32 ways to properly clean gold without ruining the stones

Hello, dear readers! There are many among us who are not indifferent to jewelry, especially gold. This is not surprising, because gold can emphasize the status and impeccable taste of the owner.

But the noble metal requires appropriate care, because during wear, sebum, dust, and household pollution accumulate on rings, chains, pendants and earrings. Therefore, any owner of gold jewelry should know how to clean gold with stones.

Types and causes of gold contamination

Pure gold is a very soft metal that will deform even with slight physical impact. Therefore, when making jewelry, craftsmen add copper, silver and other components to the alloy. This gives the finished product strength and durability. Along with increased wear, the alloy of precious metals can behave unpredictably when in contact with human skin: oxidize, darken, and become stained.

In addition, the unpresentable appearance of your gold jewelry is contributed to by:

• use of face and hand creams;
• secretion of fat, sweat, and stratum corneum by the skin;
• exposure to household chemicals during cleaning;
• city ​​smog.

As a result, jewelry becomes dirty and fades. Knowing the reasons, it is easier to get rid of them, clean the jewelry, restoring the beauty and radiance of your favorite gold items.

Steam and ultrasonic cleaning

At-home devices advertised online are good at cleaning the hardest-to-reach areas on items made from all types of precious metals and are only suitable for highly hard minerals.

But few owners know the hidden flaws of their own jewelry with stones. The presence of a tiny air bubble or crack inside a cut ruby ​​or sapphire under such powerful influence leads to the destruction of the jewelry.

Therefore, it is better to carry out such procedures in a jewelry workshop - before work, a professional will always check the insert for fastening strength and carry out cleaning appropriate for each stone individually. When it comes to brushes made of stones - there are types of minerals that are used in jewelry only together - you won’t be able to clean dirt from the gaps between them on your own.

Cleaning methods

The metal from which your favorite ring or pendant is made and the stone insert are different materials, which means that care products and methods for cleaning objects should also be different.

Videos that will show you how to choose the right method for cleaning gold accessories will help you verify this.

Here are the options:

1. Ammonia. If the gold ring or earrings are inset with precious stones, then the stone should not come into contact with this substance. For the solution you will need a container into which you need to pour 250 grams. plain water, add one teaspoon of delicate dishwashing detergent and half a teaspoon of ammonia. Mix all components and lower the product into the finished mixture. After the procedure, rinse gold accessories with a sufficient amount of clean water and polish with a fluffy soft rag.
2. Ammonia. This is a more gentle substance compared to the previous one, so it can be used for accessories with stones. Prepare the washing solution as follows: 250 gr. Mix warm water with a tablespoon of your favorite detergent and a tablespoon of ammonia. We immerse the golden object in the liquid for about two hours, then remove it, clean it, rinse it and enjoy the result.
3. Toothpaste or tooth powder. They should not contain abrasive particles. Simply apply the product to a soft cloth and wipe the chain or bracelet with it.
4. Foil. To clean the product, wrap it in a piece of foil (you can use one that is intended for baking) and dip it in a hot solution of water and soda (one teaspoon of baking soda to one glass of water). Leave for one to two hours, then remove and wash with water. The secret of this method is that the aluminum contained in the foil helps to cleanse stains caused by the oxidation of the gold alloy metal.
5. Dish detergent. To clean gold chains, rings and pendants, simply dip them in a warm soapy solution based on water and any dishwashing detergent and leave for at least two hours. After removing, clean the surface with a soft brush (for example, an old toothbrush), then rinse and rub until shiny.
6. A mixture of liquid soap and hydrogen peroxide. To prepare a washing cleaning solution, you need a bowl, into which add a glass of warm water, liquid soap, 1 tablespoon of ammonia, 2 tbsp. l. peroxide (3%). Mix all components and keep the gold in the liquid for 2 hours. Then rinse and rub with a piece of woolen cloth.
7. Salt. A cleaning solution based on ordinary rock salt is prepared in a similar way: add 3 tbsp to a glass of water. l. salt with a slide and keep gold items in it for at least 3 hours.
8. Medical alcohol. This folk method allows you to clean the surface of gold items from household dirt and plaque. To do this, moisten a soft cloth with alcohol and clean the surface. In this case, you need to be careful with fastenings for stones: movements must be careful and smooth.
9. Cologne or perfume. The same method for removing dirty plaque as the previous one, but the active ingredient is alcohol-containing liquids.
10. Lens cleaner. To add shine to gold jewelry, you need to dip it in any container filled with liquid for storing lenses. After 8-12 hours, your gold earrings or bracelets will shine.
11. Sugar. This gentle and gentle method will help clean lightly soiled gold items. To do this, dilute 2 tablespoons of sugar in a glass of water in a small cup and dip the jewelry in this solution overnight. Afterwards all you have to do is rinse them with water and rub them until shiny.
12. Vinegar. Keep in mind that the stone may tarnish when exposed to acid. The recommendation is simple: dip jewelry in a 9% vinegar solution and wait 2-3 hours.
13. Citric acid. Cleaning is suitable for surfaces that need to be restored to shine. Just leave the gold items in an aqueous solution of citric acid for several hours, and then clean the item with a soft cloth.
14. Lipstick. To clean gold accessories, simply coat them thickly with lipstick and then rub with a piece of flannel. The secret of this unusual method is in the composition of the cosmetic product: it includes the active component - titanium dioxide.
15. Bow. If you decide to clean things this way, then squeeze the juice out of a fresh onion and keep the product in this liquid for some time. Afterwards, rinse the item thoroughly and dry. Acrid onion juice will remove impurities from the gold.
16. Baking soda. There are several ways to restore gold's attractiveness using baking soda. First, make a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and clean the product with it. Secondly, mix soda and a little vinegar, place a gold chain or earrings in this mixture, give a little time for the active substances to act, and then rinse with running water and dry. Thirdly, this is boiling. Pour half a glass of water into a container, add two tablespoons of soda, a little vinegar, dip gold objects into the solution, and bring the liquid to a boil.
17. Coca-Cola. An original way to return gold to its original appearance is to leave it overnight in a glass of Coca-Cola. The drink is able to dissolve contaminants accumulated on rings, earrings and pendants.

