
Gold items with stones require especially careful handling. It is advisable to clean them at least once a month. The method of cleaning such products depends on what kind of stone is inserted into them..
If the stone inlaid into the product is soft (such stones include amber, pearls, opal, lapis lazuli, turquoise), ammonia, vinegar or alkali cannot be used to clean it. You can wash such jewelry in alcohol diluted in equal proportions with water, or in a soap solution, without leaving the jewelry in it for a long time.
The pearls are washed with a brush, dipping it into a soap solution. The golden part of the product with pearls is wiped with a soft cloth.
Hard stones include diamond, ruby, sapphire, topaz, emerald, amethyst, tourmaline, zircon. Products with these stones can be cleaned with alcohol using a cotton swab, then washed off with soap and water and wiped dry with a flannel.
Diamond jewelry can be cleaned with a soft-bristled toothbrush dipped in soapy water. Liquid soap, shampoo or washing powder will do.
Also, diamond products are cleaned with a solution of ammonia (6 drops of alcohol per glass of water). Then wipe the stone and frame with a cotton swab.
If a product with a hard stone is very dirty, then clean it with a toothbrush dipped in gasoline.
Zircon cleans well with a mixture of ammonia and water in a ratio of 1:6.
How to clean gold at home without ruining it
In order not to spoil the gold during cleaning, you need to remember a few rules:
It is better to avoid abrasive substances when cleaning gold, as there is a risk of leaving scratches on the surface.
Products that require more delicate handling (chains, thin bracelets) should not be subjected to rough mechanical stress.
To clean products with stone, first find out how hard the stone is, and then, based on this, choose a cleaning method.
If the stone is glued, the product should not be wet to avoid the stone coming off.
First, you should always choose the most gentle method, for example, soaking in a soap solution, and only if this does not work, move on to “chemical” cleaning methods.
The appearance of stains and scratches on gold jewelry It's easier to prevent than to try to get rid of them. To do this you need to follow a few simple rules:
When cleaning the house, jewelry must be removed. Firstly, because household chemicals getting on gold can negatively affect it, and secondly, particles of dust and dirt during cleaning can become clogged in the patterns of rings or bracelets.
At night, jewelry must be removed in contact with the skin; it becomes dirty and oxidizes over time.
Every time you remove jewelry, you need to wipe it with a cloth.
Gold products should be kept in places where cosmetic substances cannot get into.
You should also not store gold jewelry in cardboard boxes; cardboard contains sulfur, which can cause stains. It is also not recommended to store gold in plastic containers.
If you care for gold items correctly, then they will last a long time and look great at the same time!
Gold is an eternal material. Having purchased a product made of this precious metal, you need to know how to care for gold and how to clean it so that it is always in perfect condition. Gold jewelry has always been considered a symbol of wealth, and today the attitude has not changed at all. But the impression will be very spoiled if there are a lot of different hairs or threads from fabrics on the chain or earrings, if the material is covered with a layer of gray or black dirt, and the stones look dull. Even if your item looks exactly like this at the moment or scratches appear on the jewelry, do not be too upset. Knowing a few simple tips for caring for gold can restore its attractive appearance.
Rules of care
Caring for gold jewelry is not very difficult, but by regularly following these rules, you will keep your jewelry in good shape:
- Do not put different types of jewelry and gold in the same box.
- Be sure to remove it before taking a bath or shower—the chemicals in soaps and shampoos can cause it to turn black.
- Chlorine is a very harmful substance for gold. Therefore, when you go to the pool, be sure to take off your decorative items.
- Keep gold jewelry away from sunlight.
- When you remove your jewelry, be sure to wipe it down to remove any dirt.
- Gold needs to be cleaned once every 2 months to keep it shiny.
How to clean gold?
If you have a question about how to clean gold, you can go to a jeweler - but this will require you to spend time searching for a good, conscientious craftsman and money to pay for his services. Most often, this is not at all necessary, since everything can be done at home.
Jewelers Cleaning Methods
Jewelers are well aware that the product is subject to restoration and cleaning. Each specialist has his own cleaning secrets. For example, some people clean them using ultrasound. This method allows you to remove dirt, even very strong ones. But not every gold product can withstand such cleaning, because some stones can be destroyed.
There are also special products available in jewelry stores to remove stains. The solutions do not contain aggressive substances that can damage the metal, but they are very effective at removing stains.
