Any jewelry, including gold, requires proper care. Cleaning gold earrings or other items made of precious metals means removing mechanical, biological or chemical contaminants. The frequency of cleaning procedures depends on the nature of the dirt, the frequency of use of the jewelry and some other factors.
Cleaning gold earrings is quite simple, using both special and household products that every housewife has.
Types and causes of contamination of gold earrings
The main reasons for the appearance of dirt on gold earrings can be divided into groups:
- mechanical contamination;
- chemical pollution;
- improper care and storage.
Mechanical contaminants include those that appear during the daily contact of gold earrings with the owner’s skin. These are skin secretions, dust and cosmetics that settle on gold earrings.
Chemical impurities include those that appear on jewelry as a result of oxidation processes.
In its pure form, without admixtures of other metals, gold cannot be used in the manufacture of jewelry in general and earrings in particular. Because it is thanks to the addition of silver, platinum, palladium, copper and nickel that it is possible to prevent their deformation.
But the addition of other metals reduces the mass fraction of gold used to make earrings and reduces its fineness. Accordingly, the lower the standard of the product, the faster the appearance of an oxide film on gold earrings.
Cleaning Rules
The more often gold comes into contact with the skin, the more often it needs to be cleaned.
To clean gold earrings without damaging them, do not use harsh abrasives, powders with large particles, or fabrics with coarse fibers.
Gold scratches very easily - keep this in mind when you decide to clean your earrings.
Cleaning methods using salt or soda require the dissolution of the powder.
Earrings that contain stones and are attached with glue should never be soaked.
After cleaning the gold item, it must be thoroughly rinsed with clean water and dried.
For polishing, it is better to use special napkins or soft suede.
Use mechanical cleaning methods with great care on white gold earrings. Too aggressive processing can remove the rhodium layer from the earrings.
If you have the slightest doubt about your abilities and do not trust “grandmother’s” methods, it is better to use professional cleaning products and accessories or contact a jeweler.
The master will clean gold earrings of the most complex shape with any inserts efficiently and without harm.
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How not to clean gold earrings
In order to clean gold earrings efficiently and without harm, you need to evaluate the condition of the metal, the type and quality of fastening of the insert (if any) and the physical characteristics of the gems.
There are several rules for cleaning gold earrings:
- Do not use rough abrasives. Attempts to clean earrings with coarse abrasive pastes or hard brushes will lead to deep scratches;
- pay attention to the type of fastening (speckles or glue). If the stone is glued to the earring, then it is strictly forbidden to wet the product, much less soak it;
- stones (emeralds, rubies and sapphires) do not tolerate high temperatures;
- soft semi-precious stones do not tolerate acid treatment;
- You can clean gold earrings with pearls with a soft cloth or a cosmetics brush (after washing it in soapy water). You cannot use vinegar, ammonia or alcohol: they can ruin the pearl insert;
- Earrings with white gold inlay should not be boiled, and vinegar is not suitable for smooth items.
Fashionable matte products
This type of jewelry is becoming increasingly popular. But caring for them is more troublesome, because it is not recommended to use hard brushes or abrasive powders to clean such products. Therefore, professional options for cleaning gold at home are most often used. For example, using ultrasonic baths or special jewelry solutions. However, you can try other methods. These same methods work great for gold-plated jewelry.
Ammonia soaking
Peculiarity. Ammonia is safe for matte gold and can remove blackness from the surface.
What you will need:
- 10% ammonia - 50 ml;
- dry soft rags.
Sequencing
- Place the product in an ammonia solution.
- Leave for several hours.
- After rinse, dry with a cloth.
Salt-soda mixture with lime
Peculiarity. Baking soda and salt are gentle not only on gold items. They are safe, for example, for both silver and copper.
What you will need:
- bleach – one teaspoon;
- water – two teaspoons;
- a pinch of soda;
- salt on the tip of a knife.
Sequencing
- Combine all ingredients, knead well, set aside for two days.
- Dip the bracelet or chain into the resulting mixture for one to two hours.
- Afterwards, wash the product thoroughly and pat dry with a cloth.
