Saturday, July 13, 2013

Proper Care For Gold Plated Jewelry

By Jensen Carlyle


Since a set of pure gold accessories is very expensive, you may have thought of getting gold-plated ones as a substitute. Being made up of a good base metal covered with a thin layer of gold, an item of this kind can really make you shine for the night. However, the issue with gold-plated accessory is that, they lose shine as time goes by. If you have no idea on how to take care of the item, the golden layer may only last in a few weeks. To prevent this from happening, you must learn everything about how to give proper care for gold-plated jewelry.

Keeping it Away from Fading

Once you have received the gold-plated accessories, it is important to start taking care of them immediately. Leaving them on areas that will expose them to harmful elements can cause tarnishing or dullness. Place them inside a clean and dry jewelry box lined with velvet. You can wrap it in a soft cloth or seal-able plastic before storing the gold-plated items inside. While wearing the accessory, avoid bumps and scratches that will cause fading of the gold layer.

Dirt and dust accumulation on the surface of your accessory can result to tarnishing. Wipe your jewelry with a damp cloth but don't overdo it. If you don't have a jewelry box at home, you can use a sealable plastic as storage of the gold-plated accessory. If you bought a set, keep them away from each other to avoid scratches. Make sure that there is no excess air inside the plastic before sealing it off.

Cleaning and Buffing

Dirt and other elements can cause tarnishing on gold-plated items. Keep your accessories safe from it from cleaning it whenever you see that dirt are starting to get stuck on the surface, edges and on the engraved parts. You would need a tooth brush and a gentle hand soap or dishwashing detergent to clean and eliminate the dirt on different parts of the accessory. Dry the item on its own or make use of a paper towel.

To revive the shine of your gold-plated jewelry, buff it with a jeweler's cloth or soft microfiber cloth. Do not use too much elbow grease as it will cause the gold to flake off. If the results given to you by cleaning and buffing are not good, make use of a gold plating kit to renew its shine. You can also bring the accessories to your local jeweler if the plating had started to worn off. They can replace the gold layer bringing back its brand new form.




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