Damage to the surface can cause precious metal rings, including gold, to lose their attractiveness. Scratches and microscopic defects that create the effect of a matte finish are eliminated using professional means. In special cases, contact specialists for cleaning and polishing. But most often, minor irregularities are smoothed out and eliminated on their own. It is only important to study the instructions on how to polish a gold ring at home. To do this, you can take available means as a basis: products, chemicals.
Why does a gold ring lose its appearance? Why is regular polishing necessary: aesthetics and hygiene
If you constantly polish, this will eventually lead to thinning of the treated area and its deformation (the risk is especially high when polishing yourself). This means that it is important not only to find a suitable method for removing scratches, but also to eliminate the causes of their formation:
- mechanical damage due to impact;
- a natural change in shape at the slightest pressure is a manifestation of the low quality of the ring;
- improper use: jewelry is not removed before taking a bath, playing sports, cooking, etc., and microdamages are intensively formed.
How to clean white gold
Caution: Do not expose white gold jewelry to acids for long periods of time. This may cause one of the metals combined with the gold to turn black. Chlorine creates a weak acid when mixed with water and is often found in tap water. If you are unsure about the absence of chlorine in your tap water, buy a bottle of distilled water to wash your white gold.
- Before cleaning white gold, inspect the jewelry thoroughly for damage. Look for loose gems, damaged attachments, check clasps, hooks and loops, etc. Do not start cleaning if any part of the jewelry may fall off.
- Fill a small bowl with warm distilled water, add a few drops of detergent and mix well with the water. If it is heavily soiled, immerse the jewelry in water for 10-15 minutes.
- Take a soft toothbrush, dip it in soapy water, and gently brush your white gold piece. Be careful around set gemstones in rings and earrings. If the bristles get caught between the stone and the jewelry, you may unintentionally pull it. Just be careful and everything will be fine.
- Rinse your white gold jewelry with clean, distilled water, then buff dry with a soft, clean microfiber cloth.
How to Clean White Gold with Baking Soda
- In a small bowl, mix enough distilled water with baking soda to create a thick paste.
- Apply a small amount of the paste to a soft toothbrush and gently brush your white gold jewelry. Be careful not to rub other metals or stones - they can be soft and scratch easily. Be careful to continue cleaning the white gold only long enough to remove dirt and stains to preserve the thin rhodium plating.
- Rinse the jewelry in a bowl of warm, distilled water.
How to disinfect white gold
If you have white gold jewelry, such as a ring, that doesn't have any stones or other metals in it, it can be safely boiled in water for a few minutes. Place in a soft bag, or place a rag on the bottom of the pan (to avoid scratches from contact with it). Alternatively, for jewelry with stones or other delicate parts, isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) can be used. Gently rub it over your white gold jewelry.
How not to clean white gold
Before cleaning white gold, carefully read the instructions for the cleaning product. Some medications contain ammonia . Which can be used to clean white gold. But it cannot be left on the metal for a long time. Because this may damage the thin coating.
Polishing options: professional or DIY
Before choosing a method for removing scratches, you should consider the available options:
- professional grinding: carried out in the workshop and in departments at jewelry stores; special equipment and products (pastes, solutions) are used to restore products;
- removing scratches yourself: it will not cost much, but it is not always possible to obtain accurate information about the composition of gold, which will certainly affect the result; in addition, there is no guarantee that the surface will be smooth (indentations may form if the product is exposed unevenly).
Polishing and related problems
The biggest problem with polishing is that the process wears out your jewelry. Indeed, during the polishing process, only a small amount of metal is removed from the surface of the product, and one procedure will not greatly harm the product. However, after several treatments, this effect accumulates and the structure of your jewelry becomes weaker.
kaboompics/Pixabay
Polishing a gold ring at home. Main stages
If a gold ring or ring needs to be polished, the “front” of the work should be determined. Stages:
- preparatory work: mix the active components, the resulting solution is used to soak gold rings, this allows you to partially remove dirt and remove darkened areas;
- grinding – smoothing the surface of gold;
- additional mechanical cleaning.
Polishing a gold ring
Why is polishing needed?
Basically, there are several reasons why you need to polish periodically:
- Firstly, this is required by aesthetics, because dregs in the ring or blackening in the earrings, as well as stains that spoil the entire appearance of the chain, do not look aesthetically pleasing.