Cleaning methods at home
If your favorite gold earrings have turned black, do not rush to seek professional cleaning from a specialist: it is quite possible to remove the darkening from gold yourself, using the products that are in every home.
Store products
The easiest way to clean gold earrings is to use special cleaning products and wipes in a jewelry store or a master jeweler. Such accessories are inexpensive and are used as prevention against the appearance of dark plaque. In addition, store wipes can be used to clean earrings with inserts and polish gold.
Folk remedies
The arsenal of remedies from “grandmother’s chest” sometimes amazes the imagination, but it should be noted that most of these recipes have been tested on people and they really work.
Ammonia
This is a simple and effective way to clean gold earrings from dark deposits and stains. Ammonia perfectly dissolves organic contaminants (sebum) and removes oxide film.
One of the most effective recipes for cleaning jewelry is an aqueous solution of ammonia with the addition of shampoo in the proportion of 1 part ammonia to 2 parts shampoo (for example, ½ teaspoon of ammonia to 1 teaspoon of shampoo): dilute this mixture in a glass of warm water and place the earrings.
If the contamination is severe, the earrings can be soaked for a short time; if the darkening is spotty, the earrings can only be shaken in a cleaning solution and removed. After cleaning the earrings in this way, they should be rinsed under running water to remove any remaining product. Then dry well with a soft towel.
Hydrogen peroxide
Peroxide is, without exaggeration, in every home. This cheap and very effective product is often used to clean gold earrings. Often, to remove surface contaminants, it is enough to wipe a gold item with a soft cloth soaked in peroxide, but in case of severe blackening, the jewelry will have to be soaked in liquid.
In advanced cases, you can use an aggressive cleaning method:
- dissolve 30 ml of peroxide in a glass of warm water with the addition of a teaspoon of ammonia and a drop of liquid soap;
- the solution is thoroughly mixed;
- the earrings are placed in a glass and left for 4–6 hours;
- After the bath, the products should be rinsed well in water and dried.
Table salt
Salt should not be used in its pure form to work with gold. Large and fairly hard crystals can scratch soft metal.
Typically, table salt is used as an additional element in solutions of bite or soda.
Dentifrice
To clean gold earrings with tooth powder, you will have to make some efforts to find it. The previously available product is now difficult to purchase in mass markets.
And large particles of powder can leave deep grooves on the decoration, so the powder is always diluted with a small amount of water or lemon juice to form a paste. Rub the earrings with this mixture and leave for an hour and a half. Then rinse with water and polish with soft suede.
If it is not important to use tooth powder, then you can take toothpaste (just watch the composition: it should not contain abrasive particles or dyes).
Onion
You can clean gold earrings with onion juice: it removes dirt and dark deposits well. To carry out the procedure, you will need a large onion, which (if you are a brave person) needs to be grated on a fine grater or (which is much faster and more humane) chopped with a blender.
The resulting pulp is transferred to gauze or a fine sieve and the juice is collected. Using a soft brush or tassel, apply it to the jewelry, allow to dry, and then rinse off with water. If necessary, wipe the earrings with suede.
Foil
This method of cleaning gold earrings is very simple. You will need aluminum foil, a glass of warm water and a couple of spoons of soda. Place foil on the bottom of a small cup, first dissolve the baking soda in water and pour the resulting mixture onto the foil. Place the gold earrings and leave them overnight. In the morning, just rinse the jewelry with running water and dry it well with a paper towel.
Soda
In addition to the foil method, a soda solution is suitable for surface cleaning of jewelry. Earrings (without stones - this is important!) are dipped in a soda bath and shaken a little. Then rinse thoroughly with water so that a whitish soda coating does not appear anywhere in hard-to-reach places. Wipe with a soft cloth.
Soap, soap solution
Perhaps the easiest way to clean gold earrings, which does not require additional steps. You will need soap shavings to prepare the solution and warm water. The liquid must be mixed thoroughly so that the soap dissolves completely and its particles do not clog the fastening points and openwork elements.
The earrings are placed in a soap solution, you can chat them a little; in cases of heavy contamination and in hard-to-reach places, it is permissible to clean the gold with a soft brush. Then rinse well with water and dry.
