How to clean gold with stones at home: dos and don’ts, list of products depending on the stone

Hello, dear readers! There are many among us who are not indifferent to jewelry, especially gold. This is not surprising, because gold can emphasize the status and impeccable taste of the owner.

But the noble metal requires appropriate care, because during wear, sebum, dust, and household pollution accumulate on rings, chains, pendants and earrings. Therefore, any owner of gold jewelry should know how to clean gold with stones.

Types and causes of gold contamination

Pure gold is a very soft metal that will deform even with slight physical impact. Therefore, when making jewelry, craftsmen add copper, silver and other components to the alloy. This gives the finished product strength and durability. Along with increased wear, the alloy of precious metals can behave unpredictably when in contact with human skin: oxidize, darken, and become stained.

In addition, the unpresentable appearance of your gold jewelry is contributed to by:

use of face and hand creams;
secretion of fat, sweat, and stratum corneum by the skin;
exposure to household chemicals during cleaning;
city smog.

As a result, jewelry becomes dirty and fades. Knowing the reasons, it is easier to get rid of them, clean the jewelry, restoring the beauty and radiance of your favorite gold items.

Steam and ultrasonic cleaning

At-home devices advertised online are good at cleaning the hardest-to-reach areas on items made from all types of precious metals and are only suitable for highly hard minerals.

But few owners know the hidden flaws of their own jewelry with stones. The presence of a tiny air bubble or crack inside a cut ruby or sapphire under such powerful influence leads to the destruction of the jewelry.

Therefore, it is better to carry out such procedures in a jewelry workshop - before work, a professional will always check the insert for fastening strength and carry out cleaning appropriate for each stone individually. When it comes to brushes made of stones - there are types of minerals that are used in jewelry only together - you won’t be able to clean dirt from the gaps between them on your own.

Cleaning methods

The metal from which your favorite ring or pendant is made and the stone insert are different materials, which means that care products and methods for cleaning objects should also be different.

Videos that will show you how to choose the right method for cleaning gold accessories will help you verify this.

Here are the options:

Ammonia. If the gold ring or earrings are inset with precious stones, then the stone should not come into contact with this substance. For the solution you will need a container into which you need to pour 250 grams. plain water, add one teaspoon of delicate dishwashing detergent and half a teaspoon of ammonia. Mix all components and lower the product into the finished mixture. After the procedure, rinse gold accessories with a sufficient amount of clean water and polish with a fluffy soft rag.
Ammonia. This is a more gentle substance compared to the previous one, so it can be used for accessories with stones. Prepare the washing solution as follows: 250 gr. Mix warm water with a tablespoon of your favorite detergent and a tablespoon of ammonia. We immerse the golden object in the liquid for about two hours, then remove it, clean it, rinse it and enjoy the result.
Toothpaste or tooth powder. They should not contain abrasive particles. Simply apply the product to a soft cloth and wipe the chain or bracelet with it.
Foil. To clean the product, wrap it in a piece of foil (you can use one that is intended for baking) and dip it in a hot solution of water and soda (one teaspoon of baking soda to one glass of water). Leave for one to two hours, then remove and wash with water. The secret of this method is that the aluminum contained in the foil helps to cleanse stains caused by the oxidation of the gold alloy metal.
Dish detergent. To clean gold chains, rings and pendants, simply dip them in a warm soapy solution based on water and any dishwashing detergent and leave for at least two hours. After removing, clean the surface with a soft brush (for example, an old toothbrush), then rinse and rub until shiny.
A mixture of liquid soap and hydrogen peroxide. To prepare a washing cleaning solution, you need a bowl, into which add a glass of warm water, liquid soap, 1 tablespoon of ammonia, 2 tbsp. l. peroxide (3%). Mix all components and keep the gold in the liquid for 2 hours. Then rinse and rub with a piece of woolen cloth.
Salt. A cleaning solution based on ordinary rock salt is prepared in a similar way: add 3 tbsp to a glass of water. l. salt with a slide and keep gold items in it for at least 3 hours.
Medical alcohol. This folk method allows you to clean the surface of gold items from household dirt and plaque. To do this, moisten a soft cloth with alcohol and clean the surface. In this case, you need to be careful with fastenings for stones: movements must be careful and smooth.
Cologne or perfume. The same method for removing dirty plaque as the previous one, but the active ingredient is alcohol-containing liquids.
Lens cleaner. To add shine to gold jewelry, you need to dip it in any container filled with liquid for storing lenses. After 8-12 hours, your gold earrings or bracelets will shine.
Sugar. This gentle and gentle method will help clean lightly soiled gold items. To do this, dilute 2 tablespoons of sugar in a glass of water in a small cup and dip the jewelry in this solution overnight. Afterwards all you have to do is rinse them with water and rub them until shiny.
Vinegar. Keep in mind that the stone may tarnish when exposed to acid. The recommendation is simple: dip jewelry in a 9% vinegar solution and wait 2-3 hours.
Citric acid. Cleaning is suitable for surfaces that need to be restored to shine. Just leave the gold items in an aqueous solution of citric acid for several hours, and then clean the item with a soft cloth.
Lipstick. To clean gold accessories, simply coat them thickly with lipstick and then rub with a piece of flannel. The secret of this unusual method is in the composition of the cosmetic product: it includes the active component - titanium dioxide.
Bow. If you decide to clean things this way, then squeeze the juice out of a fresh onion and keep the product in this liquid for some time. Afterwards, rinse the item thoroughly and dry. Acrid onion juice will remove impurities from the gold.
Baking soda. There are several ways to restore gold's attractiveness using baking soda. First, make a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and clean the product with it. Secondly, mix soda and a little vinegar, place a gold chain or earrings in this mixture, give a little time for the active substances to act, and then rinse with running water and dry. Thirdly, this is boiling. Pour half a glass of water into a container, add two tablespoons of soda, a little vinegar, dip gold objects into the solution, and bring the liquid to a boil.
Coca-Cola. An original way to return gold to its original appearance is to leave it overnight in a glass of Coca-Cola. The drink is able to dissolve contaminants accumulated on rings, earrings and pendants.