Tips for specific gems

• Diamond This mineral, which is essentially the king of all precious stones, has one unpleasant feature: it is too easily wetted by fat. Even the touch of a human hand causes the mineral to lose its amazing shine. Considering that the stone can break under certain influences, it should be cleaned only with a soft material, in warm water or soapy water. For those who adore diamond jewelry, cleaning should be done at least every 3 months.

There are special means that are used to clean silver and gold. Their composition allows you to clean diamonds with amazing results.

• Emerald Emeralds are considered to be almost the most fragile stones, which is no coincidence. Even a seemingly slight impact can lead to the stone splitting. It is better to store these amazing gems separately from others. As time passes, it is time to clean the emerald. If it is set in silver or gold, then these metals cannot be cleaned with a special solution. Even plain water is harmful to emerald. It is better to entrust this matter to a professional master.
• Rubies, sapphires and alexandrites If you decide to clean ruby, alexandrite or sapphire stones, you can turn to professionals or do it yourself. For cleaning at home, you should use a solution: half a liter of water, 1.5 tablespoons of bleach, 1 tablespoon of salt, 120 grams of soda. Mix the ingredients and place minerals in them, even if they are set in silver, gold or other metal.

How not to clean gold

When choosing a popular way to clean jewelry, you need to start from the state in which the accessory is currently in, namely:

• are there any cracks or scratches?
• Are the stones securely fastened and what are their properties?

Remember that any mechanical impact must be delicate: rough movement can lead to deformation or even breakage of the smallest fastening elements.

When starting to cleanse, do not forget that gold items require careful treatment, which means that abrasive substances and toxic chemical mixtures must be completely excluded!

If the gold ring has a stone insert, then information is needed about how this stone reacts to the chemical components of the cleansing mixture. Even a substance such as soda, used in dry form, can cause damage. If the stone initially has scratches, then such cleaning can enlarge them and make them more noticeable.

If a ring or brooch is decorated with stones (for example, cubic zirconia), it is better to avoid contact with such aggressive substances as:

• vinegar;
• ammonia;
• ammonia.

Such interaction threatens to tarnish the stone.