- Secondly, without polishing, your ring will be a good haven for pathogenic bacteria. In such an environment they can reproduce especially quickly. This results in an acute allergic reaction, and sometimes symptoms associated with intestinal diseases.
Before polishing your jewelry, learn how to clean gold with stones at home.
Pre-soak in cleaning solution. Popular recipes
As a rule, polishing gold begins with preparing the material. To soak the ring before further polishing, prepare a liquid product; you can use available ingredients:
- soap solution: the detergent is dissolved in water, after which you need to leave the ring in the container for soaking, the duration of this procedure is 2 hours;
- soda solution: to further polish the decoration, leave it overnight in a container covered with foil, fill it with liquid (1 glass of warm water, 2 tablespoons of soda);
- saline solution: 125 ml water, 3 tbsp. l. fine-grained salt (sea and coarse-grained - strong abrasives), so that the ring shines, it is left overnight in such a liquid, after which it is washed and the moisture is removed;
- sugar solution: the scratched rings are first left overnight in a sweetened solution (take 2 tablespoons of sugar, 250 ml of water), then rinsed under the tap, proceed to the next stage of polishing;
- solution with vinegar or lemon juice: any acid can be used, but this method can be used at home to clean products without stones, white vinegar (125 ml) will help soften the effect of the product, mix it with soda (2 tbsp.), soak in the working solution ring, but you will need to rinse it after 3 hours;
- solution with onion juice: you need to prepare a product based on the juice of 1 onion and 2 tbsp. l. water, jewelry (chains, rings, etc.) are soaked in it for 3 hours;
- “Coca-Cola”: take the drink undiluted, leave the gold items in the container for 2-3 hours;
- hyposulfite solution: the substance removes dirt in 15 minutes, just mix 1 tbsp. l. products and 250 ml of water;
- a mixture of peroxide, ammonia, soda and chalk: these components are taken in a ratio of 2:2:1:1, the solution is suitable for cleaning a ring without stones, because it acts aggressively, this feature does not allow you to leave jewelry in the product for a long time, it is enough to soak 5 minutes.
Stages of cleaning jewelry made of precious metals
Of course, you can polish a silver ring at home, but this is just one of the stages of caring for your jewelry. You shouldn’t start polishing right away: the effect will be minimal.
Home care for neglected jewelry made of precious metals looks something like this:
- Pre-soaking. Prepare a soap solution. To do this, add a little shampoo, dishwashing liquid or grated soap to hot water and foam the fraction. You can leave the ring in the soapy solution even for the whole night - nothing will happen to it. The main contaminants should come off.
- Cleaning. If the ring is very neglected, then dirt and darkening will not leave the surface after soaking. You can soak the ring in an ammonia solution (half a teaspoon of ammonia in half a liter of water), Coca-Cola, lemon juice, table vinegar, and so on. A radical way is to line a pan with aluminum foil, add decorations, throw in a spoonful of baking soda, add water and boil. But be careful with rings with inserts, especially pearls!
- Polishing. No matter what they tell you, polishing is always a mechanical process: no chemicals will work here without physical effort. Polishing a wedding ring actually involves rubbing it (with a special cloth, with or without the use of a polishing compound).
No amount of home polishing can remove deep scratches from jewelry: this will require sanding. And you definitely shouldn’t polish jewelry yourself: 99 out of 100 chances are that you will still contact a workshop later. Moreover, after weighing the jewelry, you will be very upset: rough artisanal polishing not only spoils the surface of the product, but also reduces its weight.
Never follow “smart” advice from the Internet, and do not use abrasives such as sandpaper, a whetstone or a nail file. Even a toothbrush (only a soft one!) needs to be handled with extreme care.
Gentle polishing of the ring
Jewelry with stones should not be intensively polished. If products contain natural inserts, polishing can lead to their deformation. As a result, the fastenings become loose. This can cause stone loss over time.
Polishing the ring
Important: Polishing is carried out only with a soft cloth and extremely carefully - such recommendations are given if you plan to polish products inlaid with stones, or with a minimum amount of impurities in the composition (for high-quality jewelry).
