How to clean gold and diamonds?

Why do you need jewelry care?

Caring for jewelry is an essential part of use and should not be neglected. During wear, jewelry comes into contact with the skin, sweat, body fat, and interacts with the environment. This leads to darkening and accumulation of dirt. In addition to the fact that dirt looks terrible and spoils the appearance of products, it is also dangerous to health, as it can lead to inflammation of the earlobe, irritation, wounds, etc. And if you consider that earrings, rings, bracelets, chains and pendants very quickly become covered with grease and dust, then the lucky owners of luxury jewelry need to clean their gold and diamonds monthly.

Gold ring with diamonds and topaz, SL; (price on the link)

To do this, you can contact a specialized jewelry workshop, where a craftsman will professionally, quickly and efficiently return the items to their original shine and charm. Or try getting rid of dirt at home.

Ennobled stones

Many emeralds undergo a refining procedure before being sold: their surface is coated with cedar oil, which gives the stones a particularly impressive shine and smoothes out the smallest defects.

Over time, the oil wears off and the coating needs to be renewed periodically. To do this, have your jewelry cleaned at least every 7-8 years. In addition to updating the oil, specialists will remove dirt from the most inaccessible places and restore the original shine of not only the stones, but also the frame.

Professional help or cleaning at home?

Every owner of precious items is faced with the right to choose how to clean gold and diamonds. What to choose is up to you, because each method has its own advantages:

Professional cleaning is a guaranteed result. The jeweler knows exactly how to handle precious materials and stones, has the necessary solutions and tools to restore the shine and charm of masterpieces, and preserve the filigree work of the master.

Before you start cleaning, you need to determine the type of dirt and only then choose a cleaning method. Do not forget that gold is considered a soft material and it is quite easy to damage it. Gold also contains other metals such as copper, zinc, silver, etc. If they come into contact with moisture, they may turn green or black. Even small black and green spots can make a big difference in the appearance of your jewelry. Therefore, it is better to trust complex, expensive or exclusive jewelry in the hands of a professional.

Gold earrings with diamonds, SL;

The only drawback to professional cleaning is the money that you will have to pay each time. But this amount is not commensurate with the risk that exists due to inept handling, inexperience and lack of knowledge, which can lead to serious consequences. And if you consider that the cost of gold jewelry and diamonds is high, then it’s probably not worth the risk.

You can clean gold and diamonds inexpensively at home. This is the main and, perhaps, the only bonus of self-cleaning. You can also note the time savings, because you don’t have to go to a jewelry workshop, adjust to work schedules, or leave the kit behind. You can start cleaning your jewelry at any time convenient for you. But the risk of making a mistake is extremely high. The indestructibility of a diamond is known to everyone, but after cutting, even the smallest scratches become noticeable on the surface. Lack of knowledge and experience can cause incorrect selection of cleaning compounds and reagents, as a result of which cleaning will be ineffective or will lead to even more problems: loss of shine, clouding, stains or scratches. And mechanical stress and temperature increases can cause cracks in the crystal. In addition, there are cases when cleaning the products alone is not enough and after a set of measures it is necessary to perform polishing.

If you really value your jewelry, it is better to leave the cleaning in the hands of a professional.

Tips and tricks

Jewelry with diamond inserts cannot be cleaned with products that contain soda. The substance degrades the shine of gold and can scratch the surface. It is not recommended to wipe metal and stones with iodine; the product does not remove plaque, but changes the shade of the products.

It is not recommended to immerse rings and earrings:

in alkaline solutions;
in compositions with chlorine;
into potassium permanganate.

Jewelry should not be boiled or heated with a hairdryer. Chemicals can damage the stone, and heat can damage the precious metal.

How to clean diamonds at home?

The shine of diamonds begins to fade and gold begins to darken? How to clean gold and diamonds safely? For self-cleaning, experts offer several safe recipes:

Soap solution. To do this, pour water into a small container and add liquid soap or shampoo. You can immerse the diamond in the prepared solution for a few minutes, then remove it and rub it with a toothbrush. This method does not remove all types of contaminants, but it effectively combats yellowish plaque.
Ammonia. To prepare the solution you will need: water, a few drops of ammonia. It is enough to immerse the product in the prepared solution for 30 minutes, then clean it with a toothbrush and put it back into the solution for a few minutes. After this, just gently wipe with a napkin and you can wear it.
The vodka solution is made in a 1:1 ratio. The decoration is placed overnight, and in the morning it remains to be brushed, rinsed and wiped.
Some jewelry stores offer quick cleaning of gold and diamonds using special means. Therefore, it won’t hurt to purchase them along with a new masterpiece for the collection.

Gold earrings with diamonds and topaz, SL;
(price on the link) And don’t forget that prevention is always more effective and simpler than treatment.
Therefore, if you wipe your diamond with a napkin every day and remove traces of dirt during the day, your jewelry will retain its original shine and charm for a long time. By the way, you don’t have to worry about searching for napkins. Wipes are perfect for LCD screens and monitors. They do not spoil the stone and dissolve dirt perfectly.

