Gold-plated jewelry is a fantastic invention. But do you know how to care for gold-plated jewelry? We will list the necessary tips in this post to help you extend your jewelry life.
Gold-plated jewelry is no longer just for people who can’t afford full-gold jewelry. They are very well-liked by fashionistas due to their usefulness and the fact that they come in a variety of designs and styles that match any article of clothing perfectly.
You can use a few top tricks to take better care of your gold-plated jewelry and make it last for many years to come. Learn more by continuing to read!
Why Does Gold-Plated Jewelry Tarnish?
Let’s tackle the root cause of tarnishing before going over ways to avoid it. This is largely due to the fact that gold plating is a thin layer above a base metal, which makes pieces stronger and less likely to bend.
Unfortunately, over time, the base metal will eventually come to the surface, causing the metal and the gold to discolor. In order to restore the gold’s shine after this process breaks it down, it needs to be properly polished and maintained.
Luckily, there are tips to prevent gold-plated jewelry from tarnishing so it keeps its luxurious look.
Also Read: How Long Does Gold-plated Jewelry Last?
How to Care for Gold-plated Jewelry?
Given that it is made of a thin layer of gold, extra care should be taken to prolong its life.
Avoid Contact With Chlorine Water and Sweat
Never wear Gold Plated Chain during exercise, swimming, and showering. The pool’s chemicals and chlorine water may harm gold-plated jewelry. In addition, salt water, which conducts electricity well and reacts quickly with metals, will ruin your jewelry if you swim in it.
When you wear jewelry while engaging in any physical activity or work, the metal reacts with the sweat and tarnishes quickly.
Read More: How to Care for Diamond Ring?
Use Perfumes, Lotions, and Oil before Wearing Jewelry
Make sure that your jewelry does not come in contact with certain chemicals like perfume, hair products, or makeup. The layer of gold will become damaged, discolored, or tarnish if it comes into direct contact with any chemicals.
After applying lotion or cream, wait until it has dried before wearing gold-plated bangles or any other jewelry. Additionally, stay away from things like oil, nail polish, chlorine, nail polish remover, and more.
Don’t Sleep by Wearing Jewelry
Earrings, rings, necklaces, bangles, chains, and other jewelry with gold plating shouldn’t be worn to bed. The reason for this advice is that while you sleep, your body temperature fluctuates and causes you to perspire. So, sweat can soak and fade your jewelry and stones or diamonds woven into it. Therefore, it is preferable to remove jewelry before going to bed in order to preserve artificial shine.
Clean With a Cotton Ball Or Cloth
Wear your gold-plated jewelry for a while before cleaning it with a cotton ball or soft cloth. The necklace’s dust can be cleaned off with this cleaning. Apart from the cotton ball or cloth, you can also use soft jewelry cloth that will help to remove dirt as well as help to restore shine.
Wash With Warm Water
You can wash it with warm water if you want to bring natural or more shine to your gold-plated initial necklaces. It only takes a few minutes of warm water soak time and a gentle brush to clean your jewelry.
Rub the brush gently because rough handling causes diamonds to be removed and decolored. This will restore the natural shine to all of your jewelry, including rings, necklaces, chains, bracelets, and bangles.
Use Soap to Clean Jewelry
Your jewelry requires thorough cleaning every couple of weeks. Wash your jewelry with a gentle colorless liquid soap. Castile soap, woolen soap, and mild, moisture-free hand soap all work well for cleaning. Be alert while using cleansing soap. Use regular soap instead of antibacterial soap because it will tarnish your accessories more quickly.
Avoid Using Ultrasonic Cleaners
Look for ultrasonic cleaners if, despite cleaning with warm water and soap, the dust and grime does not disappear quickly. Use an ultrasonic cleaner only when absolutely necessary. It will very clearly reveal every little detail of the jewelry.
Although this won’t get rid of tarnish, it will work wonders on complicated pieces that require numerous services and where dirt takes a while to remove.
Keep in a Dry Place
Keep your jewelry in a cool, dry place, away from humidity to maintain its shine. Gold-plated jewelry should never be kept in a wet or humid environment. Your jewelry will lose its shine and the gold plating will fade if you keep it in a humid environment.
Consider Storage Options
Keep your piece covered with a soft cotton cloth to prevent scratches or breaking. Keep your gold-plated bracelets, rings, bangles, and other accessories in the jewelry box provided by Biella Vintage if you purchased them there.
Along with keeping your jewelry safe and as shiny as the day you bought it, the jewelry box from Biella Vintage is reusable and recyclable.
Keep Each Jewelry Separate
Never mix up your gold plated rings and accessories with other jewelry. Your jewelry’s initial luster and brightness will be diminished if you do this. To prevent tangles, please keep each piece of jewelry in its own box. It becomes tough to untangle the jewelry, and there are chances it may get broken.
Go to Professionals
Finally, it is always a better idea to consult professionals if you are unsure how to clean gold-plated jewelry. Your jewelry will be protected if you consult a professional. All the residues and dust will be gently polished off without causing any harm.
Additionally, if the jewelry you wear frequently becomes tarnished or scratched, experts may also replate it to restore its original beauty.
Final Thoughts on How to Care for Gold-Plated Jewelry
Gold-plated jewelry will remain bright and shine for a longer period of time if you know how to clean and protect it from scratches or fading.
Some people believe that because it is only gold-plated, it is susceptible to tarnishing. However, if you pay close attention to this infographic, the way you clean and wash your pieces of jewelry matter a lot.
Related Post:
- Can I Pawn Gold-plated Jewelry?
- How to Clean Gold-plated Jewelry?
- Can You Shower With Gold-plated Jewelry?
- How to Prevent Gold-plated Jewelry from Tarnishing?
FAQs
How Long Does Gold-plated Jewelry Last?
The average lifespan of gold-plated pieces is two years. After that, the gold-plated jewelry starts to tarnish and lose its shine.
How to Restore Gold Plated Jewelry at Home?
A quick wash with soap and water will help your gold-plated jewelry get back to its pristine state if it is beginning to lose some of its luster.
How to Protect Gold Plated Jewelry?
Keep gold plated jewelry in a plastic bag – Your gold-plated jewelry should be stored in a plastic bag that has been squeezed to remove extra air before being sealed.
