HOW TO CLEAN GOLD JEWELRY: THE RULES TO FOLLOW
It's official now, 18-carat gold is back in style in Rue des Mille's assortment, becoming, along with ethical diamonds, the cornerstone of our selection of high-end ready-to-wear jewelry. The Golden Mate collection has launched this new stylistic trend, perfect for special gifts that last as long as friendships that are worth their weight in gold, but also for living high-end jewelry as an integral part of everyday life, because you don't need a special occasion to feel special. So, how do we combine everyday use and perfect preservation of 18kt gold jewelry? We'll tell you in this special dedicated to how to clean gold.
Why clean gold jewelry
Wearing jewelry daily is a pleasure, a way to express your personality and to really change your style with a simple click. However, constant contact with our skin, as well as with creams, makeup, and everything else we come into contact with, can cause the shine of gold and other precious materials that accompany us every day to fade. Regular cleaning allows us to keep our gold shining for a long, long time.
How often to clean gold jewelry
How often to clean gold jewelry The frequency of cleaning gold jewelry depends on how often you wear it. Gold does not lose its luster at the same rate as other metals, such as silver, but frequent use and handling can easily make it dull. Therefore, we recommend cleaning, or rather, polishing gold with a monthly frequency.
How to clean gold jewelry
There are many techniques for cleaning gold jewelry on the internet, including:
● Cleaning with water and mild soap
● Cleaning with baking soda
● Cleaning with ammonia
However, we advise against using the last two methods, despite being used for deep cleaning of gold jewelry. Both ammonia and baking soda are aggressive substances and could ruin your jewelry. In particular, ammonia is not suitable for cleaning other precious materials such as platinum or pearls.
The safest method to avoid damaging your 18-carat gold jewelry is the simplest and gentlest possible one, namely, with water and mild soap. Here's how to do it step by step.
1. Mix lukewarm water with mild soap. Dish soap will be fine.
2. Fill a bowl with this solution and immerse the jewelry to be cleaned for 15-20 minutes. It is better to clean only one or two pieces of gold jewelry to avoid scratching them.
3. If necessary, clean with a soft-bristled brush. For example, if the jewelry is engraved or very dirty.
4. Rinse under running water. Be careful not to do it in a sink with the drain open!
5. Dry thoroughly with a soft cotton cloth. Avoid using paper towels because the fibers could scratch the surface.
What to avoid to ensure not to ruin gold jewelry
Here are some tips that will help you keep your gold jewelry shiny, sparkling, and intact for longer.
● Never use toothpaste or metal cleaners, such as those for silver, on gold jewelry. And even less so, bleach, which reacts with gold consuming it. In general, avoid contact with acidic or abrasive products.
● Take off your jewelry when washing your hands or showering (soap contributes to dulling gold); but also when bathing in the pool (chlorine, especially at high temperatures, ruins gold jewelry). During your beauty routine (body and hair products can ruin the brightness of metals).
● Carefully store gold jewelry in separate compartments of a fabric-lined jewelry box to prevent objects from scratching each other and the finish from becoming dull.
● Periodically polish gold to keep it super shiny. How to polish gold? Simply, with the help of a dedicated cloth like Forever Sparkling 100% cotton soaked in specific detergent and anti-tarnish agent (oxidation and loss of brightness). This simple operation will save you from having to clean your jewelry frequently with soap and water, which however delicate, is an operation that still stresses the alloys of your jewelry.
You can find other tips for caring for your jewelry, both in gold and gold-plated, in the section dedicated to jewelry care. Before concluding, however, we would like to answer a question that we are frequently asked about the choice of using 18-carat gold for Rue des Mille's high-end jewelry.
Why is 18kt the best alloy for jewelry?
18kt gold is composed of 75% pure gold, which is very soft and not very resistant, and the remaining 25% of other metals, such as copper, silver, or palladium. This is recognized as the best alloy for creating jewelry because it combines the warm and intense beauty, as well as the value of pure gold, with the ductility necessary for excellent workability, and the strength and durability of other metals. Therefore, 18kt gold allows the creation of fabulous and long-lasting jewelry.
Here, instead, we are talking about the choice to use ethical diamonds.
