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How to Care for Your Newly Gold Plated Jewelry

Written by Anna Currell
October 2, 2024

Getting your jewelry gold plated adds an extra level of luster, durability, and personality to your favorite pieces. So once you have your newly shiny, beautiful jewelry, how can you ensure that it will stay that way? In this article, we’ll show you how to take care of your newly gold plated jewelry to ensure that it stays in great condition for the long haul. Let’s get into it!

Understanding Gold Plated Jewelry

Before we talk about how to care for it, what is gold plating? Gold plating is the process of fusing a thin layer of gold onto a metal surface. You can gold plate many kinds of jewelry pieces (with a few exceptions of some more delicate or porous surfaces), but the most common type of gold plating is done on sterling silver. 

gold plating service

this silver ring has been gold plated

The difference between solid gold jewelry and gold plated jewelry is that gold plated jewelry will eventually wear away. The coating of gold plating is relatively thin, and with enough time and wear, the piece will need another layer of gold plating. We recommend roughly once or twice per year, depending on the piece, your budget, and the amount of wear your jewelry piece gets. Understanding the nature of gold plated jewelry is helpful, because you’ll have a better baseline for how to care for your jewelry once it’s given that shiny new coating. 

Daily Wear and Care

Let’s take a look at daily wear and care best practices. First, be sure to put on your gold plated jewelry last when you’re getting dressed and ready. We recommend doing this because substances like sunscreen, perfume, and hairspray can build up on jewelry and produce a residue that can erode your jewelry, especially the delicate gold plating. So be sure to do your lotioning, sunscreening, perfuming, and hairspraying before you put on your gold plated pieces, and give your jewelry a gentle wipe down at the end of every day to remove any residue that your jewelry might have accumulated.

how to clean tarnished jewelry plated

Note the difference in this gold-filled bracelet before and after plating.

Another helpful daily tip is to remove your gold plated jewelry before doing any activity that could damage the piece. For instance, you’ll want to take off your gold plated jewelry before hopping in the pool as water can harm your jewelry, or remove it before your weekly pick-up soccer game as it can get caught on clothing.

Another tip is to avoid contact with any harsh chemicals. If you’re replacing the chlorine in your pool or giving your kitchen a thorough scrubbing, be sure to remove your jewelry first. These types of chemicals can eat away at your jewelry and are very harmful. 

When you’re not wearing your jewelry, be sure to use proper storage techniques. We recommend using a cushioned or lined jewelry box to place your pieces in. This allows you to have a designated spot where your jewelry won’t fall, get scratched on a hard surface, or be exposed to moisture or heat. 

Cleaning Your Gold Plated Jewelry

Now that we know how to care for your gold plated jewelry on a daily basis, let’s talk about how and how often to clean your pieces. We recommend the daily wipe-down of your jewelry to prevent residue build up, but it’s also important to do a more thorough cleaning every now and then as well. 

To do this at home, you can use a mild soap (like a dish soap) with warm water to gently clean your jewelry with a soft cloth. Be sure to very thoroughly dry it after, as remaining water can damage the gold plating layer. Beyond this at-home technique, we recommend bringing your jewelry to a professional for a deep cleaning once or twice a year. Jewelers have specialized equipment and training that provides a thorough, safe cleaning. 

cleaning diamond ring with cloth

At home, it’s best to avoid jewelry cleaning kits or ultrasonic cleaners, as some of these tools and solutions can be harmful to your pieces. When in doubt, simple cleaning techniques are usually safer. 

Maintaining the Gold Plating

In order to keep that shiny gold look, it’s important to perform regular inspections. If you notice your gold plated jewelry is looking a little dull, worn, or even more silver than it used to be, it’s probably time to schedule an appointment with your jeweler. Once they take a look, they’ll likely confirm that it’s time for a re-plating. 

When you get your jewelry gold plated you can decide the layer of thickness (measured in microns – the lower the micron, the thinner the layer), which will impact how long the gold plating will last and the cost of the service. While you’re there, don’t forget to tack on a cleaning so your jewelry is in tip-top shape!

Ready to give your jewelry a makeover? Get in touch with our team online. With Quick Jewelry Repairs, you can simply send us your items in the mail — our expert team will gold-plate your pieces and send them back to you in no time.

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