Products of gold at all times enjoyed great popularity. In itself, gold in its pure form is a noble, but very soft and brittle metal. Therefore, to produce jewelry and other gold products, silver, nickel, and copper are added to the alloy. The sample that stands on the product indicates the amount of milligrams of pure gold per gram of product. The higher the sample, the more gold in the alloy. Pure gold is not corroded, but because of the added metals, decorations can darken and become bloomy. That's why lovers of gold jewelry need to be able to clean gold at home, and know the rules of storage of products.
Before you clean gold, you need to consult a specialist, or to learn the technology of cleaning gold. In addition to modern tools, there are many old recipes and information on how to clean jewelry.
Cleaning of gold at home
An experienced specialist can easily select a tool for cleaning gold, depending on the type of contamination. In order to clean gold at home, it may be necessary to select the product experimentally. Depending on the metals added to the alloy, a different coating appears on the ornaments. Green or black plaque formed by copper can be removed with ammonia, and sulfide compounds are removed only by abrasive substances. Any strong remedy can damage the surface of the product, so only special soft powders should be used. Before you clean gold, if possible, remove from the product precious stones, pendants, as chemicals and compounds can destroy them. To clean jewelry, you can use only a soft flannel fabric, a stiff cloth will damage the top layer. After cleaning the gold, it is important to dry the products well - the remaining moisture can provoke an oxidative process that will lead to a rapid darkening and formation of plaque.
Recommendations for cleaning gold jewelry:
- How to clean the gold of a low sample. If the sample is less than 583, then the decoration can be cleaned with a solution of 3-4 drops of ammonia and a detergent containing no bleaching substances.
- How to clean gold from sulphide compounds. Used pastes made from powders of white magnesia, trepel, corundum, chalk, mixed with vaseline, soap water or vegetable oil.
- Cleaning of gold with ammonia. Clean ammonia at home with ammonia. One glass of water takes 0.5 teaspoon of ammonia. The product is lowered into this solution, after cleansing rinsed with clean water and wiped. For jewelry with precious stones, a glass of water is taken with 6 drops of alcohol. For highly contaminated articles, ammonia is mixed with a soap solution.
- How to clean gold with precious stones. Before you clean jewelry, with precious stones that you can not take off for cleaning, or inserts from other metals, contact the jeweler to pick up a tool suitable for all the items in the product. Remember that improperly chosen means can ruin the decoration - many stones can not be exposed to chemicals.
- How to clean the gold chain. The thinner the product, the more carefully it is necessary to select the cleaning method. It is better to avoid methods that require physical action, and use soft liquid solutions.
- How to clean a chain with a pendant. If you can not remove the pendant, then use a liquid cleaning compound. Put the chain in the solution, leaving the part with the pendant on the surface. When part of the product is cleaned, move the pendant and immerse the uncleaned part of the chain into the solution.
- How to clean the ring. Since the rings are most exposed to various substances, then they need to be cleaned more often. For cleaning, it is better to choose a gentle light method to avoid damage. If the ring with a stone, the frame must be cleaned very carefully, you can not use sharp objects. It is best to use a cotton swab moistened with glycerin or a mixture of ammonia and magnesia.
And here are some folk methods how to clean gold:
- mixture of egg white and beer, apply to a flannel napkin and wipe the product;
- bring to a boil 2 cups of water in an aluminum saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of soda and boil. In a cooled solution, place the product for 1 hour. After that, rinse with clean water and dry;
- 1 teaspoon of hyposulfite to dissolve in a glass of water for 15 minutes. Products made of gold need to be washed in a solution and dried;
- often to clean gold jewelry use a liquid dishwashing liquid. The substances entering into its composition remove the contaminants, but at the same time they can damage the metal.
Store precious products in a tightly closed case with a velvet lining, so they do not lose shine and do not oxidize. At night, remove all ornaments, especially rings. Long exposure to gold can be harmful to your health. When removing ornaments, wipe them with a flannel napkin. Avoid contact with water, detergents, creams, cosmetics and other chemicals. Purge the gold as necessary, do not allow the formation of strong raids. Use sparing substances or proven old recipes in order to give the products a shine, and then your jewelry will always be beautiful and elegant.