To understand why gold has stopped shining, look at the sample
Gold does not oxidize or darken, but the material used to make jewelry is not pure metal, but an alloy. And those substances contained in it are susceptible to environmental influences. This is why gold jewelry oxidizes over time—it becomes dull, stops shining, and becomes dirty.
The fineness of gold is an indicator of how much of the noble metal is included in the alloy. For example, a sample of 585 means that there is 585 mg of gold in the alloy (58.5%), and the rest is nickel, copper, zinc, silver, etc.
The metals included in the gold alloy oxidize and darken over time.
One way to restore shine to jewelry and remove dirt and stains is to go to a jewelry workshop. Specialists use cleaning devices and professional mixtures and compositions. But their services are not so cheap, so they are not available to everyone. It is often more economical to make your own cleanser and wash your gold at home.
Gold items with stones - boiling and abrasives are prohibited
Jewelry without inserts is easier to influence. If they are decorated with precious or semi-precious stones, then any cleansing manipulations must be carried out very carefully. Stones can be damaged due to rough friction, critical low or high temperatures, not to mention chemicals. Gold inlaid with stones should not be subjected to mechanical cleaning, but can be washed in weak solutions with the addition of soap and hydrogen peroxide. The exception is those jewelry whose inserts are attached with glue.
Gold jewelry with stones requires careful cleaning
How to clean jewelry with amber, pearls and other soft stones at home
Malachite, pearls, amber, turquoise and coral are soft organic stones. They do not tolerate moisture well, so products with them need to be rinsed and dried very quickly. Then you can wipe them with potato starch. But it is prohibited to use ammonia solution or vinegar on soft stones.
Heat treatment is contraindicated for alexandrite, garnet, turquoise, pearls, emerald, opal, and sapphire. When exposed to high temperatures, the stones will become discolored or even shatter.
Diamond, emerald, cubic zirconia - how to wash gold with hard stones
Hard stones (diamond, beryl, aquamarine, topaz, quartz) will withstand contact with ammonia or hydrogen peroxide. If your attempts are unsuccessful, you should not continue to try to solve the problem yourself. It is better to trust an experienced specialist. He will properly clean the jewelry, rinse it in an ultrasonic bath if necessary, restore the coating and polish it without damaging the stone.
Gold jewelry with cubic zirconia, diamond and other hard stones are cleaned with ammonia
How to clean jewelry with precious stones - video
If medical and white gold has turned black, gilding has darkened
White gold requires more careful processing, as it is subject to deformation. It should be cleaned only with liquid solutions.
- Place the jewelry in a glass with 25% ammonia for 2 hours.
- This mixture is also effective: mix water and ammonia in equal proportions, add 20 ml of shampoo. Place jewelry in this mixture and wait half an hour, and then rinse with water.
You can remove blackness from medical gold by wiping it with beer or washing it in a soap solution. Treating with vinegar will give a good and quick result, but this is a more dangerous method for coating. This liquid can also be used to clean gold-plated items, but it is more advisable to treat with egg white: leave the jewelry in the mixture for 30 minutes and rinse with water. Another effective composition is a mixture of ammonia and liquid soap (1:4).
In order for jewelry cleaning to be not only effective, but also as gentle as possible, you should know some subtleties:
- use soft brushes that will not scratch the gold and will help clean even the most inaccessible places;
- any abrasives and hard cleaning accessories are detrimental to low-grade, medical and white gold;
- Toothpaste with a whitening effect is highly abrasive, so you should choose regular toothpaste for cleaning and polishing;
- you will avoid scratching delicate metal if you place a soft cloth on the bottom of the container when boiling products;
- It is better to clean the chain links and places where the stones are attached with cotton swabs or toothpicks, wrapping a layer of cotton wool around them;
- Dirt will come off faster from items such as chains, flex necklaces and bracelets if you place them in a bottle of solution and shake;
- It is not recommended to exceed the processing time of the metal, as the substances can negatively affect the top layer of gold: it may tarnish or turn white;
- After treating with any solution or paste, rinse the jewelry thoroughly in clean water and wipe dry with a soft cloth.
You can get rid of blackness on gold items using the universal means described above, or make a solution from laundry soap.
- Place the decorations in a container with warm water (50–60 °C).
- Add finely grated 72% laundry soap.
- Wait 1.5–2 hours, then clean the jewelry with a toothbrush, rinse in water and blot with a soft cloth.
Medical, white gold, gilding - photo gallery
Medical gold is cleaned in soapy water
White gold can only be cleaned with liquid solutions
Egg white removes plaque from gilding well
Features of jewelry polishing
Jewelry can be polished in two ways - manually or using a special grinding machine. The polishing method is selected based on the characteristics of the product.
Manual polishing is carried out using a special drill. This method is used when finely crafted jewelry made from several parts needs polishing and in other similar cases. This polishing method eliminates damage to the product during the process; the master carefully cleans all elements of the decoration.
Polishing on a grinding machine is suitable for products with a laconic design - smooth rings and bracelets, medallions, and so on. Using a grinding machine, it is possible to polish jewelry quickly and at the same time with high quality.
For the highest quality and safest polishing of a product, special polishing brushes and abrasive pastes are used, designed specifically for polishing metal.
A number of products have a galvanic coating. In this case, the jewelry is first polished, and then the coating is restored. Our workshop has everything necessary to perform both operations efficiently and quickly.
In addition, after polishing, the product must be thoroughly cleaned. At the GoldLazer workshop, we use ultrasonic baths to effectively clean jewelry.
