How to clean gold and silver jewelry

Jewelry periodically needs to be cleaned and polished, as its appearance deteriorates as a result of oxidative processes when exposed to air. Even high-grade silver and gold require high-quality cleaning at least once every 4-6 months. How to clean jewelry made of precious metals - below are 9 effective and simple home methods.

How to clean silver jewelry at home

Lipstick

Many lipsticks contain titanium dioxide - this is the ingredient that will help rid silver of blackness. Lipstick also contains fats - they will return the shine to the metal. To clean your jewelry, you don’t have to use new lipstick—the remnants of old cosmetics will do, and you only need a little of it. The fondant mass should be applied to the surface of the metal, rubbed with a cotton pad, and then washed off with soapy water and rinsed the silver in clean water.

Toothpaste and ammonia

Mix equal parts of ammonia solution and toothpaste, apply the resulting mixture to the decoration. Rub with a soft toothbrush, rinse with clean water, and wipe dry.

Soda, water and foil

Dissolve 2 tablespoons of soda in 0.5 liters of water, boil the liquid, put foil and decoration into the solution. Leave the jewelry in the liquid for 15 minutes, then remove and wipe with a soft cloth. This cleaning method returns shine to even heavily tarnished silver.

Soda paste

Prepare a simple paste from warm water and soda - mix the ingredients until the consistency of porridge. This paste can be used to clean off various contaminants - blackness, dirty deposits, grease, decorative cosmetics. Soda paste cleans effectively and does not scratch the metal surface due to its soft consistency.

Prevention of oxidation

To prevent jewelry from turning black too often, you should follow simple rules of prevention:

store in a dark, closed place;
wrap silver in foil for storage;
avoid contact with chemicals;
After each use, rinse with water and rub dry with a woolen cloth.

Frequent blackening of jewelry during wear may indicate the presence of undiagnosed diseases. It is worth paying attention to this and visiting a doctor. If everything is in order with your health, then you can easily clean silver and gold using the methods listed above.

How to clean gold jewelry at home

Soapy solution

Using a soap solution, you can remove simple stains - cosmetic residues, dirt, grease deposits. It is better to make a solution using warm water; instead of liquid soap, you can use dishwashing detergent. The jewelry should be left in the solution for at least half an hour, preferably 3-4 hours, and after soaking, walk over the surface of the metal with a soft brush (an old toothbrush will do) to remove the most difficult stains. When all the dirt is gone, rinse the jewelry with clean water and wipe dry with a soft cloth.

Ammonia

Ammonia is used in its pure form or a solution is made from it - take 6-7 drops of the product per glass of water. In its pure form, alcohol is used as follows: moisten a soft cloth in it, wipe the jewelry with this cloth, and then wash it in a soapy solution and clean water. A solution of ammonia is used as follows: the decoration is dipped into the liquid for 30 minutes, then taken out and wiped with a brush or cotton swab, dipped into the solution again and then wiped dry with a paper towel.

Special paste

You can make a jewelry cleaning paste at home. According to the recipe, you need to take the following ingredients in equal parts:

water;
petrolatum;
soap shavings;
powdered chalk.

The result is a thick paste, which must be rubbed over the surface of the decoration (it is convenient to do this with a piece of soft cloth). The paste will take on the accumulated dirty residue; the main thing is to wash off the paste with soap and water, otherwise a greasy film will remain.

Cleaning jewelry with minerals requires great care - some stones are extremely sensitive not only to cleaning products, but also to plain water. If you have doubts about how exactly you can clean your jewelry with a mineral, or you don’t know exactly what kind of stone it contains, it’s better not to take risks and entrust the cleaning to professionals.

Before you begin any cleaning procedures, carefully examine the jewelry. If the stone is not inlaid, but glued to metal, such jewelry cannot be soaked in water - the glue may become soggy and the precious insert will fall out.