Caring for diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and topaz

These are the most “durable” types of inlays - they have a solid hardness coefficient and practically do not react to alkalis.

However, it should be remembered that any toilet soap leaves a barely noticeable film on expensive stones, attracting, like a magnet, the smallest particles of dust and dirt. Therefore, a standard hygiene procedure can “kill” the brightness and shine of a piece of jewelry in just a few days. The same reaction is produced by human sweat, sebum, and decorative cosmetics.

In order for your favorite jewelry to delight you with its beauty, you will have to develop the habit of taking off your ring before doing housework or removing earrings from your ears before taking a shower.

Gold items with stones should be stored in special boxes or bags in which the items were packaged upon purchase.

Cleaning

You need to clean gold with stones periodically; our tips will help you do this quickly and effectively!

Once a month it is useful to make “baths” with ammonia - they are perfect for both the base metal and precious inserts:

Mix 1 part drinking or filtered water (you can use boiled water) with 1 part ammonia solution (ammonia).
Immerse the diamond or sapphire jewelry completely in the resulting solution.
After 20 minutes, drain the liquid through a sieve and rinse the jewelry in running water.
Wipe the gold item with a stone dry with flannel.

Important advice: you should not put jewelry in the same box with jewelry - hard plastic or ordinary iron can leave scratches on the surface of the hardest diamond, into which dust and dirt will constantly get clogged.

Sugar water also perfectly maintains the appearance. It will not clean gold with stones at home as quickly and effectively as ammonia, but it is less aggressive and harmless for jewelry of any complexity:

Mix 200 ml of purified water with 2-3 tbsp. l. granulated sugar.
Dip jewelry with precious stones into the solution.
Leave the products in this “bath” overnight.
In the morning, rinse everything in running water and wipe dry with a soft cloth.

“Durable” types of inserts are well tolerated by ordinary dishwashing detergents or washing powder:

Mix any detergent with water.
Place decorations in the solution for 1-2 hours.
Clean the products with a soft toothbrush.
Rinse under the tap and wipe dry.

It should be remembered that the adhesive fastenings of the finishes cannot be wetted, so in this case you will have to wipe the stone with purified gasoline or a colorless alcohol tincture - vodka or diluted medical alcohol. You should not use tooth powder or toothpaste for jewelry with stones - all of these products contain the smallest abrasive, which is very harmful to the polished surface of your favorite ring or earrings with sapphires.

How not to clean gold

When choosing a popular way to clean jewelry, you need to start from the state in which the accessory is currently in, namely:

are there any cracks or scratches?
Are the stones securely fastened and what are their properties?

Remember that any mechanical impact must be delicate: rough movement can lead to deformation or even breakage of the smallest fastening elements.

When starting to cleanse, do not forget that gold items require careful treatment, which means that abrasive substances and toxic chemical mixtures must be completely excluded!

If the gold ring has a stone insert, then information is needed about how this stone reacts to the chemical components of the cleansing mixture. Even a substance such as soda, used in dry form, can cause damage. If the stone initially has scratches, then such cleaning can enlarge them and make them more noticeable.

If a ring or brooch is decorated with stones (for example, cubic zirconia), it is better to avoid contact with such aggressive substances as:

vinegar;
ammonia;
ammonia.

Such interaction threatens to tarnish the stone.

If you have doubts about the choice of cleaning method and active substance, it is better to use professional products: special pastes or liquids that are applied with a cotton pad.

Preparing Jewelry for Cleaning

If your gold accessory is a delicate work of art and has filigree patterns, ornate designs and other decorations, then much more effort must be made to remove dirt.

Stage 1

Preliminary preparation requires softening of contaminants. To do this, place the gold jewelry in a warm soapy solution and let it sit for several hours. The duration of such soaking depends on the total volume and origin of contaminants.

