How To Keep Gold Jewellery Clean

There's a lot of advice out there on the care and maintenance of silver jewellery, which has a tendency to tarnish and oxidise if not regularly worn—but what about gold? Read on to learn a little more about how to care for this glittering precious metal, along with a few tricks of the trade recommended by many jewellers.

Take your gold for an MOT every year or two.

Most good jewellers will offer some kind of 'MOT' service; a way for you to take your jewellery in, preferably every couple of years, to be checked over. Your jeweller will alert you to any potential issues, and quote you the cost of having them fixed. They'll also be able to make basic repairs, such as dealing with any loose parts or buffing out surface scratches. Your pieces will also all get a professional deep clean, and come back to you as good as new.

Store your jewels properly, and wear them right.

It's often been said that your jewellery should be the last thing you put on in the morning and the first thing you take off at night, and there's a lot of wisdom to that. Doing otherwise can lead to your metals and jewels becoming caked in makeup, damaged by perfume, tangled in hairbrushes and caught on clothes—so it's definitely best to avoid it!

When you do take it off, make sure it's stored properly. Separated on velvet trays is best, though hanging storage systems can also be a great choice. Just don't fall into the trap presented by most traditional jewellery boxes—they're a nightmare for tangling and can lead to various problems if jewellery is stored in them long-term.

Clean all your gold regularly, especially if you wear it daily.

While a professional deep clean is important, there are plenty of ways you can top it up in between times at home. You don't need harsh, costly chemical cleaners, either; an overnight soak in two parts washing up liquid in ten parts warm water followed by a thorough manual scrub with a toothbrush and being left somewhere safe to dry works just as well and won't damage any of your stones or settings. This is doubly important for gold you wear on a daily basis; not only will the jewellery become dirty faster, but it can also begin to harbour germs and bacteria if not properly seen to.