Diamonds, sapphires, emeralds. These minerals are suitable for cleaning with a soap solution or a solution based on ammonia.
Cubic zirconia, zirconium. Such jewelry can be cleaned with soapy water, ammonia solution, and grease deposits can be removed with medical alcohol.
Lapis lazuli, rubies, opals, amber. To cleanse these minerals, you can use a mild soap solution with a low pH level (for example, mild baby soap).
Pearls, coral, turquoise. These stones are very sensitive, so at home only dry cleaning is allowed - the stones are carefully wiped with a soft cloth.

Jewelry cleaning in Moscow

At the GoldLazer workshop, we clean any jewelry in the shortest possible time, as carefully and efficiently as possible.

We employ top-class jewelers who have extensive experience working with a wide variety of jewelry, so cleaning services are always provided at the highest professional level.

The cost of cleaning is low, and the operation is carried out in the shortest possible time. You can also order urgent cleaning of your jewelry and get it back in just an hour.

“GoldLazer” always means high quality services and reasonable prices.

How to wear it correctly

To keep jewelry in perfect condition, it must be worn correctly. Avoid wearing gold and silver with stones before going to the gym, swimming pool or swimming in a pond. It is important to protect jewelry from household chemicals, cosmetics, and acids.

Products made of precious metals with stones should be worn only on clean areas of the body, because jewelry quickly loses its presentable appearance under the influence of dirt and sweat. Also, do not spray perfume on the products.

How to properly clean silver at home Almost everyone has silver jewelry or silverware,...
Published by Agglomerate Monday, April 30, 2022

Why does gold turn black?

Before learning how to clean gold, you need to understand why it darkens. Causes:

Metal surfaces are regularly covered with sweat and other metabolic products, which cause plaque to appear on the surface of products.
Some jewelry alloys contain nickel and copper. The noble metal begins to tarnish when these alloy components react with sulfur oxides and oxygen.
Gold items change color when exposed to deodorants, perfumes, medicinal products, hygiene products, and household chemicals.

Metal also darkens if stored improperly.

How to clean gold and silver with organic stones?

Natural materials that are found in organic stones, namely coral, amber and pearls, have a soft, porous and, in some cases, fragile structure. Due to the very increased sensitivity to aggressive chemicals, the use of alkaline compounds is simply unacceptable. That is why cleaning jewelry made of gold or silver with organic stones should only be done with a cloth with warm water or a soft cloth.

Storage

Store jewelry in special boxes, the inner walls of which are lined with velvet. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight as most natural stones lose their color. These minerals include amethysts, emeralds, rauchtopaz and others.

Important! Gold with stones of organic origin should be protected from too humid air and sudden temperature changes. Minerals with different hardness values are stored separately from each other, as they can be damaged.

Special formulations

Jewelry stores sell professional cleaning products for caring for jewelry. They contain anionogens and nonionogens that dissolve contaminants. Professional formulations do not contain phosphates. On sale you can find pastes and liquids for caring for gold and silver. They must be used in strict accordance with the instructions.

General rules:

Paste: apply a small amount of product to a cotton pad and gently wipe the products with it.
Solution: pour a small amount of product into an empty container and soak the jewelry for 3-5 minutes. Clean hard-to-reach places with a brush. At the end of the procedure, rinse the composition with clean water and wipe with a dry cloth.

Important! Special compounds are used when jewelry is heavily soiled. You should not use the products frequently, as this can lead to tarnishing of the metal.

Cleaning diamond jewelry

Best ways to clean diamonds in gold:

Ammonia: exactly 9 drops of the substance per glass of water. Immerse the product in the solution for 3 hours. Then remove and rinse thoroughly.
Coca Cola: place the products in a glass of drink for 2-3 hours. Rinse with tap water and polish with microfiber.

Be sure to see: How to distinguish natural alexandrite stone from artificial

Diamonds are also cleaned with a special paste that can be purchased at a jewelry store.

What can I use to clean it?

There are many ways to clean gold at home. Most of them do not apply to the use of specialized purchased formulations.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies are the most accessible and popular because they do not require additional expenses and are easy to use.

