CLEANING PRECIOUS METALS

Caring for your gold jewelry

To maintain your jewelry’s sparkle, try to clean your jewelry on a regular basis – once a month is a good rule of thumb. A simple way to clean your gold or platinum jewelry is to soak it in warm water mixed with a few drops of ammonia. Gentle use of an old, soft-bristled (kid’s) toothbrush is useful for more extensive cleaning. After cleaning and rinsing, dry and polish with a soft cloth. Please always remember to close your drain if you are cleaning near a sink.

When you are not wearing your jewelry, store it in a fabric-lined case with separate compartments, or wrap pieces individually in soft tissue paper. Don't take the risk of your jewelry pieces scratching one another.

Cleaning White Gold Jewelry

One of the most frequently asked questions is how to clean white gold. When white gold is sold, it is always rhodium plated. Rhodium is a hard, durable, silvery-white metal that can be polished to a high shine. This gives white gold, which is actually a very pale yellow, a very white look in the showcase and on your finger. This white look will last varying amounts of time depending on wear and tear. On earrings it can last a lifetime. On rings the rhodium will start wearing off where there is a lot of friction. This usually starts by the shank (the part of the ring that goes around the finger) starting to “turn yellow”. This is the rhodium wearing off. As you continue to wear the ring, all the exposed edges and corners will start “yellowing” as well. The easiest and least expensive solution to this problem is to bring it to your local jeweler or into DiamondIdeals to have the ring re-rhodiumed. The cost for this is minimal. This is a temporary solution and will have to be repeated as this new layer wears off. A more permanent solution would be to consider remounting your stones in a platinum or palladium alloy ring.

While lasting and durable, gold can become scratched or dented, particularly if handled roughly. Regularly check your gold jewelry for loose prongs or any damage, promptly bringing it to a professional jeweler for repair if needed.

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