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How to clean your gold jewellery – 5 easy steps to make it shiny and look like new
- All you need to smarten up most gold valuables, even some with gemstones, is warm water, dish soap and a soft-bristled toothbrush
- Special occasion jewellery should be checked after each wear for dirt; jewellery with emeralds, opals, pearls or crystals is best cleaned by a professional
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We all have our favourite, most-worn pieces of jewellery. From necklaces to rings to earrings, they add a final touch, unlike any other accessory.
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When your staple pieces get dull, you’ll want to keep your jewellery in tip-top shape, and certain materials like gold need gentle cleaning.
Gold is a precious natural metal that’s a lustrous, deep orange-yellow in its pure form. It’s one of the most popular metals used in jewellery and alloyed with other precious and non-precious metals for strength and durability.
For example, white gold is alloyed with nickel, zinc, palladium, and/or silver, while rose gold is alloyed with copper.
Most people have 10-carat, 14-carat, or 18-carat gold jewellery, or vermeil or gold-plated fashion jewellery, according to Madeline Fraser, the founder and CEO of Gemist.
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If you’re unsure what kind of gold you have, the metal carat will be stamped on the jewellery, usually in an inconspicuous spot. It can be hard to see without magnification, but a jeweller can use a loupe to see the stamp.
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