Gold jewelry

Ammonia

To prepare the cleaning solution, you need to prepare several components:

shampoo - 1 teaspoon;
ammonia - ½ teaspoon.
warm water - 100 ml.

Mix the ingredients in a deep container and mix them thoroughly. Place the decoration completely in a container with liquid. Keep it in the product until the dirt begins to peel off from the surfaces. Remove the product, rinse under cool water, and wipe thoroughly with a dry cloth.

Hydrogen peroxide

Light stains can be removed with a cloth soaked in peroxide. If the contamination is serious, you need to use a more effective method:

Mix 200 ml of warm water with 30 mg of peroxide. Add a little liquid soap, 1 teaspoon of ammonia.
Mix the ingredients.
Immerse the decoration in the container for 5 hours.
Rinse off the solution with cool water and wipe the decoration with dry cloths.

Chapstick

To remove light stains, you must first apply hygienic lipstick to the jewelry, and then wipe the surfaces with a dry cloth.

Chapstick (Photo: Instagram / locale.cosmetics)

Vinegar

This cleaning method is only suitable for red and yellow gold without gemstones. To clean, you need to use regular 9% vinegar with the addition of a small amount of lemon juice or soda. Necessary:

Mix the ingredients.
Add 100 ml of water.
Soak the decoration in the solution for 15 minutes.
Rinse the product with water.

Soda

Using soda, you can clean the surfaces of noble metals from light contaminants. She can't handle serious ones. Carrying out cleaning:

Heat 100 ml of water. Place a sheet of foil on the bottom of the container.
Add 4 tbsp. spoons of soda.
Boil the liquid for a few minutes.
Wipe the gold with a brush.

All that remains is to rinse the jewelry with plain water and wipe with a dry cloth.

Baking soda (Photo: Instagram / energometmgn)

Salt

It is not recommended to clean gold jewelry with soda as it is considered a strong abrasive. It is only suitable for complementing homemade cleaning compositions.

Lemon acid

Usage:

To boil water.
Add 1 tbsp. spoon of citric acid.
Immerse the decoration in the prepared solution for 6 minutes.

After cleaning, rinse off any remaining citric acid with cool water and dry the product.

Toothpaste

Apply toothpaste to a soft brush and wipe the stained areas. After removing the dirt, rinse the product off the surfaces with cool water.

Not every paste is suitable for cleaning precious metals from plaque and dirt. It should not contain foreign chemical additives or abrasive particles for teeth whitening. It is better to choose gel paste.

Paste GOI

GOI paste belongs to special compositions that are intended for polishing metal products. When cleaning gold surfaces, you need to follow the same steps as with toothpaste. Not suitable for cleaning white gold.

Dishwashing liquid

Dishwashing detergents can only remove light stains. Cleaning:

Place a clean cloth folded in several layers on the bottom of a metal pan.
Place the jewelry on top of the rag.
Add 20–30 ml of detergent diluted with water.
Boil the liquid for 10 minutes.
Rinse off the product with cold water.

Cleaning in dishwashing liquid (Photo: Instagram / goodlombard_)

Chalk

Usage:

Crush the chalk.
Mix with a small amount of ammonia to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Apply the product to the product.
Wipe with a soft brush.
Rinse with water.

Special means

Gold cleaning can be done using special industrial products that are designed to remove household dirt and plaque from jewelry. They do not damage the precious metal.

Aladdin

Designed for caring for jewelry. Application of Aladdin:

Place the jewelry in a special mesh and lower it into a container with a solution so that the cleaning liquid completely covers the metal.
Remove the product from the solution after a few seconds. Clean hard-to-reach places with a brush.
Rinse the metal under cool water. Wipe with a dry cloth.

The price of Aladdin is 70 rubles.