Non-standard stains: how to remove soap scum, stains from iodine, superglue and paint
There is no need to panic even if unusual situations arise when gold gets dirty with unexpected solutions.
Treatment with ammonia will save gold items from soap deposits. Lighter gasoline, kerosene or acetone (you can use nail polish remover) can handle superglue and paint: put the gold in a jar for several hours, and then wash it in warm water with a detergent, for example, “Fairy” (not powder). It is strictly not recommended to remove stains mechanically or scrape with sharp objects, otherwise you risk damaging the coating.
Using toothpaste and hyposulfite
Iodine can be easily removed with regular toothpaste.
- Treat the stain with a dye-free paste.
- Rinse with warm water.
You can also use hyposulfite, which is sold in a pharmacy: dissolve the substance in water (1 tablespoon per glass of water) and leave the product in the liquid overnight. Then rinse with water.
Toothpaste will help quickly return gold jewelry to its purity and shine.
The fastest way to clean gold - video
Use of acetic acid
The easiest and most affordable way to remove iodine stains is vinegar essence (table vinegar will not work).
- Soak a cotton pad or cotton swab in the acid and wipe the jewelry. Be sure to wear gloves and a bandage, as there is a risk of burns to your fingers and respiratory tract.
- After treatment, keep the jewelry under running water.
Precious-coated coins are cleaned in soapy or special store-bought solutions, and it is allowed to rub with fingers or cloths.
DIY gold polishing
At home, gold polishing is carried out after preliminary cleaning. For this, ammonia or soap solution is used. After the procedure, the surface can already acquire the desired shine and it is enough to polish it with a soft cloth. If this does not work, then the following methods are used:
- Shampoo is added to the water, and gold is placed in the solution for 9 hours. During this time, the fatty film is removed from it. All that remains is to clean it with a toothbrush.
- Use of a 25% ammonia solution. Gold is placed at 10 o'clock. It is necessary that the entire decoration is completely covered with the solution. Then the product is washed and dried.
- A special paste is made independently. Take grated soap shavings, Vaseline and chalk in equal proportions. Everything is mixed until a paste is formed, which is applied to the gold using a toothbrush.
- GOI paste is purchased and applied to the felt product. Then unidirectional movements are made with light pressure on the gold jewelry.
- As an option, use lipstick. After applying it to the surface, the gold is polished with a cotton swab.
Polishing a gold ring at home causes certain complications. Sometimes this is a non-ferrous metal made of white gold. The peculiarity is that the base is ordinary gold, and a thin layer of rhodium is applied to the surface. Thanks to the presence of such an element, the decoration acquires shine. Despite its increased hardness, rhodium wears off quickly, so white gold is polished very carefully.
When working with such a coating, pastes should not contain abrasive components. They are based on a gel structure. Rubbing with a brush is also not allowed. It is replaced by a soft cloth.
The following methods are used as options for polishing gold with a white surface:
- Sugar water is prepared in the following proportion: 200 ml of water and 1 dessert liter. Sahara. The ring is kept in the solution for no longer than an hour.
- For 0.5 liters of water add 1 tbsp. spoon of detergent. The solution is brought to a boil, and the ring is placed there for 1 hour.
Goyim paste will mask scratches and polish old gold
Goi paste can remove small scratches and restore shine to jewelry. Buy it in the store and polish the jewelry using a cotton pad, felt, or flannel. Please note that fine goi paste No. 2 is intended for fine grinding of precious metal.
You should polish your jewelry yourself very carefully, as this process removes the aurum layer. For this reason, you should never use goyi paste to process gold-plated items. Powder, talc, tooth powder or paste are considered successful analogues for self-polishing at home.
Goi paste polishes jewelry, removing scratches and restoring shine
Video about polishing gold items
Polishing gold at home
Check out the ways to restore gold jewelry to its original shine at home. When applied, available materials are used that you will find at home, the cost of home polishing is extremely cheap, the result is pleasing:
- Hot water with shampoo. The soap solution covers rings, earrings, chains so that there are no protruding elements. Leave the products in the water for 7-8 hours. During this time, the fat film will come off. After time has passed, remove the jewelry from the solution and polish with a soft toothbrush.
This method is suitable for both polished and matte gold products.
- Ammonia solution 25%. You can buy it at the pharmacy. Place the Jewelry in a capacious glass or ceramic container and fill it with the solution so that there are no protruding elements on the surface. Leave the jewelry for 10 hours. During this time, the fat will come off.
This method is suitable for both polished and matte gold products.
- Cleaning paste for gold jewelry. You can purchase ready-made pasta or make your own. The composition includes petroleum jelly, powdered white chalk, soap shavings and water. Mix the ingredients to obtain the consistency of liquid cream. The paste is applied with a toothbrush. It is not recommended to press on the brush, as the bristles and paste have abrasive properties, which will lead to scratches on the surface of the product.
- Jewelry stores sell GOI paste intended for polishing gold items. Apply the paste to the felt and rub the product. Make unidirectional movements with minimal pressure on the metal.
- Lipstick. Apply to scuffs and scratches and buff with a cotton swab.
At the end of the procedure for cleaning and polishing gold jewelry, the items should be thoroughly rinsed in running water and laid out to dry.
It is strictly not recommended to use soda or tooth powder for cleaning and polishing gold jewelry, since the coarse structure has abrasive properties, which will lead to the appearance of new scratches.
