- Causes of pollution and tarnish of gold
- General rules for jewelry care
- Tools for cleaning gold and diamonds
Not everything is gold that glitters. But in our case, I want gold ornaments to shine, adding an image of celebration. And if you are also a happy owner of gold jewelry with diamonds, then the success of men and the envy of women - your eternal companions. However, even such beauty can dim in time. Therefore, it is important to know how to clean gold with diamonds at home, so as not to rush headlong into the jewelry store every time a darkening appears on the rim or the stone fades.
to the contents ↑Causes of dirt and tarnish of gold
Everyone who taught chemistry at school remembers that gold is a soft metal. If the jewelery was made of the highest grade gold, then we could not wear these products for a long time, because they would deform even from the slightest finger tap. To make this metal firmer, silver, copper and other metals are added to the alloy.
However, along with hardness, there is a tendency to aging and tarnishing, because under the influence of the environment the alloy undergoes changes:
- Gold products are constantly in contact with our skin, through the sebaceous glands of which sweat and fat are released.
- Also they can get creams and decorative cosmetics, perfumes, which we actively use every day.
- The city smog and dust leave its mark.
All these factors are aging gold, lead to its dullness, and diamonds turn into muddy pebbles. Do not despair, every problem has its own solution. By following some rules, you can easily clean gold with diamonds at home.
to the contents ↑General rules for the care of jewelry
In order for your jewelry to always look perfect, you need to properly store, carry and care for them.
High temperature:
- Gold and diamond products are not desirable to be worn in hot weather.
- Do not forget to take off your jewelry before going to the sauna or sauna.
- Remove rings when washing hands or dishes with hot water.
Important! The heat makes any material dull. For the same reason, do not leave your jewelry under the influence of direct sunlight, then you will rarely have to clean gold with diamonds at home .
Professional jewelry cleaning
Even with a very careful attitude and regular home cleaning, at least once a half a year, a product with diamonds should be shown to a specialist. If necessary, he will strengthen the stones, check the decorations for scratches, damage, with the help of ultrasonic cleaning will remove dirt and oxide.
Gentle cleaning
All gems, especially diamonds, are very sensitive to fatty contamination, so try not to touch the surface of the stones with your fingers. Even to clean diamond jewelry you need in cloth gloves, during this process use a soft cloth for wet cleaning and velvet - for dry.
Important! In no case to clean jewelry do not use aggressive abrasive agents. Solutions should be performed only on the basis of warm water, because a hot liquid will cause irreversible turbidity of your products.
Features of cleaning white gold
White gold is not only expensive and beautiful, but at the moment and very stylish decoration. It is an alloy of gold, in which palladium, platinum or nickel is added. To make it more resistant, products from this alloy are covered with rhodium.
Owners of such ornaments often wonder how to clean white gold with diamonds at home. We hasten to please them - there are no special rules. Follow the recommendations for cleaning ordinary gold with diamonds, the procedure is carried out at least once a month.
Jewelry Storage:
- Jewelry should be stored in light-proof boxes with a soft, preferably velvet backing.
- Rings with diamonds are recommended to be stored in separate cells each.
- For necklaces and diadems, select a separate box.
- Necklaces or bracelets can be wrapped in velvet fabric, previously unbuttoned.
Tools for cleaning gold and diamonds
There are many "grandmother" ways to clean diamonds in gold at home.
Soft cloth or napkin
This is the easiest and most affordable way. Within 5-10 minutes, wipe the gold piece with a piece of soft cloth like felt, fleece to shine.
Important! If you do this regularly, then you may not need other methods.
Soapy solution
Old dirt can not be cleaned with a cloth only. Add soap or dishwashing gel to warm water. In this solution, soak the gold for 1-2 hours. When the dirt becomes soft, use an old toothbrush to gently clean the product and dry it with a soft cloth.
Soda solution
This method is only suitable for products without stones:
- Add one tablespoon of soda to a glass of water.
- Fold in this liquid ornaments and boil them for several minutes.
- Then brush, rinse with water and dry.
Important! To rub the products with soda, and even with the addition of vinegar, it is impossible: soda scratches the surface, and acetic acid will spoil your stones and metal alloy.