Toothpaste, talc
It is necessary to prepare a lint-free rag; the material must be soft, durable, and smooth. Apply a small amount of toothpaste or talcum powder to a rag and treat the ring. Movements should be soft and should be done without pressure. Talc can be mixed with a small amount of ammonia. The resulting paste is used for polishing gold, but for stones it is better to use toothpaste without abrasives, additives, or dyes.
Applying a mixture of toothpaste and talcum powder
Hygienic lipstick, powder
A small amount of the product is applied to a microfiber cloth or other lint-free material. Polishing in this way will restore the shine, but will not remove scratches. Used to eliminate microdamages.
Professional paste GOI, polishing cloths
GOI paste is a universal product that is best used for polishing the metal part of jewelry. There are varieties: No. 1-4. The choice of option is made taking into account the degree of complexity of the damage. At the initial stage, use product No. 4, then gradually reduce the grain size - the product is exposed to paste No. 3, and then No. 1, 2.
GOI paste
Special napkins for polishing are also used. Such products are most often double-sided and are used for cleaning and polishing. It is recommended to use such wipes when the dry polishing method is chosen. You can buy them and polish them yourself.
How to clean gold jewelry with stones
Be especially careful with such jewelry. Remember that some gemstones require special care. For example, opal, turquoise or malachite can be scratched by abrasives, so forget about tooth powder, baking soda or salt. Ruby, garnet and topaz are sensitive to high temperatures and should not be washed with hot water. And amber, pearls, coral or ivory really do not like acids, alkalis and solvents - it is better to entrust cleaning to specialists.
If you are confident in your abilities, use the following methods for cleaning gold jewelry with stones:
- Alcohol . Moisten a cotton swab with an alcohol-containing liquid (strong alcohol, cologne or alcohol lotion will do). Gently wipe the jewelry to remove grease and other contaminants.
- Gasoline . Dampen an unnecessary soft toothbrush with it and treat the gold item. The fine bristles are great for removing dirt from hard-to-reach places.
Tips on how to maintain the shine of a product for a long time
To prevent scratches on a gold ring from appearing again, it is recommended to follow the rules for handling jewelry:
- rings must be removed before washing dishes or doing other housework;
- Before taking a bath and while playing sports, jewelry is removed;
- Do not use cosmetics without removing the ring.
Polished gold ring with diamonds
How to properly store products
Experts give some tips on how to care for diamonds and preserve their beauty for a long time:
- Diamond jewelry should be stored in closed, dry boxes , since high humidity negatively affects the condition of the stone itself. If you keep jewelry in the bathroom, it's best to move it to a safer place to avoid accidentally dropping it on a hard surface.
- Diamonds are best kept away from sunlight and not worn in hot weather. Excessively dry and hot air, combined with the brightness of the sun, can cause clouding of the mineral, so the stone needs darkness.
- It is important to treat jewelry with respect and not wear it while playing sports or cleaning the house . It is best to wear stones only at special moments, then you will have to clean them much less often.
Category: questions and answers
How to polish grandma's old ring?
Expert opinion
Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich
Jeweler 6th category
Antique products are covered with hardened plaque and fatty components, which enhances the antique effect, but they need to be removed. To do this, use the method of soaking in a mild solution. Then carefully remove dirt with a soft toothbrush. If there is a stone on the ring, this method will not work; non-abrasive products are used. Instead of a brush, use a polishing cloth.
After professional polishing, I saw that the white ring had turned yellow in places. From what?
Expert opinion
Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich
Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop
If white jewelry loses color not before, but after polishing, the reason may be the removal of the rhodium layer. This is a common practice: to remove scratches, the protective layer is removed. It can be restored, but most craftsmen charge an additional fee for such work.
How much does polishing cost?
Expert opinion
Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich
Jeweler 6th category
The price of the service for restoring the properties of gold varies depending on a number of parameters: the size of the ring, the presence of stones, the method of their attachment, the type of protective coating, the degree of damage to the metal. For this reason, workshops usually provide average prices (200-1000 rubles or more, it also depends on the level of the workshop and region). The exact cost must be clarified on the spot; it will be announced after inspecting the ring.
How to polish a gold ring from scratches at home using improvised means?