What not to clean

It is not recommended to wipe white metal products with soda; the substance scratches the surface and reduces shine. Do not wash diamond jewelry with products that contain chlorine. Acetic acid removes plaque, but damages the coating.

Dishwashing liquid contains alkalis that oxidize metal. This household product is not suitable for cleaning white gold. Do not soak jewelry in a solution of potassium permanganate; the substance does not remove dirt. It is better not to rub rings and rings with onions. Vegetable juice contains small amounts of sulfuric acid, which can cause stains.

How to clean white gold?

White gold has a special alloy. It involves gold, copper, nickel and palladium. It is nickel that replaces silver and gives products an amazing white color. Most often, jewelry is coated with rhodium to increase resistance to external factors, but over the years this coating can wear off and the surface becomes vulnerable.

White gold should only be cleaned with a soft cloth and you should absolutely not use powders, pastes or a toothbrush.

The following will come to help:

Ammonia solution
25% aqueous ammonia solution
Lipstick.

The last method may surprise you. In fact, explaining the effectiveness of lipstick is simple. It contains titanium dioxide, which effectively removes blackness from products. It is enough to apply a little lipstick on a cotton swab and wipe the product. Then carefully polish it.

If you are careless, a drop of iodine may fall on your white gold ring. If this happens, there is no need to be upset. Immerse the ring in a hyposulfite solution for 20-30 minutes. This is a special composition that photographers use; it can be easily purchased in specialized photographic stores.

In general, prevention and proper storage will help preserve its original charm. And you won’t have to think about how to restore the shine to gold and diamonds.

Lipstick removes stains

Sometimes dark spots form on the surface of gold items. Take a cotton pad that you usually use to remove makeup and swipe your lipstick on it, then wipe it over your gold jewelry.

The lipstick contains titanium dioxide, which dissolves dark oxides and removes them from the surface of the precious metal. After cleaning with lipstick, your gold jewelry will shine like new again.

Proper storage will make care easier!

Proper storage of gold and diamonds is a whole science. And if you want to wear them, you must master it perfectly:

You should not leave jewelry in the bathroom; high humidity has a negative effect.
Products must be stored in a dry, dark place, reliably protected from direct sunlight.
Pearl products must be distinguished from other jewelry.
It is advisable to use closed boxes and containers that protect from dust.

Yellow gold diamond ring, SL;
white gold diamond ring, SL; rose gold diamond ring, SL; (price at the link) If you follow these simple rules, you can be sure that you will have to clean gold and diamonds much less often. The following is also important:

Never attempt to clean gold with abrasive materials.
Do not use untested methods. Remember, chemicals can be destructive to stone.
It is strictly forbidden to use hot water or blow-dry diamonds.
Even if you can clean gold and diamonds at home, you need to show your jewelry to a jeweler once every six months. He will check them for scratches and damage, remove dirt and germs with an ultrasonic bath, and, if necessary, strengthen or polish them.
If we are used to cleaning silver jewelry with soda, then it will not work for gold and diamonds. They will lose their shine and become dull.
Hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate, and vinegar oxidize gold and contribute to the cloudiness of the diamond.
Bleach discolors gold.
Household detergents and cleaners contain a high percentage of alkalis, which have adverse effects.

Treat precious jewelry with care, study the list of prohibited cleaning products so as not to spoil the noble shine of the precious stone and keep the jewelry in impeccable order.

Remember that only systematic care can guarantee the mesmerizing shine of diamonds. And the plaque accumulated over the years can only be removed by re-cutting.

Preparatory work

Precious metal oxidizes in air upon contact with water. Plaque formed on a gold product worsens its appearance, sometimes provokes inflammation of the skin, and causes allergies. If you decide to clean your jewelry yourself, you need to:

Wear gloves for work.
Select a container that will completely fit the item.
Prepare the composition.

Do not soak gold in an acid or alkaline solution, allow it to interact with abrasive materials, aggressive substances, heat it to high temperatures, or keep it in hot water.

Why do silver earrings darken?

Silver has its own characteristics and can turn black. Many silver jewelry, including earrings, contain copper molecules, which tend to oxidize, as well as amino acids containing sulfur. It is sulfur that causes blackness on silver. Silver easily reacts with sulfur and sulfur compounds, forming black silver sulfides. This plaque is the very darkening of silver

Problems in the body, endocrine system, and increased sweating can also contribute to the blackening of silver earrings.

Rings need to be charged

Among jewelry with emeralds, silver ones are the most common. Both the mineral and the metal have a lot of positive properties that will benefit the owner. But, for example, the same silver ring with such a stone should be charged.

This is done because minerals constantly absorb other people’s energy, both positive and negative . As a result of this, the stone may even “die” and collapse under negative influence. An emerald ring can be charged in the following ways:

with the help of midday sun rays;
with the help of other precious stones;
using spring or melt water in a silver or copper vessel;
through a crystal generator;
under moonlight in a suitable phase.

Recharging is done in the third lunar phase.

You can read more about the mystical abilities of the stone in the article “Properties of the emerald stone and who it suits according to their zodiac sign.”