Sweet water
Another unusual but effective way to clean gold with diamonds at home:
- A tablespoon of sugar dissolve in one glass of water.
- Soak the jewelry in this solution for four hours, make sure that the gold is completely covered with liquid.
Important! With this simple method you can get rid of the usual fat and dust. Only do not forget to rinse thoroughly afterwards with running water so that the products do not remain sticky.
Tooth Powder and Paste
These simple oral hygiene products are available in any bathroom. They contain light abrasives that will cope with the metal pollution. Particularly good toothpaste, because it contains foaming elements that soften the effect of abrasive.
With an old toothbrush with soft bristles, apply the paste on the gold and gently clean it. The cleaning process will take you 10-15 minutes.
Important! It is not recommended to use products that have colored grainy pigments.
Peroxide and ammonia
These remedies helped us more than once when we needed to remove contamination from any surfaces at home:
- To prepare the solution, we need a glass of water, 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, 3 teaspoons of ammonia, a few drops of liquid soap.
- Mix everything thoroughly.
Important! Recall that the dishes should be enameled or glass.
- Leave the gold in the obtained substance for a couple of hours. Ammonia and peroxide react chemically with oxides, so very old dirt and oxide film are removed from the surface of gold, which includes copper and silver.
Important! This wonderful tool is suitable only for products without stones.
Onion juice
When you cook a borsch or cut a salad, you can at the same time clean your jewelry:
- Cut the bulb in half and thoroughly rub the surface of the product.
- Gold in this condition, leave for 2-3 hours.
During this time, the juice will have a good effect on the contamination - it will dissolve them. You will only have to rinse under running water and dry it.
Coca-Cola
Legendary drink! He saves us with stomach disorders, helps with a hangover, irreplaceable at home for cleaning rust, getting rid of blood stains. No less effective is Coca-Cola and when cleaning gold:
- Pour the decorations with a drink for half an hour.
- Then rinse and wipe dry with a soft cloth.
Hyposulfite and borax solution
For strong soiling, it is necessary to use tetraborate sodium five-water or a solution of borax jewelry.
Important! Buy it can be in jewelry stores and workshops, as well as in hardware stores with the label "Poison for cockroaches."It is often found in pharmacies mixed with glycerin.
How to use:
Wash the cotton swab with a liquid brown and gently rub the surface of the decoration. Rinse with water and dry with a piece of cloth.
For long-lasting impurities, sodium thiosulfate can also be used, it is also a hyposulfite. This substance perfectly copes even with old stains from iodine.
Important! Inexpensive means, which can be bought in a pharmacy or photo shops.
Method of use to clean gold with diamonds at home:
- Prepare a solution of 200 ml of water and one teaspoon of hyposulfite.
- Jewelry from gold and diamonds immerse for 20-25 minutes.
- Clean the surface on the inside and outside with a brush with a soft bristle.
- Rinse in a mild soapy solution and then under running water.
Ammonium alcohol
Ammonium alcohol or ammonia is a fairly cheap and common drug that is sold over the counter in a pharmacy. In case of heavy dirt, lower the product into the solution for 15 minutes.
Important! When preparing a solution of ammonia with water, a ratio of 1: 1 is recommended. For more delicate cleaning of products with diamonds on one glass of water, add 8-10 drops of ammonia. Leave decorations in this solution for 2 hours, then rinse thoroughly in soapy water and under running water.
Lipstick
During our life we eat 8 kg of lipstick, and men even more. We offer you lipstick from the "culinary delicacy" to turn into a cleaner. In the cosmetic bag, every woman will have a tube, which will not be a pity to spend on cleaning her ornaments.
The fact is that this wonderful cosmetic product includes titanium dioxide, which removes stains and blackness and can bring your gold decoration to perfection no worse than any jeweler.
How to use:
- Apply a small amount of lipstick on the cotton pad.
- With gentle movements, wipe the surface of the product.
This will make your ring and earrings shine, attracting "lipstick eaters".
Carrying out the above rules, you will not only keep the look of your jewelry, but avoid unnecessary costs for expensive professional services of jewelers. Gold and diamond jewelry will shine, emphasizing your taste and irresistibility, and will also be a profitable investment that you can pass on to your children and even grandchildren.