If you have doubts about the choice of cleaning method and active substance, it is better to use professional products: special pastes or liquids that are applied with a cotton pad.

Professional products

Special products are sold for home cleaning of gems:

Preparing Jewelry for Cleaning

If your gold accessory is a delicate work of art and has filigree patterns, ornate designs and other decorations, then much more effort must be made to remove dirt.

Stage 1

Preliminary preparation requires softening of contaminants. To do this, place the gold jewelry in a warm soapy solution and let it sit for several hours. The duration of such soaking depends on the total volume and origin of contaminants.

Stage 2

If you are cleaning chain links or the engraving on a gold ring, mechanical action may be required. Using a small soft brush and soap solution, first clean stubborn stains, and then proceed to more serious methods of exposure.

How to properly care for sapphire

If we talk about sapphire, then this stone must also be cleansed. The same soap solutions into which you can drop ammonia are suitable for it. The mineral is kept in solution; to enhance the effect, it can be exposed to the sun for a couple of hours. Then remove, rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft napkin or cloth.

Silver earrings with natural green sapphire / online store https://zlatogorye.ru

Sea salt cleanses sapphires well. Immerse a stone in it or make a weak solution in which to soak the product for some time. Then rinse and dry. The best option would be to resort to specialized sapphire cleaning products, which can be purchased at any jewelry store.

When caring for sapphire, it is important to remember that it is a hard stone that can scratch many other softer minerals. At the same time, it itself can also be scratched, for example, by diamonds. Therefore, you need to store it separately from other products; it’s good to have a bag or box for this.

Sapphires do not like sudden changes in temperature, often being in the cold or in direct sunlight, near heating devices or in a room with too high a humidity level. Do not drop or hit stones or clean them with ultrasound, especially if they contain inclusions or cracks. Remove jewelry before cleaning the apartment, cooking, playing sports and other active activities that could theoretically damage the mineral. Before storing the stone in the box, wipe it with a clean flannel cloth.

Rules for cleaning gold jewelry at home

The basic rule on how to clean your favorite gold items at home is to be careful when using aggressive chemicals and be careful with any mechanical impact.

This is especially true for jewelry accessories with stones and fine filigree. It should be remembered that any aqueous environment with the addition of chemical elements can have a detrimental effect on the surface of the stone inserted into a ring or pendant. Therefore, when choosing appropriate procedures to clean items, avoid direct contact between stone and water.

When using mechanical cleaning methods, it is necessary to moderately dose the amount of physical impact and use delicate tools so as not to scratch or damage the delicate inlay. And also pay attention to the method of fastening the stone. If it is glue, then double caution is required!

If the products you use at home do not give the desired effect, contact a jewelry workshop for help: he will know exactly how to clean jewelry.

When cleaning gold jewelry at home, consider the physical properties of the stone, whether it is hard or soft, and how it tolerates water and brushing. The best way is to clarify such characteristics in a jewelry store when purchasing a product.

With hard stones

Cleaning gold items with hard stones can be done using mechanical and chemical methods. These stones are scratch resistant and can withstand water well, so cleaning methods can be harsh.

How to clean:

1. Diamond (that is, the size of a diamond). Can be cleaned with a brush, soapy water, hydrogen peroxide, or ammonia.
2. Topaz. You can clean with an old toothbrush and active chemicals.
3. Pomegranate. Tolerates aqueous cleaning solutions well.
4. Emerald. Can be cleaned using any alcohol solution or aqueous cleaning mixture.
5. Sapphire. Products with sapphire tolerate mechanical cleaning with a soft brush, alcohol-containing product, or even gasoline.
6. Chrysolite. The stone can be cleaned with a soft cloth moistened with alcohol.
7. Zircon. This is a very hard stone, so it tolerates mechanical cleaning well.
8. Ruby. You can clean rubies with alcohol-containing solutions applied to soft brushes and shampoo.

With soft stones

Inserts require careful handling and special care. You cannot clean such inserts with a brush or use abrasives - micro-scratches may appear on their surface. Components containing acid, as well as ammonia, cannot be used, as they cause clouding of the stone.

