Gold-plated and silver jewellery can be costly to clean and maintain, prone to fading and tarnishing, but a jewellery expert shares two cost-effective ways to keep your favourites pieces shining
Diamonds may be forever, but it’s important to make sure your jewellery stays sparkling. While jewellery cleaning services and products can be costly, there is one low-priced, versatile product you can use to keep your gold and silver shining.
Over time, gold and silver jewellery can fade and tarnish. Gold-plated jewellery specifically can be tarnished by a variety of factors including direct exposure to moisture (including sweat) or acid and chemicals found in cleaning, beauty and hygiene products.
Exposure to chlorine and direct sunlight can also cause jewellery to lose its lustre. If you feel your jewellery pieces are in need of a little TLC, there are affordable ways to restore them to their pristine condition according to jewellery expert, Ajay Anand.
Anand, from the online diamond retailer Rare Carat, has shared his top two jewellery cleaning hacks, with an average cost of just 10p per method. Anand outlines two effective ways to clean your gold-plated jewellery.
Dish soap clean-up
If your gold-plated jewellery has lost its shine, a simple mix of warm water and mild liquid soap is the secret solution.
“Pour some liquid soap into warm water in a bowl, creating a foamy mixture. Pop your jewellery in and let it soak for a few minutes,” says Anand.
“Once soaked, gently scrub the pieces with a soft cloth to wipe away grime. For intricate details or engravings, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to get into all the nooks and crannies,” he continues.
“After scrubbing, rinse the jewellery with warm water and pat dry with a lint-free cloth. Be sure to dry it thoroughly before storing,” the expert recommends.
Baking soda deep clean
If you want to take your cleaning up a notch, Anand confirms this baking soda method is sure to work wonders on even the toughest grime. He advises: “Line a glass bowl with aluminium foil, ensuring the shiny side faces up. Add a tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of salt, then pour hot water over the mix until it’s dissolved.”
“Submerge your gold-plated jewellery into the solution and leave it for a few minutes. You’ll likely notice black and yellow flakes floating away from your jewellery,” though this is nothing to worry about, says Anand. It’s just the sulphur being attracted to the foil.
“When the tarnish is gone, remove the jewellery, give it a rub with a lint-free cloth, and rinse under warm water. Dry it off, and you’re done,” the expert said.
For silver jewellery (excluding sterling silver), the dish soap and baking soda methods will also work wonders. However, when it comes to sterling silver, the baking soda trick may do more harm than good.
“As effective as the baking soda method might seem, it’s quite abrasive, and using it on delicate sterling silver could leave scratches,” explains Anand. For this type of silver, he recommends using a special jewellery dip, which is a bit more costly but designed specifically to clean silver without damaging it.
Additionally, be cautious with moisturisers and perfumes, as their oils and chemicals can cause jewellery to tarnish. Anand suggests applying beauty products a few minutes before putting on your jewellery, allowing them time to properly soak into your skin to avoid any dulling effects.
