How to Take Care of Gold & Silver Jewelry
Your jewelry is exposed to skin oils, sweat, makeup and dust on a daily basis, which can affect their look and even damage it over time. That’s why it’s super important to clean your pieces with the right products, and to store them in a safe environment! Here are a few tips to make sure you’ll keep your gold and silver jewelry forever.
REGULAR CLEANING
Gold
- Soak your gold jewelry in 10-parts warm water and 2-part phosphate-free dish soap for 3 hours; you may also use jewelry cleaning products.
- After soaking, use a jewelry polishing cloth for extra shine; stay away from synthetic fabrics which can scratch your jewelry.
- Clean your jewelry as needed, but don’t overdo it!
- Avoid cleaning pieces that are damaged (scratches, loose stones) yourself; cleaning them could damage them even more.
Silver
- Gently rub your jewelry with a silver polishing cloth.
- If your silver jewelry is heavily soiled or tarnished, place a square of aluminum foil in the bottom of a heavy bowl, put the silver jewelry on top of the foil and pour moderately hot—not boiling—water over the jewelry.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda to the water and mix it around to dissolve it, and let the silver jewelry soak for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Rinse the jewelry well and dry it with a soft towel.
- If your jewelry is adorned with gems, clean the jewelry according to the care method recommended for the particular stone.
STORAGE
- Keep your rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings a fabric-lined jewelry box.
- Wrap each piece in a soft cloth for extra protection and to make sure they don’t tangle or scratch each other.
- Make sure your jewelry box is in a dark, dry space.
EXTRA TIPS
- Since gold is a soft metal, be extra careful not to scratch your jewelry. It is also highly sensitive to chemicals;
- Remove your gold and silver jewelry before getting in a pool or spa, and wear rubber gloves while cleaning, if you do not take them off.
- Take your jewelry off before taking a shower or a bath to avoid soap build-up.
- Put your jewelry on last when getting ready, since most beauty products could damage it. And take it off first, when getting undressed, so the delicate parts don't get stuck in a knit or intricate fabric detail.
- Plated jewelry is extremely fragile; the gold or rhodium plating will disappear over time because of wear and tear. That’s why you should be extra careful when you wear it. Keep in mind that rings with platings will wear off faster than earrings or pendants.
- Septums and lip rings oxidize faster than other jewelry because of the oxygen going in and out of our nose and mouth; these pieces will need maintenance and cleaning more often.
- Some people tend to suddenly get allergic to their jewelry, but don’t worry! This reaction is probably caused by dead cells, soap build up, sweat and dust that get stuck in the shank or behind the gems. All your pieces need is to be cleaned!
- Leather cords absorb sweat and dirt, so it’s very important to clean them too. Use water and a little bit of white vinegar on a cloth, and dry right away.
Now, time to get cleaning; after all, your jewelry deserves all the love in the world!
Treat your Inchoo pieces with a polishing cloth!
Not a cleaning expert? No worries, we are!
Contact us to book an appointment for a jewelry polishing!
xx
Ariane & Astrid
