Representatives of the fair sex rarely go out into the light without precious jewelry. On the well-groomed fingers, exquisite products from precious metals flaunt. They are worn with little to no removal, so they need to be cleaned from time to time. Our article will tell you about how to clean gold jewelry with stones.
Causes of pollution
It is impossible to meet a family in which precious jewelry would not be stored. For many of us, such jewelry is not only of material value, but also spiritual, preserving centuries-old family traditions and heritage.
Over time, the jewels lose their former luster and presentability. Every student knows from chemistry courses that gold is a soft metal, so pure gold is not used in the jewelry industry. Therefore, to impart hardness to gold, silver and copper impurities are introduced into the alloy.
Since certain impurities enter the gold, a tendency to tarnish appears because the composition of the impurities reacts to the external environment. Such changes are affected by:
- Contact of gold products with the skin, due to the fact that the glands secrete sweat and fat, the product becomes greasy and loses its luster.
- When using decorative cosmetics and perfumes, traces remain on the product.
- The environmental impact also leaves its mark in the form of smog and dust.
Thus, gemstones and gold fade. Performing the usual manipulations and following certain rules, you can easily bring any precious product into proper shape.
Cleaning rules
If you follow the rules of storage and wearing jewelry, then caring for them will not be difficult for you. Such products will delight you with their bright splendor for a long time. The rules for caring for gold jewelry The following recommendations are included:
- Try not to wear gold jewelry in the heat.
- Avoid wearing jewelry in the bathhouse or sauna.
- Be sure to remove the rings and bracelets before washing your hands or dishes.
Since at high temperatures the precious alloys begin to fade, gold should not be left under ultraviolet rays.
If gold items have faded before cleaning, consider the individual characteristics of the alloy and the stones that adorn them:
- When cleaning products, it is not recommended to use brushes with hard bristles and products with aggressive abrasive substances.
- Many stones do not tolerate high temperatures, so when cleaning, discard hot water.
- Ideally, use a simple soap solution and a brush with soft bristles.
- When removing sebum and sweat from the surface, it is recommended to use medical alcohol.
Even with the most proper care, it is occasionally necessary to show products to a professional jeweler. He will evaluate the surface of the jewelry, tighten and strengthen the gems, and perform professional cleaning of the product.
For gentle cleaning, do not forget to wear gloves. Wet cleaning is done with a wet, soft cloth, and dry with a special velvet cloth.
Funds
Effective methods of cleaning jewelry were still owned by our grandmothers. Therefore, if you notice that your accessories are dimmed and need to be cleaned, Feel free to use one of the following folk methods:
- Liquid soap. In a small container, dilute warm soapy water and place the jewelry for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse with clean water and wipe dry with a soft cloth.
- Baking soda. This method is suitable for cleaning the product, but only without stones. Dissolve a tablespoon of baking soda in a glass of water. After placing decorations in a solution, boil them for 5 minutes. After that, brush the product under a stream of water to make it shine.
- Dentifrice. This hygiene product is in every bathroom. If tooth powder is not available, replace it with toothpaste. Apply powder or paste to a soft brush and clean with light movements. The procedure will take you no more than 5 minutes.
- Bow. While cooking, at the same time clean your jewelry. Cut the onion into two halves. Rub the surface with onion juice and leave for several hours. During this time, the juice will act on the contaminated surface. Then just rinse the products and wipe with a soft cloth. Products sparkle again.
There are other tools that are no worse:
- "Coca Cola". A universal tool that saves us in everyday life. It removes rust, helps with intestinal infections. It is also easy for Coca-Cola to cope with a faded, contaminated piece of jewelry.
- Lipstick. If you have a tube full of old lipstick in your makeup bag without sparing, use it to clean your favorite jewelry. Apply a little lipstick to a soft cloth or cotton pad and wipe the surface.
- Ammonia. Dilute ammonia with water in a ratio of 1: 1. Then place the products in a solution for 30 minutes. Rinse with clean water and allow to dry.