Beer
It should be noted that a pure drink is not used to work with gold; usually egg white is added to the intoxicating liquid. You will need very little beer - about half a glass.
Beat the white of one egg in it and apply the mixture to gold earrings. Allow to dry and rinse thoroughly with water. Earrings cleaned in this way will regain their original shine.
Vaseline and chalk
Chalk should be used with great care when processing gold. Its hardness on the Mohs scale is slightly less than that of gold. Therefore, if you clean your earrings with large pieces of chalk, you can get deep scratches on the jewelry.
But there is a “grandmother’s” method that allows you to clean the product well and avoid scratches. The chalk is finely crushed and mixed in equal proportions with Vaseline until smooth. Rub the earrings with this paste and leave for half an hour to an hour. Then washed in warm water.
Shampoo
The method of working with shampoo is the same as when cleaning jewelry with soapy water. It is important to ensure that the chosen product does not contain coloring components, since it is almost impossible to return gold to its original appearance after chemical coloring.
Bread
This method of cleaning earrings cannot be considered the most humane. But it’s suitable if you don’t have anything on hand, and you need to quickly restore the shine to your earrings.
A crumb of fresh bread will do (make sure there are no dry particles in it, otherwise scratches will not be avoided). You can roll the crumb into a small ball and rub it on your earrings. Then rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
Pomade
Hygienic or inexpensive pigmented lipstick will help clean the earrings from the oxide film. The gold is gently rubbed and left in the lipstick for 10–15 minutes. Then the cosmetic product is removed with a soft flannel, while carefully polishing the product.
Paste GOI
When working with gold, it is important to consider that the paste developed by the State Optical Institute has different fractions. Accordingly, to polish the earrings, you need to take a fine fraction - these are numbers 1 and 2. For more thorough cleaning, a paste with number 3 is suitable. But number 4 should only be used to remove old scratches.
Vinegar
If you are going to use vinegar to clean white gold or earrings with stones, abandon this idea immediately. Vinegar can only be used to clean items made of yellow or red gold without inserts.
Apple or table vinegar 9% with a little lemon juice and soda will work. For minor stains, simply immerse the earrings in the solution for 5–15 minutes and then wash with water. If there are still dark areas left after the bath, they should be cleaned with a soft bristle brush and rinsed.
Sugar
The sugar solution is used either alone or mixed with salt. This method of cleaning gold earrings is suitable for minor stains. Take 1 tbsp per glass of water. l. sugar, put the earrings in a glass for 5-6 hours or overnight, and then wash with clean water.
Dishwashing liquid
You can use dishwashing liquid to clean gold earrings by boiling them. For 0.5 liters of water you will need 1 tbsp. spoon of dishwashing liquid. The composition is brought to a boil, then the jewelry is lowered into it and allowed to boil for about 10 minutes. Then the earrings are removed and washed with water. This method is suitable for removing small dark spots and surface dirt.
Toothpaste
Take toothpaste without any additives. Avoid using bleach paste as it contains abrasive particles that can scratch the metal. The optimal choice is colorless gel.
- Apply the paste to a cloth.
- Rub the product with a napkin using soft circular movements.
- Rinse the decoration from the paste under running water.
- Wipe the gold item dry and then wipe with a microfiber, felt or flannel cloth until it shines.
How to clean earrings with precious stones
To clean gold earrings encrusted with precious stones, most traditional methods are not suitable.
Soft stones: malachite, amber, pearl, coral, turquoise, amethyst
You cannot clean earrings with natural stones using mechanical cleaning methods. Hard bristles and large abrasives can irreversibly damage the jewelry and stone insert.
Therefore, you can clean gold earrings with pearls or malachite using a soap solution. Also, professional accessories (gold cleaning cloths) and soft suede will cope well with surface stains.
Medical alcohol or soap solution will also work well with them. Under no circumstances should you use vinegar and ammonia.
Ultrasonic cleaning is not suitable for earrings with pearls, turquoise, corals or opals.