Important! Such solutions are very expensive and not everyone can afford them. And it is not advisable to purchase such an expensive product for rare use. If you want to clean gold with just such solutions, then you still need to take the jewelry to a jeweler.
Traditional methods for purifying gold
The following methods are considered the most effective.
Ammonia
An excellent product for removing dirt from any surface. To prepare the mixture you will need:
- 10 drops of ammonia;
- 0.5 cups warm water;
- 10 grams of laundry soap.
Follow these instructions:
- Grate the soap to form shavings.
- Dissolve the shavings in water.
- Add ammonia.
- Stir everything very well.
- Dip the cleaning item into the solution.
- Leave it for a while.
- Remove dirt with a cotton swab.
Onions and raw potatoes:
- Take a quarter of an onion and the same amount of potatoes.
- Grate on a fine grater to form a paste.
- Dip your chain into this mixture.
- Leave it for a while.
- Wash the product with soap.
Important! If you don’t really like the smell of onions, take only potatoes, although don’t worry - the metal itself will not emit a pungent onion aroma after peeling.
Lipstick
This product will help restore the shine of the metal and thoroughly clean gold from different types of dirt:
- Apply the product to a cotton swab.
- Wipe the product with a swab, preferably from all sides.
- Leave it like this for a few minutes.
- Remove with a clean cloth.
Important! When caring for gold, you can apply lipstick in a thin layer and directly onto the metal.
Soap solution:
- Take baby or laundry soap.
- Grate.
- Melt in hot water.
- Place the gold item in the water.
- Leave for a few minutes.
- Rinse with warm running water.
Soda solution:
- Take a glass of water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Put 3 tablespoons of soda in it.
- Boil for a few minutes.
- Cool it down.
- Place the product in the solution.
- Leave it for a while.
- Rinse under running water.
- Dry it dry.
Washing powder or dishwashing detergent:
- Take a tablespoon of powder or liquid.
- Dissolve in 0.5 cups of hot water.
- Put your gold away for a while.
- Rinse well with warm running water.
- Dry.
Dentifrice:
- Soak an unwanted toothbrush in warm water.
- Dust the brush with powder.
- Treat the product, but do not press the brush too hard, as scratches may occur on the surface.
Hydrogen peroxide:
- Pour the peroxide into the container, but do not dilute it with anything.
- Place the decoration in the container.
- Leave it for a while.
- Rinse with warm running water.
Alcohol:
- Soak a cotton swab in the liquid.
- Wipe the product.
Petrol
Grease stains can be removed from the product with a napkin soaked in gasoline.
Borax powder:
- Take 1 teaspoon of borax.
- Dissolve in water.
- Dip the product into the solution.
- Leave it for a while.
- Rinse with clean running water.
Important! Work with this product carefully, as borax is a fairly caustic chemical that can poison a person. Avoid direct contact with skin and eye mucous membranes. After you finish caring for your gold using this product, wash your hands well.
Sweet water:
- Take a glass of warm water.
- Dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Place the product in water.
- Leave it overnight.
- In the morning, rinse with running water.
- Dry.
Important! Homemade sweet water can also be replaced with a store-bought drink. For example, you can clean gold with cola. To do this, just pour the required amount into a suitable container, dip the decoration in the liquid and remove it after an hour or leave it overnight if the item is very dirty. To prevent the product from sticking, rinse thoroughly under running water.
Any piece of jewelry, be it gold or silver, will not say thank you if you treat it without due respect and wear it without taking it off.
It is clear that we become attached to things dear to our hearts. And I don’t want to constantly think about when to take off or put on jewelry. And yet it is important. It's a shame when a ring that was just recently perfectly round suddenly becomes flattened. All I had to do was remove it before working with a hammer in the country.
Before hard physical work, it is better not to be lazy and remove expensive jewelry to avoid problems. If the product is nevertheless deformed or damaged, take it into the hands of professionals. Craftsmen will return the jewelry to its original appearance.
How to properly store jewelry?
Jewelry can age even if you haven’t worn it for a long time, because chemical reactions with active substances continue to occur. But you can prevent negative consequences by following storage rules.
When you put away a precious item that you will not wear soon, go over its entire surface with a soft cloth. Flannel or suede will do. This will help remove dirt and greasy deposits.
Jewelry should be stored in boxes or special cases, lined with soft fabric on the inside. In this case, the products should not come into contact with each other. It is better to put especially expensive jewelry in an individual case.
