How to Clean and Maintain Gold Jewellery at Home: A Complete Guide

Gold has been more than mere metal in Kerala. The gold jewelry is stored in small velvet cases handed over from generation to generation and worn on significant occasions in an individual’s lifetime. A Palakka Mala that your grandmother wore before or bangles worn on your wedding day – it’s not just a piece of metal, but a piece of memory. This makes the idea of leaving them scratched or dirty, even for a while, seem like betrayal.

Maintaining your gold jewelry doesn’t mean making frequent visits to the jewelry shop. With the right approach and ingredients found at home, you can easily take care of your precious gold jewelry and preserve the shine of the Best Gold Jewellery in Kerala.

Why Gold lose its shine?

Pure gold never loses its shine, but the gold we buy from the jewelry is an alloy containing traces of copper & silver. The 18 & 22 karat gold, which is a mixture containing copper or silver reacts with the sweat, perfume, soap residue, air, etc. which ultimately results in the fading of the jewelry. With this kind of reaction, over time, a thin film develops over the surface, this is the reason behind the loss of luster. It not a problem, just an accumulation of the byproducts after the reaction, it can be removed easily with simple measures.

Let's look at some of the easy measures for applying in a similar situation

The Soap and Water Method

It works on most basic gold jewelry items like chains, earrings, simple bracelets, and rings. Use lukewarm water and add some dish soap to a bowl. Put your jewelry inside for 10-15 minutes. After that, get yourself a baby toothbrush with soft bristles and clean your jewelry thoroughly, making sure that you focus on grooves and places behind stones where dirt accumulates. Rinse it with cool water and dry using towel. Don’t let gold sit alone to dry since the moisture trapped in it is what creates problems in the long run.

For Heavier Pieces, Traditional Sets.

Delicate items such as Kasu Mala, Lakshmi Haram, or Jhumkas require somewhat delicate handling. More complex designs mean more crevices where water might remain. Use the same soap mixture but rather than scrubbing, dip a soft cotton swab and use gentle rubbing motions on these complex sections. Soaking is never recommended with Indian jewelry. Once cleaned, place the item on a towel and allow it to dry completely in an open space. Direct exposure to sunlight is highly discouraged. A final light polishing with a dry jewelry cloth will restore its luster.

The Tamarind Method

Heavy pieces can be cleaned and restored to their original shine by using a mixture of tamarind and a bit of dish soap. Initially, the piece must be rubbed with a damp cloth. Lightly boil the water with a piece of tamarind and a bit of dish soap while boiling the water, simmer the fire and keep it lightly boiling. Put the Piece of jewelry into the water and keep it for a while, place it there for a time range between 5-10 minutes. You can make your jewelry look like brand new after this process.

Things You Should Never Do

Several widely used household treatments do more harm than good. One such product is toothpaste, which can create small scratches that eventually cause the gold item to lose its shine due to its abrasive content. Another harmful treatment is the use of bleach or chlorine, both of which are highly corrosive to gold alloys and it should not come into contact with your jewelry at all. Another cleaning technique that may appear convenient is ultrasonic cleaning, but this is only effective when used correctly and only on the right materials. This technique may damage some stones. It needs professional assistance too.

The Right Way to Store Gold

But cleaning isn’t the whole story. Storage is equally important. Gold shouldn’t be stored amidst other kinds of metals – gold chains will get tangled, while harder metals can scratch softer ones. It’s important to have a separate soft bag or an inner fabric-lined section for each piece of jewelry. It’s best not to store jewelry near places where there’s humidity. The most easily accessible place to do so would be the bathroom. But that’s the absolute worst place for your jewelry. Keeping it in a drawer in the bedroom or in a special box there would be more preferable. The box itself should contain silica gel bags. If one wears their jewelry every day, there’s a useful tip that could come in handy. You should put on your jewelry last. Only after makeup, hair products and perfume.

When to Seek Professional Help

Your home care technique will help keep your jewellery sparkling and beautiful, but it cannot replace a professional cleaning done by a jeweller at least once or twice per year. Your jeweller will be able to inspect the strength of the prongs, identify any fine cracks in the metal or gems, polish the jewellery and give it a thorough ultrasonic cleaning that is calibrated to the particular stone and metal.

Rajakumari Gold and Diamonds provides guaranteed lifetime maintenance for all our jewellery pieces. Our promise is part of our dedication to every single one of our customers. Whether you purchase a stunning necklace from our bridal range or an elegant piece of everyday jewelry, we guarantee the best service and competitive pricing which any other jewellery in Kerala can’t match.

A Brief Note to Keep in Mind

Take off your gold before entering the pool as well as in the seawater. Take off your jewelry before going to the gym or while doing any other intense physical activities, because sweat is potent for reacting with the alloys in the gold, ultimately leading to discoloration. If your jewelry is set with stones, be cautious around liquids, as some stones absorb chemicals and liquids.