Hard stones: quartz, emerald, sapphire, beryl, topaz, aquamarine
Gold earrings with inserts of hard precious stones should not be subjected to heat treatment. To clean your jewelry and remove small stains, simply wash it in warm soapy water.
With diamond
Despite the fact that natural diamond and its cut derivative, the diamond, are very hard stones, you should not use aggressive cleaning agents for cleaning. Sharp objects and caustic substances are prohibited from use: they are more likely to cause cloudy stains than to clean the product.
To clean gold diamond earrings, it is best to use a soap or ammonia solution and then polish the surface of the jewelry with a flannel.
White gold earrings
Since white gold is an alloy of gold and palladium/nickel, you should not use vinegar to clean the product. An aggressive acidic environment will cause a dark, indelible coating, and the earrings will be damaged. To restore the shine of your jewelry and remove organic deposits, you can use soapy water and then clean difficult areas with a soft-bristled brush.
Matte gold earrings
Rough mechanical methods should not be used to clean matte products. Large abrasives are also not suitable. The essence of the cleaning process is to remove organic contaminants and oxides without polishing the earrings to a mirror finish. After all, this will destroy the design of the product.
Therefore, it is permissible to use gentle cleaning methods:
- soap solution;
- soda solution;
- salt or sweet baths;
- onion or potato juice;
- beer;
- egg white and other mild folk remedies.
You can clean matte gold earrings with special cloths for cleaning gold; the main thing is not to get carried away with the process and not to polish the jewelry.
Hydrogen peroxide
To clean, you will need 3% hydrogen peroxide, ammonia and liquid soap.
- Mix 250 ml of water, 30 ml of hydrogen peroxide, 1 teaspoon of ammonia and 1 teaspoon of liquid cream soap.
- Soak the jewelry in the mixture for 3-5 hours.
- Rinse the jewelry under the tap.
- Wipe the product dry, and then wipe with a microfiber, felt or flannel cloth until it shines.
Another version of the composition with hydrogen peroxide:
- Mix 250 ml of water with 2-3 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide and 1.5 teaspoons of liquid soap.
- Place the gold jewelry in the resulting solution for 20-30 minutes.
- Rinse the product under running water.
- Dry the jewelry (or wipe it dry) and wipe with a microfiber, felt or flannel cloth until it shines.
Jeweler's cleaning tips
Many problems with improper cleaning of gold jewelry can be avoided if you follow the advice of professionals:
- If you have ever heard somewhere that you need iodine to clean gold earrings, know that this is not true. Iodine leaves ugly stains on soft metal that cannot always be removed even by polishing. Using iodine is a very bad idea, especially for jewelry with stones;
- Do not use chlorine-containing liquids (bleaches or cleaning products). Trying to clean gold earrings with chlorine will result in whitish spots, cracks or delamination of the inlay, clouding and loss of shine. In general, the earrings will be damaged, and even a professional jeweler will not be able to restore them;
- Another terrible product that for some reason is persistently used to clean gold jewelry is potassium permanganate, or potassium permanganate. Forget that this product cleanses anything at all (except the stomach, of course). The jewelry will be disfigured with dark uneven spots, the stones will be damaged.
Remember: if you have even the slightest doubt about your abilities, it is better to take your gold earrings to a workshop, where they will be professionally cleaned and all minor defects will be eliminated (stone fastenings and clasps will be corrected). You should not engage in amateur activities. It’s better to pay once for proper cleaning than to pay for repairs.
Rules for wearing, caring for and storing gold earrings
By following the rules for using gold jewelry, you can extend its life and maintain its original appearance with minimal impact.
Basic recommendations for wearing and storing gold earrings:
- try to avoid contact of jewelry with cosmetics (decorative cosmetics, creams, gels);
- remove earrings before visiting the gym, swimming pool or sauna, because many natural stones that are used for inlay do not tolerate high temperatures, sweat can cause the appearance of an oxide film, and prolonged contact with water can dissolve the glue that holds the decorative insert;
- try to store earrings in separate bags. Do not allow jewelry to come into free contact with each other - this will lead to scratches and even chips;
- To clean gold jewelry, use professional products and accessories or mild cleaning products.
