How To Take Care and Clean your Gold Jewellery: A 5-Step Guide

If your gold jewellery is taken good care of, it’ll last you a lifetime. But to ensure that it stays clean, polished and in good condition, gold requires regular care and maintenance. This applies to your necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Due to gold being a soft metal, it’s at risk of easily scratching, getting scuffed or losing its cherished shine. 

So, can I clean my gold jewellery? Yes. When your gold jewellery is looking dull and scratched, then it’s ready for a clean and polish. You can do this at home using a small amount of washing up liquid (otherwise known as dish soap), some warm water, and a soft cotton cloth. 

Ideally, you need to ensure that your gold jewellery is carefully cleaned once a year. It’s important to note that overcleaning is as damaging to your jewellery as undercleaning. Too much cleaning can weaken your jewellery and quickly diminish any unique patterns or markings, so make sure you keep it to a minimum if possible. 

To help you learn more about cleaning your jewellery, we’ve written this short guide for you to explore. Simply keep reading to learn more…

1. How to clean your gold jewellery

To get started, you’ll need a bowl of warm water and washing up liquid, two soft cotton cloths, and a small soft bristled toothbrush. You may choose to use a paint brush if you’d prefer that extra soft touch. 

1. Mix a small amount of washing up liquid in a bowl of warm water.
2. Place one of your cloths into the warm water and use this to gently rub over your jewellery.
3. For any tricker or tight spaces that need cleaning, use a toothbrush or paintbrush to gently clean your jewellery.
4. Once you’re happy with your results, dry your jewellery using your dry cloth. 

1. How to store your gold jewellery

It’s important to store your jewellery correctly in a confined space that reduces the risk of them tarnishing when not in use. This could be in a jewellery box, drawer, display rack or jewellery bowl. To keep your bracelets, rings and earrings in the best condition, you should ensure that:

• All jewellery is separated by metals to avoid corrosion and tarnishing. 
• Use a soft-lined jewellery box that is airtight.
• All jewellery is kept in a dark, cool location. 
• Where an airtight container is not used, the use of chalk or silica gel is present to absorb any unwanted moisture. 

If you’re travelling and don’t wish to take a jewellery box, then wrapping up your jewellery in something soft and light, such as a cloth or a sock, and then placing them in an air-tight seal bag is a good measure of protection. 

1. How to polish your gold jewellery

Some people believe that expensive chemicals are required to polish your gold jewellery, but the simple truth is that you just need a soft cloth and some good, old-fashioned elbow grease. Once you’ve washed your jewellery, simply use your dry cloth to wipe the jewellery until it is shiny again. If you leave it to air dry, it may appear dull. It’s important that you use a soft cloth, such as microfibre, to do your polishing. Anything rougher may increase the risk of scratching or damaging your gold. 

 4.Wearing your gold jewellery when playing sports or going swimming

We love wearing our jewellery in all aspects of our lives, whether that’s keeping our necklace and bracelets on during general exercise such as running, or keeping our earrings in when we go for a swim. But, the simple truth is that your jewellery won’t thank you for it. In fact, it’ll only cause scratches, tarnishing and potential irreversible corrosion that means you’ll no longer be able to enjoy your favourite pieces. 

This is because sweat, perfume, creams and hairspray all contain chemicals that cause damage and corrosion to gold. This is especially the case in relation with swimming, as chlorine acts like a bleach and can permanently damage your jewellery. Gold is a soft metal, meaning that it’s more at risk of damage than other types of jewellery. For this reason, make sure to take off your jewellery when engaging with sports as to keep it clean and protected. 

1. How to look after your jewellery during day-to-day wear

Once your jewellery is freshly clean, you’ll want to make sure that you’re doing as much as you can to keep it that way. The main thing is that if your jewellery does get wet or is exposed to chemicals such as moisturiser, perfume or creams, that you quickly remove any excess on the jewellery onto a damp cloth with water, and dry it accordingly. This also applies to any chemicals you’re exposed to if you do any housework. Cleaning chemicals may also be damaging to your jewellery, so make sure you take them off before coming into contact with them. 

It’s also important that your favourite pieces aren’t overexposed to sunlight. Using your jewellery on rotation, so changing what you’re wearing, is a good tip for ensuring that your favourite collections are not over worn or damaged. 

Our Bespoke Jewellery at Beach Art Glass 

Here at Beach Art Glass, we hand make unique, bespoke jewellery that's designed to last a lifetime. With all of our products, we provide the option to have your chosen bracelets, earrings and necklaces in 9 carat gold, to ensure that your jewellery is exactly how you love it. If you would like to discuss the option to upgrade any of our jewellery designs with 9-carat gold findings, just get in touch for a quote.