How to clean:

1. Pearls can be cleaned with a mild, gentle soap solution, without the use of water or acids, this will preserve them for many years.
2. Malachite can be cleaned with specially impregnated wipes.
3. The coil looks great after treatment with soapy water and further rubbing with a soft cloth.
4. Turquoise can darken when in contact with water, so to clean it you need to use special professional products, for example, moisten a napkin with the product and wipe thoroughly.
5. It is better to rub amber with a piece of felt, and to clean hard-to-reach places with a cotton swab; it is forbidden to use alcohol solutions.
6. Coral can be cleaned with a damp cloth and then wiped dry.
7. Opal should not be soaked or used with detergents; opal objects should be wiped with a soft, damp, but not wet cloth and dried with felt or flannel.

Let's preserve the brightness of colored stones

Everyone knows that to add shine, you need to periodically clean silver or soak it in a special solution. Stones also require careful handling. As a reward, they retain their natural radiance and brightness of shade.

Despite the fastidiousness of rocks to the effects of certain liquids and substances, they can be cleaned, like silver and gold, with special solutions. For example, sapphires, diamonds and rubies are cleaned with a solution of salt, soda, water and bleach. The stones are kept in the resulting liquid for several minutes, then wiped and rinsed with running water. Alexandrite stones retain their color if you clean them in a soap solution with the addition of ammonia. This cleaning method will not harm even silver and gold items. On the contrary, gold and silver will sparkle even more. A noble ruby ​​accepts both cleaning methods. After cleansing, the crystal reveals its beauty and natural charm with renewed vigor. Jewelry with opal, amethyst and topaz stones should not be worn for a long time in sunny weather so that they do not lose their color. If this happens, there is no point in cleaning the gems; more drastic measures will need to be taken. In addition, temperature changes are harmful to opal. Due to the fact that it consists mostly of water, it evaporates in hot weather and crystallizes in cold weather. In both cases the stone cracks. Gemstones are definitely worth caring for. It never hurts to carefully clean them and observe the storage and operating conditions. The gem will respond for this with long-term and honest service.

Recommendations for wearing, caring for and storing gold jewelry

In order for gold jewelry to retain its pristine beauty for a long time and not darken or fade, you must follow a few simple rules:

1. Be sure to remove gold rings and chains when performing daily household chores, visiting fitness clubs, swimming pools, and steam rooms or saunas. Remember that even cooking, accompanied by increased steam formation, temperature changes, smoke, and humidity, harms jewelry.
2. Store jewelry separately from each other to avoid micro-scratches.
3. Gold jewelry with stones should not be exposed to bright sunlight to avoid darkening of the inserts and metal.
4. To make your gold sparkle and shine, do not forget to clean your favorite jewelry in a timely manner and do not neglect professional care.

Also watch a visual video on the topic below:

Simple recommendations for caring for valuable minerals

Sometimes caring for stones is not at all difficult; it is enough just to exclude certain cases of contact of minerals with any substances or exposure to harmful factors. Let's look at some rules for preserving the beauty of gems.

1. First of all, any precious mineral must be worn. You don't have to do this all the time, you just shouldn't forget about it. That is, the more often you wear jewelry with a gem, the longer it retains its attractiveness.
2. Any fat is harmful to a precious or semi-precious mineral. Therefore, before touching the gem, it is better to wash your hands. Turquoise, opal and pearls are especially sensitive to this effect.
3. Alcohol, acids and alkalis are even more harmful to gems. They can even destroy stones, not just damage them. Therefore, cleaning minerals with such substances is strictly prohibited.
4. The gem should not be subjected to mechanical stress. Impacts may cause it to crack or crumble. You get off easy if there are only scratches on the surface of the product, but even this spoils the appearance. Owners of hard diamonds should also heed this recommendation. Even they sometimes split.
5. The decision to clean the mineral with hot water is a bad and fruitless idea. Hot water is harmful to some gems, so washing with them is also prohibited.
6. Temperature influences also have a bad effect on the quality of minerals. Sudden cooling can lead to cracking of the product, and heating can lead to discoloration.
7. Ultraviolet rays are not tolerated by many stones; under their influence, the gem fades and loses color saturation.
8. Any jewelry should be stored away from dust, moisture and sunlight. There are special boxes, bags and other interesting items for this purpose.