In order for stones in jewelry to retain their original appearance and rich color, special requirements must be observed. Almost all stones are afraid of heat and bright sunlight. This causes them to lose their brightness and may fade. Therefore, it is better to store products with colored precious and semi-precious inserts in a cool place and always in a box.
Pearls require special treatment. To prevent the stone from becoming dull and drying out, wear jewelry with it more often. When putting it away for storage, drop a drop of boiled water inside the box. This way, for some time, it will be possible to create the microclimate necessary for pearls. Remember that excess moisture will also not benefit this stone.
Is it possible to clean and polish jewelry at home?
At home, it is quite possible to clean and polish many pieces of jewelry yourself. But we want to warn you against some rash steps.
If you are the happy owner of expensive jewelry, for example, made of gold or platinum with natural precious stones, do not rush to clean it yourself. In this case, it is not worth saving on the services of a specialist, since the cost of an error is too high.
It will be difficult for a person who does not have professional skills to clean some complex weaving chains and bracelets with many small relief elements, as well as filigree items on their own. But special equipment, which is available in jewelry production and in some workshops, allows you to easily clean such jewelry. In this case, it is also better to entrust polishing to a professional.
How to properly care for gold?
Gold products are negatively affected by iodine and chlorine. Moreover, their effect is enhanced in conditions of high humidity and heating.
These substances are found in sea and chlorinated water, medicines and cleaning products. That is why it is better to remove gold jewelry when you visit the pool or swim in the sea, as well as when cleaning or applying creams, lotions, and aerosols. Products should be stored away from medications containing chlorine and iodine, and jewelry should be removed if it is necessary to treat an adjacent area of skin with medication.
If stains, deposits, or dirt appear on a gold item, you can fix them in the following ways:
- Keep the product for some time in a warm soapy solution with the addition of ammonia. For ¹⁄₂ glass of warm water you will need 3-6 drops of alcohol. After this, wipe the jewelry with a thick cloth, rinse with clean water, dry and go over all surfaces with a soft suede cloth to add shine.
- Add dish soap to warm water. Briefly immerse the items in the solution. Then use a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush hard-to-reach areas. Rinse with clean water and polish with a piece of suede. Be careful, as some detergents may contain chlorides, which are not friendly with gold.
- Clean your items with special jewelry cosmetics, which are sold in jewelry stores. These are solutions, napkins and pastes specially designed for various decorations, which definitely will not harm.
How to care for silver?
Many people prefer silver to gold for its noble white color and availability. Silver products can truly serve their owner faithfully for a long time. You just need to take care of such jewelry more carefully than gold ones.
Silver is a soft metal and is therefore susceptible to deformation and mechanical damage. If you do not remove the ring when washing dishes or during heavy physical work (in the country, in the garden), do not be surprised that it will become scratched, lose its shine, and possibly bend.
In addition, silver rings, earrings and chains are negatively affected by sulfur. This substance interacts with silver not only when heated and high humidity, but also under normal conditions. In this case, silver sulfide is formed - that same black film that gradually covers the products.
Sulfur is found in the air and human sweat, so it is impossible to avoid contact of jewelry with it.
Just because your silver jewelry has turned black does not mean that the manufacturer is at fault or that the silver is of poor quality. Darkening is a normal reaction of this metal. To restore the original appearance, you need to clean the products. This can also be done in:
- Dip the jewelry in warm soapy water and then wipe dry. As with gold, a soft microfiber or suede cloth will do. Under no circumstances should you use hard brushes or abrasives such as sandpaper or powders.
- To remove dark spots, wash the items in a warm soapy solution and wipe with a thick cloth with ammonia. After this, you need to rinse the products in running water and dry.
- You can gently clean your silver pieces with a soft toothbrush and a little toothpaste. Then rinse with warm clean water and wipe dry.
- You can also use special silver cleaning cloths, which are sold in jewelry stores.
Is it necessary to somehow care for rhodium-plated products?
More and more manufacturers are using rhodium plating technology in the manufacture of jewelry. White gold or silver jewelry is coated with a thin layer of the precious metal rhodium. It not only gives the product a beautiful cool shine, but also increases wear resistance and prevents silver jewelry from turning black.
If you have rhodium-plated products, remember that caring for them should be as gentle as possible.
Since the thickness of the rhodium layer is usually only a few microns, brushes, powders and other abrasive substances should not be used for cleaning. This will only damage the coating.