- Sugar. A slightly soiled product will help clean simple sugar. Place the gold jewelry in the sugar water for about an hour.
- Salt. Sugar will be replaced with salt. Dissolve a couple of tablespoons of salt in a glass. Decorations placed in saline can be left overnight. In the morning, rinse with clean water and dry.
How to clean jewelry?
To clean gold with stones at home at home quickly and effectively is not difficult.Earrings and rings with gem inserts require careful care, as many cleaning products can cause deformation of the stones. Many stones do not tolerate humid environments.
By type of gold
White gold
This is an alloy of gold with platinum and silver, which makes the color look like a silver hue. The surface of white gold must be cleaned with care, so not all products are suitable. Follow the proper cleaning procedure for white gold:
- Pour half a liter of water into a small enameled pot and add liquid detergent.
- Put the products in a container and put on fire.
- Boil for 20 minutes.
- Then rinse under running water and wipe with a soft cloth.
Toothpaste will cope with pollution perfectly, it will be better if the paste turns out to be gel. On a soft brush, apply a little gel toothpaste and wipe the surface.
Yellow and pink gold
Cleaning these types of gold jewelry is much easier than using white gold. An ordinary soap solution is suitable for cleaning. Rub the soap on a fine grater and dissolve it in water. Put the products in the solution and boil for several minutes. Rinse with clean water and wipe with a soft, dry cloth.
By type of stones
In order to clean jewelry with stones, determine what type of inserts on your jewelry belong to. Many stones for jewelry are strengthened with glue, so after touching hot water they can fall out.
If jewelry with hard stones (diamond, emerald, sapphire), then the following type of cleaning is recommended:
- Gasoline will help get rid of oily sheen. A product dampened with a soft cloth should be polished.
- Larger stones clean with flour from ash. To do this, simply burn a couple of matches and crush them to make black flour.
- For more severe contamination, use ammonia. Dilute ammonia in water and put jewelry in it.
- Using a simple cleaning solution, gently clean the surface. Make sure the solution is not hot.
- For cleaning stones sold special tools. You can buy them at a jewelry store.
- Products with precious stones are cleaned with cotton swabs dipped in cologne.
- If the cleansing does not produce the desired effect, gasoline and a soft brush will come to the rescue.
Diamond jewelry can be cleaned in the following ways:
- For better cleaning, prepare a paste of the following ingredients: mix crushed chalk with ammonia and gently clean the jewelry. Then rinse the products thoroughly with clean water and dry them.
- Washing the jewelry with a soft brush in a soapy solution, rub with ammonia.
It is advisable to clean every month, only then the stone will sparkle with all the colors of the rainbow.
Jewelry with soft stones must be cleaned more carefully than with hard ones. Soft stones include: pearls, turquoise, amber, coral. Cleaning Methods:
- An alcohol solution is suitable if turquoise or coral is present in the decoration.
- Get special wipes for wiping glasses at optical stores. They will gently clean without damaging the surface structure of the jewelry.
- You can also use soapy water, but do not soak the jewelry.
- Under the ban and the use of brushes with hard bristles, they can scratch the surface of the stone.
Tips
Precious products lose their noble appearance over time, they begin to darken, dust and the remnants of cosmetics accumulate on them. In this case, you can turn to specialists from jewelry workshops, and you can try home cleaning with old proven folk remedies:
- Try to clean your jewelry at least once a month.
- You can clean the accumulated dirt by dipping a cotton swab in an alcohol solution.
- If the stones are glued, then in no case use hot solutions.
- Cleaning with an alcohol solution is suitable for almost all types of gold.
- Hard stones on gold jewelry are cleaned with specially designed means, they do not damage the structure of the stone.
- If soft stones are present, then use small flannel rags, clean them without detergents and pastes, since they have a thin, delicate structure.
For more details on how to quickly and efficiently clean gold with stones, see the next video.