Expert opinion
Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich
Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop
They use different methods: powder, talc, tooth powder and paste, as well as special napkins and GOI paste. The choice of option is made taking into account the sample of the metal and the presence of stones. As a rule, fine-grained substances are used to smooth the surface of the gold, and the stones are cleaned with liquid products, woven material and pastes that do not contain abrasives or acids.
How not to clean gold
When choosing a popular way to clean jewelry, you need to start from the state in which the accessory is currently in, namely:
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Remember that any mechanical impact must be delicate: rough movement can lead to deformation or even breakage of the smallest fastening elements.
When starting to cleanse, do not forget that gold items require careful treatment, which means that abrasive substances and toxic chemical mixtures must be completely excluded!
If the gold ring has a stone insert, then information is needed about how this stone reacts to the chemical components of the cleansing mixture. Even a substance such as soda, used in dry form, can cause damage. If the stone initially has scratches, then such cleaning can enlarge them and make them more noticeable.
If a ring or brooch is decorated with stones (for example, cubic zirconia), it is better to avoid contact with such aggressive substances as:
If you have doubts about the choice of cleaning method and active substance, it is better to use professional products: special pastes or liquids that are applied with a cotton pad.
How to clean gold with stones at home: dos and don’ts, list of products depending on the stone
If you have a diamond of several carats in your jewelry chest, then, of course, it is better to take it to a jeweler for cleaning. But what to do if you urgently need to put on gold earrings with diamonds or a ring, and it needs cleaning?
Expert opinion
Ekaterina Korneva, expert in the field of care, cleanliness and beauty
I will help you understand all the intricacies.
Do not boil white gold jewelry if it contains other metals or precious stones. As a rule, liquid products or crushed soap are used, previously dissolved in warm water. 8 Tips How and What to Clean White Gold? For any questions, please contact me, I will be happy to answer!
Pros and cons of professional polishing: jeweler, electrochemical and ultrasonic cleaning
Pros of professional cleaning:
- high efficiency, because special equipment and professional line products are used;
- restoration of various products, including those requiring care: diamonds, pearls, agate, etc.
- the composition of gold is taken into account when working with it, which allows you to preserve the properties of the polished metal and prevent the development of negative processes;
- the ability to restore the product in a short time.
Reviews
I have a friend who is a jeweler and I constantly ask for advice. From the latter: he told me that soap is not such a safe method, because it leaves an invisible film on the product, it needs to be washed thoroughly. Now I try to use the mildest products (for example, toothpaste, without additives).
Nastya Grineva, Beloretsk
Maria Dubtsova, Krasnodar
Cleaning gold with my lipstick. If on the road I find that the ring has turned pale, I immediately take out a napkin. I apply lipstick and rub the jewelry with this product. I do this regularly, and therefore I don’t have to put in too much effort to restore the attractiveness of the ring.
I didn't like the effect after using salt. The ring seemed to have become cloudy. But I found a mistake - I didn’t leave it in the solution, and apparently scratched it when I rubbed it. I had to take it to the workshop for polishing.
Nastya Rybina, Tula
How to clean gold: yellow and red
Is it possible to clean gold at home to make it shine like new? Quite. Moreover, even simple improvised means will help restore gold to its original shine. There are separate recommendations for each type of gold. Below are methods for yellow and red decorations.
Peroxide
Peculiarity. A gold cleaning solution based on hydrogen peroxide will help effectively remove grease stains and slow down the oxidation process.
What you will need:
- 3% hydrogen peroxide – 30 ml;
- water – 250 ml;
- liquid soap;
- ammonia - one small spoon.
Sequencing
- Pour hot water into a ceramic or plastic cup and add the remaining ingredients.
- Dip the chain rings into the solution.
- Leave for 15 minutes.
- Rinse jewelry in clean water.
- Dry gently using a towel or paper napkin.
Foil and soda
Peculiarities. This procedure takes 8-12 hours. But this method can add shine to gold and quickly remove dark deposits.
What you will need:
- water – 250 ml;
- a piece of foil for baking;
- baking soda - one and a half large spoons.
Sequencing
- Wrap the inside of a ceramic bowl with foil and place jewelry on top.
- The cleaning solution must be hot, so you need to heat the water and add baking soda in advance.
- Pour the resulting composition into gold.
- Leave until morning.
- Rinse in clean water and dry using a towel or paper napkin.