Caring for rhodium-plated products is simple: you need to wash them in a warm soapy solution and wipe with a soft flannel or suede cloth.
But rhodium plating doesn't last forever. If you wear the products carefully and care for them properly, they will last a long time. But over time, rhodium will still wear off. This is a natural process.
If rhodium-plated jewelry has darkened in places and lost its shine, this can be fixed. Good jewelry workshops offer a re-rhodium plating service. Your jewelry will be polished and re-plated with rhodium.
What to do with gold-plated products?
The situation with gold-plated jewelry is the same as with rhodium-plated jewelry.
They need to be carefully looked after and do not use abrasives for cleaning. If the coating begins to come off in places, take the jewelry to a jewelry manufacturer to reapply the gold plating.
How to clean blackened items?
Ammonia should not be used to clean such products. Blackened jewelry can be washed in soapy water. If the contamination is too large or the blackening has faded in places, only specialists can return the product to its original appearance.
What do you need to know about caring for products with inserts?
Products with diamonds
Diamond is the hardest gemstone. But it is still not worth subjecting it to strong blows and falls, because it is quite likely to crack and split.
Over time, plaque can form in jewelry. It can be removed by washing in soapy water. A soft brush is suitable for cleaning, but only if it does not damage the metal from which the product is made. After the procedure, be sure to rinse the jewelry in clean water and dry it.
Products with emeralds
An ideal natural emerald without a single defect can hardly be found on sale; such a stone is very expensive. Natural emeralds almost always have defects, but this does not stop them from being precious. To improve their characteristics, emeralds are refined with various resins and oils.
Hence the special requirements for caring for emerald: it is afraid of alkalis, because they wash away the oil, which causes the stone to become brittle and deteriorate. If you have a ring with an emerald, be sure to remove it before washing dishes, laundry, or working with household chemicals.
You can wash emerald jewelry only in a very weak soap solution and then in clean water. Professionals who work with jewelry stones know that ultrasound is not suitable for washing emerald products. This procedure can ruin the stone. If you take a piece with an emerald insert to a good workshop, it will be washed with special gentle products.
Products with rubies, sapphires and alexandrites
Caring for jewelry containing ruby, sapphire or alexandrite is similar to caring for diamond jewelry. A soap solution will help you again. It will definitely not harm either the stones or the metal from which the product is made.
And don’t forget all the basic rules for wearing and storing: stones do not like prolonged exposure to the sun, high humidity and temperature changes, and are afraid of impacts.
Products with pearls and amber
You can clean pearl jewelry in a soapy solution. But you can’t leave it in the water for a long time. You just need to gently wipe the pearls with a soft cloth soaked in soapy foam, and then rinse them in clean water. And no brushes or abrasives!
If you have an expensive item with natural large pearls, it is better to entrust the care of the jewelry to a master. You should do the same with a product in which amber is inserted, if after washing in a soapy solution its shine does not return.
Products with semi-precious stones
Jewelers call semi-precious stones natural stones that are not classified as precious. These are aquamarine, amethyst, garnet, morganite, opal, tourmaline, topaz, citrine and many others.
Products with such stones can be washed in soapy water and cleaned with a soft brush if they are not made of silver and are not coated. To prevent stones from becoming dull, you need to protect products from light, heat and high humidity.
Is it easy to care for products with enamel?
Jewelry with enamel delights the eye with bright colors, but requires very careful handling. The enamel can crack due to impact, so you need to wear such items carefully and store them carefully, separately from other jewelry. The enamel must not come into contact with the metal.
Also, enamel does not like to be exposed to the sun for a long time: colors may fade and lose saturation. Cosmetics, household chemicals, acids and alkalis - all this can harm products with enamel.
In what cases can only professional care help?
Ultrasonic cleaning
If you do not want to spend time and effort cleaning your jewelry, or you have already tried to tidy it up but have not achieved the desired effect, contact a jewelry store or a trusted professional. For especially valuable family heirlooms and expensive items with precious stones, it is better to prefer an expert approach to home care.
Experts will tell you exactly what operations need to be performed to make the decoration sparkle with all its colors. Whether it will be only an ultrasonic cleaning or a set of services, including polishing, washing and re-applying a decorative coating, depends on the product itself and its condition.
Polishing
In large jewelry production, unlike private workshops, there is a system for quality control of products and raw materials. This means that quality materials and high-end equipment will be used for cleaning, polishing and coating.