Plated gold

Jewellery can last forever if taken good care of. Luckily, there are several things you can do yourself to care for your jewellery. It all depends on its material properties, as jewellery shouldn’t be cleaned and polished the same way – whether it is solid gold, plated gold, silver, diamonds, gemstones or pearls, each type should be cared for differently. We have collected our best tips and tricks for at home cleaning and polishing of your jewellery.

With plated gold, you should:

1)    Soak the piece in warm water and mild dishwashing soap
Mix two cups of warm water and a few drops of mild dishwashing soap. Put the piece of plated gold jewellery into the water and allow to soak for ten minutes.

2)    Use a Q-tip to remove dirt
Use a Q-tip to remove dirt from small crevices.

3)    Rinse in warm water
When you’ve thoroughly cleaned your gold-plated jewellery, rinse it with warm water.

4)    Dry it
Use a soft cloth to dry the jewellery and gently buff to return its shine.

5)    Preventative measures
With gold-plated jewellery it is important to care for it properly to make sure the plating lasts as long as possible. Follow a few ground rules, and you will extend the longevity of your piece:

a. Always apply perfume, make-up and hairspray before putting on your gold-plated jewellery.
b. Make sure your hands are free from make-up, lotion, hand sanitiser and soil when putting on and taking off your gold-plated jewellery.
c. When exercising, remove your gold-plated jewellery to prevent salts from your sweat damaging your jewellery.
d. Remove your gold-plated jewellery before showering, bathing and swimming in saltwater or chlorinated pools.
e. Remove your gold-plated jewellery when preparing acidic foods.

f. Remove your gold-plated jewellery prior to cleaning with any harsh chemicals.
g. Avoid using a jewellery polishing cloth to clean your plated jewellery - these are designed to polish solid gold or sterling silver jewellery.
h. Store your gold-plated pieces separately to prevent from scratching each other.

Looking to care for a different type of metal or gem? Find more after care guides here.