High-quality, fine gold jewelery with a high carat number (14 or 18 carats) does not necessarily have to be cared for regularly. But not all gold jewelery has a particularly high gold content.
Because gold jewelry can easily darken, which is not the gold itself, but the substances contained in the gold alloy, mostly foreign metals such. e.g. copper and silver . Alloy 333 gold has a greater tendency to discolour.
More information about the different gold alloys can be found here .
There are various ways to remove this discoloration and bring back the rich shine of the gold jewelry:
Cleaning bath made of soapy water or washing-up liquid
To gently clean the jewelry , you can occasionally soak it in a bath of mild soapy water or washing-up liquid and brush the dark areas with a toothbrush.
You should then dip the gold jewelery in high-proof alcohol (approx. 90%) to remove the soap residue. Finally, dry the jewelry with a lint-free cloth.
Other alternatives are an ultrasonic bath and a gold jewelry bath , which can be purchased from a jeweler. Ultrasonic baths are available from opticians.
However, for a successful gold jewelery bath, the gold jewelery should not be too porous in its structure, otherwise it can be damaged.
cleaning cloth
There is a special red cloth for cleaning gold jewelry, which you can also buy from jewelers and which is not expensive.
The cloth itself is soaked with appropriate substances and polishing agents and cleans the tarnished gold jewelery in a very gentle way.
toothpaste and toothbrush
Another cleaning option for gold jewelry is to brush it with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
First rub the jewelry thoroughly with toothpaste and brush it until it is free of the dark discoloration. You should then rinse the jewelery thoroughly and polish it with a soft cloth.
Professional cleaning baths and pastes
It is better to refrain from these cleaning agents, because these special baths or pastes are usually caustic and highly toxic. You can harm yourself if you do not wear protective gloves during use.
In addition, you should not dispose of the substances over the sink and keep them safe and well closed from children’s hands.
As long as mild cleaning methods such as toothpaste, soapy bath or cleaning cloth bring your gold jewelery back to shine, you should avoid using aggressive cleaning agents.
Cleaning by professionals
If your gold jewelery to be cleaned also consists of other elements such as precious stones or pearls, it is better to leave the cleaning to an expert so that the stones are not permanently damaged.
Numerous jewelers offer such a paid cleaning service, which does not cost the earth.
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