Gold chain (Photo: Instagram / gold.ast)

CONNOISSEURS

American cleaner for precious metals. To restore a chain, bracelet or ring to its former beauty, just soak the jewelry in the cleaning solution for 30 seconds and wipe with a dry cloth. The duration of the procedure cannot be increased, as the surface of the product may be damaged.

HAGERTY GOLD CLEAN

French composition for cleaning precious metals. Suitable for caring for rose and white gold. Helps restore shine and brightness of surfaces. You need to immerse the jewelry in the composition for 2 minutes. If the contamination is serious, it is better to apply it to a sponge and wipe the dark area.

LEUCHTTURM

German product for cleaning metal surfaces from dirt. To remove heavy stains, you need to place the product in the composition for 8 minutes.

Gold pendant (Photo: Instagram / zoloto___2020)

Basics of high-quality cleaning of silver products

Silver items need to be cleaned quite often. The metal rapidly darkens with regular wear, thus reacting to the sulfur contained in human sweat. Fortunately, metal is not capricious and can be easily restored even at home.

Lukewarm soapy water can easily remove greasy deposits. The effectiveness of the approach will increase significantly if a glass of this composition is diluted with a tablespoon of ammonia. We soak the item for several minutes, after which the surface should be cleaned with a soft cloth.
A comprehensive measure will get rid of blackness at home. First, soak the products in a soap solution for at least two hours. Then rinse and wipe with a soft cloth. Then we apply a paste of tooth powder and ammonia to the surface. Rub it in with a soft cloth and scald with boiling water. Then wash under running water and polish until sparkling.
If you urgently need to clean your silver, but don’t have any household chemicals on hand, you can use the juice of raw potatoes. We rub it into the blackened surface, leave it for an hour, after which we perform mechanical treatment again and wash the product.

These techniques are absolutely not suitable for processing silver jewelry with diamonds or other precious or semi-precious stones.

Effective Options for Restoring Gold Jewelry Using Affordable Means

One of the most effective and gentle options for cleaning gold products is their mechanical processing with a soft, fleecy material. If this manipulation is regularly carried out at home, then the use of aggressive options or the help of specialists will not be needed. We simply rub the surface until it shines, carefully working each area. True, in order to clean old stains you will have to choose something more intense:

Soap solution. Two approaches to using the composition are allowed. In the first case, the products are soaked in a lukewarm product for a couple of hours, after which they are treated with a toothbrush, washed under running water and dried. The second option is more intense and involves boiling objects. They are dipped into the composition and boiled for no more than two minutes, then taken out and brushed. Even such a short-term exposure will negatively affect the stones, so it is better not to treat diamond jewelry in this way.
Soda. Pour a glass of water into a small container, immerse the contaminated items and put on fire. Add a tablespoon of soda to hot water, stir and hold for another couple of minutes. We take out the products, clean them with a brush, rinse and dry. Rubbing the surface with baking soda is strictly prohibited! The abrasive scratches the surface, changing its appearance.
Sweet liquid. Dissolve a tablespoon of sugar in a glass of water, immerse the gold in the mixture and leave for at least 3-4 hours. Then we rinse the item under running water and dry it. Thus, it is recommended to take care of your jewelry regularly, getting rid of greasy deposits and preventing the appearance of persistent stains.
Toothpaste. Apply the product to the work surface, take a soft brush and begin to rub the product. Movements should be confident, but without much pressure.
Onion juice. One of the most affordable home remedies. Simply rub the products with onion juice (squeezed or cut) and leave for a couple of hours. You don’t even need to rub the item after this, just rinse it under running water and dry it.
Ammonia with peroxide. A very intensive approach that is not recommended for use with inserts, especially if they are diamonds or other stones. In a glass of cold water, dilute three tablespoons of ammonia, two tablespoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of liquid soap. Soak the gold in the composition, leave it for several hours and rinse.

We recommend: Is it possible to wash dishes with a melamine sponge? What is the danger of the product?

In addition, there are professional means for restoring precious metals. They are quite simple to use, but before cleaning the product with the finished product, you need to carefully read the instructions.