Women are quite excited to buy gold Jewelry. Little do they know that this fancy stuff requires extensive care else gold can easily turn into black color. Jewelry items may break too if the owners don’t take proper care. Here are a few tips that would assist you in saving your Jewelry in its original condition for a long time.
Things to Avoid for Gold Jewelry Damage
Before we proceed, take a look at the following reasons of how gold Jewelry could potentially damage.
Salt Damage
The real culprit behind the Jewelry damage is salt. Gold rings are the most common Jewelry item worn all over the world. Simultaneously, it is natural that we would use water to do various tasks including washing hands, washing dishes, cleaning, and other purposes too. When gold comes in contact with water, it loses its strength. In some areas, clean water is not available and instead, salt water is present. This can cause discoloration as well.
Many women don’t care about their Jewelry when going to the beach. Wearing gold while swimming not only increases the chance of losing the item but also leads to seawater causing discoloration to gold. The best way to save yourself is to use small boxes or a purse to store the Jewelry before going for a swim.
Similarly, gyms are another place where gold Jewelry is at risk. The body is producing salty sweat which can become a reason for discoloration. Even if you are doing cardio and just running, we recommend you to not wear Jewelry at the time of exercise.
Therefore, don’t let your Jewelry be exposed to salty water. Normal water, such as the one used in taps for the purpose of washing hands, is fine only if it is not salty.
Chemical Damage
Just like Salt, other chemicals can also cause a major discoloration to gold items but more importantly, chemicals could loosen up the gold and might even disintegrate it. Since gold is a natural material, it does react to chemicals. The most common example would be household chores. Whether you are washing the dishes or just mopping, you are getting your hands to touch the strong chemical.
According to modern studies, most items such as washroom cleaner, floor cleaner, wall cleaner, and acids are all harmful to gold and other Jewelry because of their strong chemical properties. They can break your earrings into two pieces and loosen up your hand ring as well.
Similarly, cosmetic products can do damage too. Many women apply hand lotions or perfumes without taking off their gold Jewelry. The chemicals inside these products can make gold lose its shine. This dull appearance won’t keep the gold as attractive as it was earlier. Therefore, avoid contact of gold Jewelry with chemicals at all costs. Experts recommend the “last on, first off” rule which means that the Jewelry should be the last item you put on after you are dressed up and it should be the first item you take off before doing any work involving chemicals.
Physical Damage
In order to prolong the life of gold Jewelry, it should always be protected from physical damage. This is because such damage is usually irremovable. For example, there can be scratches on your ring in case you have scratched it somewhere unintentionally. Holding something sharp also poses a risk of getting it in contact with the gold Jewelry.
Similarly, bangles and earrings could be damaged when they come in contact with something. Many women don’t use proper Jewelry boxes and just put the items on their dressing table. Without proper Jewelry boxes, the chances of physical damage could increase. Gold Jewelry can also get damaged and may have dents if the items fall from a long height. Therefore, it is advised to take care of gold Jewelry in a way that it does not come in contact with other items that are particularly hard or sharp.
Over Exposure to Sun or Heat
Heat damages almost all metals. Period. Gold Jewelry can discolor and become dull when UV rays from the sun are directly on the Jewelry item. All other forms of heat such as using your blow dryer may also give some heat to your ear. In case you are wearing gold earrings, excessive heat could lead to a faded color.
However, this does not mean that you shouldn’t wear gold Jewelry in the sun. It just means that you should not be putting your Jewelry in a place where it is constantly getting heat. Our recommendation is to have the items in a Jewelry box that does not leave any room for light to pass through.
Here are some things to consider before getting gold jewelry – Things to Consider When Buying Gold Jewelry.
Tips to Keep your Gold Jewelry Shiny
Other than avoiding the different things which can damage your Jewelry, you can follow these tips to ensure your gold Jewelry stays as good as new for long
Professional Polishing
Sometimes, gold Jewelry may deteriorate over time. You might be avoiding it from chemicals and excessive heat but it would still have some wear and tear. To make sure it looks good, we recommend getting it cleaned up by a professional jeweler. Once a year, get all of your gold Jewelry polished.
There are different ways in which the jeweler would be polishing the gold. Keep in mind that some people just use fake gold water to give it a shiny feel but that is not a permanent solution. Go for a precise cleanup of the Jewelry even if it is a bit expensive because that way, you will be able to save money and time in the long term.
Clean it at Home
For those who are unable to find a gold jeweler or don’t have the budget to get the Jewelry polished, there are easy techniques to get the job done from the comfort of home as well. To begin this, you need to make a solution of warm water and dish soap with a ratio of 5 to 1 respectively. Also, add a bit of baking soda although it is not necessary.
Soak the gold jewelry in this mixture for about 3 hours. You can use a soft toothbrush or a soft microfiber cloth as they would not damage the ornaments. Pro tip – Use a Jewelry polishing cloth and avoid the use of tissue when drying up the Jewelry. Experts also recommend the use of Alcohol as a cleaner for the Jewelry. Keep in mind that you want to clean the Jewelry but overdoing could potentially damage it. Make sure that you don’t use bleach in any case as it could lead to severe discoloration.
Store it Properly
One of the most important tips is to make sure that the Jewelry is being stored properly. Don’t mix up different types of things together as some of them could be too heavy while others may be too light to bear it. The imbalance could deteriorate the Jewelry over time. Keeping it separate from other items would also help you in keeping it all organized. There are specific Jewelry boxes for this purpose that have multiple sections.
Suggested Reading – Why is Platinum More Expensive than Gold?
Keep an Eye for Damages
Some Jewelry items have different kinds of stones on them as well. These may come off after some time. Make sure that you are not trying to mend the damage yourself. Get it done by an expert jeweler who will fix the broken stone or replace it with a new one. Jewelers have specific tools to deal with such issues and any self-attempt could ruin your items beyond irreparable damage.
Conclusion
Gold Jewelry is the favorite for almost all women but taking care of it is also something that should be considered. Since this Jewelry is expensive, getting a new one every now and then isn’t easily possible but keeping the old one in mint condition is possible. All you need to do is to follow the tips we mentioned above. Also, be sure to avoid it from all forms of damage as well.