Stage 2

If you are cleaning chain links or the engraving on a gold ring, mechanical action may be required. Using a small soft brush and soap solution, first clean stubborn stains, and then proceed to more serious methods of exposure.

Rules for cleaning gold jewelry at home

The basic rule on how to clean your favorite gold items at home is to be careful when using aggressive chemicals and be careful with any mechanical impact.

This is especially true for jewelry accessories with stones and fine filigree. It should be remembered that any aqueous environment with the addition of chemical elements can have a detrimental effect on the surface of the stone inserted into a ring or pendant. Therefore, when choosing appropriate procedures to clean items, avoid direct contact between stone and water.

When using mechanical cleaning methods, it is necessary to moderately dose the amount of physical impact and use delicate tools so as not to scratch or damage the delicate inlay. And also pay attention to the method of fastening the stone. If it is glue, then double caution is required!

If the products you use at home do not give the desired effect, contact a jewelry workshop for help: he will know exactly how to clean jewelry.

When cleaning gold jewelry at home, consider the physical properties of the stone, whether it is hard or soft, and how it tolerates water and brushing. The best way is to clarify such characteristics in a jewelry store when purchasing a product.

With hard stones

Cleaning gold items with hard stones can be done using mechanical and chemical methods. These stones are scratch resistant and can withstand water well, so cleaning methods can be harsh.

How to clean:

Diamond (that is, the size of a diamond). Can be cleaned with a brush, soapy water, hydrogen peroxide, or ammonia.
Topaz. You can clean with an old toothbrush and active chemicals.
Pomegranate. Tolerates aqueous cleaning solutions well.
Emerald. Can be cleaned using any alcohol solution or aqueous cleaning mixture.
Sapphire. Products with sapphire tolerate mechanical cleaning with a soft brush, alcohol-containing product, or even gasoline.
Chrysolite. The stone can be cleaned with a soft cloth moistened with alcohol.
Zircon. This is a very hard stone, so it tolerates mechanical cleaning well.
Ruby. You can clean rubies with alcohol-containing solutions applied to soft brushes and shampoo.

With soft stones

Inserts require careful handling and special care. You cannot clean such inserts with a brush or use abrasives - micro-scratches may appear on their surface. Components containing acid, as well as ammonia, cannot be used, as they cause clouding of the stone.

How to clean:

Pearls can be cleaned with a mild, gentle soap solution, without the use of water or acids, this will preserve them for many years.
Malachite can be cleaned with specially impregnated wipes.
The coil looks great after treatment with soapy water and further rubbing with a soft cloth.
Turquoise can darken when in contact with water, so to clean it you need to use special professional products, for example, moisten a napkin with the product and wipe thoroughly.
It is better to rub amber with a piece of felt, and to clean hard-to-reach places with a cotton swab; it is forbidden to use alcohol solutions.
Coral can be cleaned with a damp cloth and then wiped dry.
Opal should not be soaked or used with detergents; opal objects should be wiped with a soft, damp, but not wet cloth and dried with felt or flannel.

Caring for turquoise, opals, moonstone, malachite, serpentine and other soft stones

The delicate shades of the precious mineral attract all lovers of stone beauty without exception. The gem does not tolerate temperature changes, direct sunlight and high humidity. This significantly reduces the “lifetime” of the stone.

Inept cleaning of gold with such stones contributes to the acceleration of the aging process - even with the most ideal care, turquoise lives no longer than 20 years. Before you clean gold and stones at home quickly and effectively, you should curtain the windows and ventilate the room.

Corals and turquoise should be wiped with a soft cloth moistened with alcohol. Neither water nor detergents are suitable for such delicate material. You can buy a cloth for wiping glasses at an optical store - it gently cleans polished cabochons without leaving marks or scratches. For the same purposes, special jewelry scraps are produced, impregnated with a composition developed for these stones.

“Soft” gems tolerate wiping the polished surface with a cloth soaked in purified gasoline. It perfectly removes a thin film of grease and dirt on stones and does not harm the metal in which they are set.

All types of natural pearls “love” baths with sea water. For such inserts, the use of ammonia, alcohol or vinegar is unacceptable - they can dissolve pearlescent formations in a matter of minutes. A gold item with pearls can be cleaned well by simply soaking the jewelry in a sweet or salty solution. After the procedure, you need to rinse the jewelry under the tap and dry it with a soft cloth.

Recommendations for wearing, caring for and storing gold jewelry

In order for gold jewelry to retain its pristine beauty for a long time and not darken or fade, you must follow a few simple rules:

Be sure to remove gold rings and chains when performing daily household chores, visiting fitness clubs, swimming pools, and steam rooms or saunas. Remember that even cooking, accompanied by increased steam formation, temperature changes, smoke, and humidity, harms jewelry.
Store jewelry separately from each other to avoid micro-scratches.
Gold jewelry with stones should not be exposed to bright sunlight to avoid darkening of the inserts and metal.
To make your gold sparkle and shine, do not forget to clean your favorite jewelry in a timely manner and do not neglect professional care.

Also watch a visual video on the topic below: