How to clean gold and silver jewelry

Methods for purifying gold

You can clean gold not only in specialized workshops, but also at home. The effectiveness of the result directly depends on the degree of contamination, wear and type of precious item.

Ultrasonic bath solution

An ultrasonic bath is a container with an electrical device located inside. When the device is turned on, sound waves oscillate with a frequency of 18-120 kHz, breaking down particles of adhering dirt. You can buy a gold cleaning solution in a store or prepare an alternative to a professional solution yourself.

Composition of a homemade solution for purifying gold:

• water (volume according to container size);
• ammonia - 1 tablespoon;
• dishwashing detergent - a little, depends on the foam formation.

The ingredients must be added to the container in the correct sequence.

Instructions for using gold cleaner:

1. Pour hot (not boiling water) water into the container.
2. Add ammonia to heated water.
3. Pour in dishwashing detergent and mix all ingredients thoroughly.

A separate holder or basket is used to immerse gold items in an ultrasonic bath with a cleaning solution. The cleaning process lasts from 1 to 20 minutes, depending on the degree of contamination.

Upon completion of the procedure, you must turn off the device. The jewelry should remain in the container with the solution for another 5-10 minutes, giving time for the dirt particles knocked down by the sound waves to sink to the bottom of the container. Having taken the gold items out of the ultrasonic bath, you need to rinse and dry them, wiping them with a soft cloth.

Aqueous solution with ammonia

Returning dull shine to gold jewelry is possible using an aqueous solution containing 25% ammonia.

1. The purchased composition must be poured into a small container and the precious metal immersed in it for 4 hours.
2. At the end of the cleaning procedure, you need to rinse the product under clean tap water.

Despite its chemical properties, this solution will not be able to remove darkening from gold.

Hydrogen peroxide

To clean gold jewelry with hydrogen peroxide, you need to prepare a simple solution.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. liquid soap;
• 30-40 ml of hydrogen peroxide;
• 1 teaspoon of ammonia.

Having combined and mixed the elements, the decorations are immersed in the resulting mixture for 20-30 minutes. After the time has passed, it is necessary to rinse the product in running water, wipe with a dry cloth and allow to dry completely.

Foil

An interesting method for purifying gold is using foil. To use the rare method, you will need a container of medium depth. You need to place a layer of foil on the bottom, prepare a cleaning agent and pour it into a container.

Solution composition:

• water - 200 ml;
• soda - 3 tbsp. spoons.

The decoration should be in the solution for 8 to 12 hours. Upon completion of the procedure, the product should be rinsed and wiped with a lint-free cloth.

Cleaning white gold yourself

Pure gold is not used to make jewelry. Since it is a soft metal, jewelry is made from an alloy of it with a number of other elements such as silver, copper, zinc, cadmium and nickel. These additives improve the physical and chemical properties of gold, but at the same time contribute to the appearance of plaque when wearing products.

White gold is an alloy of gold with elements that give this noble metal its white color. For an appropriate shine, such an alloy is coated with rhodium on top. For cleaning, you should choose the softest and most gentle methods, for example the following:

• tooth powder + a small amount of water + soft brush;
• ammonia + water + shampoo;
• liquid soap + water.

White gold items should be soaked in soapy water for half an hour. Then the remaining solution is washed off with clean water, and the products are wiped with a cloth.

Cleaning gold with stones

Features of cleaning gold jewelry

Cleaning gold using sound waves preserves the weight of the item. Despite the effectiveness, quality and safety of ultrasonic cleaning of gold jewelry, this method is not suitable for all jewelry.

Gold rings

For gold rings without stones, ultrasonic cleaning is not dangerous, despite the fact that gold is naturally soft. Thanks to the modern cleaning method, jewelry can be freed from solid and liquid oil films, grease, dust, limescale and corrosion.

Individual methods for cleaning gold rings are used when there are precious and semi-precious stones in the frame. Before the procedure, it is necessary to find out the hardness level of the mineral on the Mohs scale. For soft stones with a value less than 7, cleaning in an ultrasonic bath is contraindicated.

The top three among gems with the highest hardness on the Mohs scale:

1. Diamond.
2. Ruby.
3. Sapphire.

A gold ring with cubic zirconia cannot be damaged by ultrasonic cleaning. Artificially grown stone withstands the influence of strong vibrations.

Gold earrings

Gold earrings without stones can be cleaned at home using a solution of table vinegar and water (1:1 proportions). After moistening a soft cloth in the prepared product, you need to wipe the jewelry, then rinse it in clean water and dry it with a cloth. When using ammonia, add a few drops to the fabric and treat the jewelry.

Individual types of cleaning are applied to gold earrings with stones. Stones are attached to the product in two ways: with special “paws” or glue. Depending on the type of fastener, the cleaning option is selected.

The right decision would be to go to a jewelry salon. The master will select a safe type of cleaning based on the condition of the jewelry and the type of gemstone.

Gold jewelry with stones

It is not recommended to clean gold jewelry with stones in an ultrasonic bath without first consulting a jeweler. The fastenings of frames worn from age with inserts of stones may suffer from sound waves that create vibration.

In addition to gold jewelry that has microcracks, as well as deformed edges of jewelry, it is strictly forbidden to “put” minerals with a low hardness index into an ultrasonic bath.

Stones that are contraindicated by sound waves

:

• pearl;
• emerald;
• malachite;
• tourmaline;
• opal;
• turquoise;
• nephritis;
• coral.

Gold with diamonds is ideal for washing in an ultrasonic bath. Having a maximum level of hardness, the stone undergoes a cleaning procedure “without vagaries”. Before cleaning with sound waves, it is necessary to check the fastenings to ensure that all diamonds remain in place during the washing process.

Rules for caring for silver products

To ensure that silver jewelry always delights you with its brilliance and beauty, you need to follow simple rules for its use.

1. It is better to store silver items in a separate closed box, and preferably so that they do not come into contact with each other. For this purpose, there are special cases for jewelry with soft compartments.
2. It is necessary to remove rings and chain bracelets before heavy physical labor, such as lifting weights, working in the country, in the garden, as well as work using household tools. This should be done not only to protect jewelry from mechanical damage, but also to ensure your own safety, because the ring or chain may get caught on something during operation.
3. As mentioned above, you should remove jewelry before using cosmetics, as well as before swimming.
4. If you do not plan to wear silver jewelry any time soon, you should wipe it with a dry microfiber cloth, wiping off any grease or sweat on the item. This way it will last longer unspoiled.
5. When cleaning silver, you should be careful not to use any scratchy cleaners. It is also worth cleaning the rhodium-plated product carefully, since the rhodium layer is very thin and is easily erased. This element is sprayed onto silver to protect it from oxidation so that it does not lose its appearance longer.

Recommendations

Daily care of gold items will rid the precious metal of contamination in the form of sweat deposits and dust particles. It is enough to moisten a soft cloth in an aqueous solution with the addition of liquid soap/shampoo and wipe the jewelry with it. Upon completion of the cleaning procedure, you need to rinse the valuable metal with clean water and dry it.

If the “health” of jewelry is neglected, you need to contact a master jeweler, who will select an individual method of cleaning the gold item: an ultrasonic bath with a suitable solution or a special paste.

Despite the many ways to clean gold jewelry at home, it is better to trust the experts. Unknowingly, you can cause damage to precious items.

Why does silver turn black?

To begin with, it is worth noting that any silver will turn black, but sometimes this does not happen immediately, and sometimes very quickly. What does this factor depend on? There may be several reasons:

1. The presence of foreign alloys in the product. Usually good silver is marked 925. This means that the product contains 92.5% of the noble metal, and the remaining percentage is impurities, which are necessary for greater wear resistance and stability, since pure silver is too soft and can easily lose its shape. With a successful and high-quality combination, silver will look good for a long time, but it will still darken. Low quality silver has a higher percentage of impurities, which leads to a faster oxidation process.
2. Impact of the environment, in particular the human body. As you know, silver chains and pendants darken faster than rings. This is explained by the fact that sweating occurs more often on the neck and décolleté and its composition differs from other parts of the body. Sweat is an excellent oxidizer for metal alloys in a silver product, so it is in the place of greatest contact that the silver will darken.
3. State of human health. Silver darkens even on an absolutely healthy person, but if changes occur quickly, literally in a few days, then it is worth checking with a specialist to see if everything is in order with your health. Usually, rapid darkening of silver jewelry on the human body indicates problems with the liver and kidneys.
4. Skin care cosmetics. This is another reason for the rapid loss of the presentable appearance of silver jewelry. If silver darkens after contact with hand cream or body lotion, then most likely these products contain sulfur, upon contact with which silver and other alloys, in particular copper, oxidize and acquire a dark coating. Also, household chemicals – liquids for washing dishes, floors, washing powders, etc. – also affect the change in the color of silver. Therefore, when working with these products, it is better to remove silver jewelry.

Professional products

In addition to traditional methods, you can also use industrial cleaning products. Substances are available for sale in the form of pastes, liquids, and specially impregnated wipes. When choosing products, you must pay attention to what type of gold and type of products the product is intended for, and strictly follow the instructions for its use.

Solutions for chemical exposure

In addition to wipes and pastes, you can also choose effervescent tablets for cleaning. This product is used to prepare an all-purpose cleaning solution that gently and gently cleans jewelry and restores it to its original shine.