How to clean a gold diamond ring at home?

How to quickly clean diamond rings and earrings at home

But sometimes there is simply no time for delicate cleaning methods and the question arises of how to clean diamond jewelry at home quickly. In this case, ordinary lipstick will come to the rescue, it contains titanium dioxide, which will perfectly cope with tarnishing, darkening, and stains. Lipstick must be applied to the decoration, rub the entire surface with a piece of soft cloth, and then remove without using water. Then rinse the jewelry in warm water and wipe dry, lightly polishing it.

This express method is suitable for jewelry of simple design, which does not use complex types of stone fixing, engraving or embossing. For example, for “smooth” rings encrusted with medium-sized stones, but cleaning gold earrings with diamonds, as a rule, is difficult with lipstick - removing a layer of lipstick from a fastener of any shape is very problematic. To keep them in top condition, the earrings are best cleaned with a solution.

How to store products correctly

Experts give some tips on how to care for diamonds and preserve their beauty for a long time:

You need to store diamond jewelry in closed dry boxes, as high humidity adversely affects the condition of the stone itself. If you keep your jewelry in the bathroom, it is best to move it to a safer place to avoid accidentally dropping it on a hard surface.

Diamonds are best stored 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 be respectful of jewelry 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.

Features of white gold cleaning

Caring for white gold should be extra careful

All of the above methods also answer the question of how to clean white gold. The only thing worth clarifying is that this metal is an alloy of several metals, some of which are more valuable than traditional gold. And it requires even more delicate handling. Despite the protective coating, most often produced using rhodium, white gold is very soft and the coating wears off over time. So the more carefully you treat such products, the longer they will retain their exquisite decorative look. Do not use abrasive products to clean jewelry. These are various cleaning powders, hard and / or metal brushes, it is undesirable to use even a hard cloth.

How to make gold jewelery shine? You can also use the “home” method to give jewelry that has been cleaned of grease, plaque and other contaminants a particularly attractive shine. You will need 2-3 teaspoons of sugar, 200 grams of water and a suitable container. Decorations are placed in a solution of water and sugar for 12-15 hours (most conveniently - at night), then rinsed with water and rubbed with velvet. The diamond should also be rubbed gently until it shines.

Cleaning methods

There are many ways to clean a diamond ring. However, any method implies accurate and consistent execution of instructions.

Professional remedies

A very simple and gentle way to clean diamonds is to purchase a special tool. It costs about 500-1500 rubles, but it removes dirt from the metal much more gently than home solutions. The following brands have shown themselves best of all:

• Top Bio Cleaner Nano Brilliant - does not contain ammonia, alcohol or acids. Penetrates into the structure of the metal, cleaning it and restoring its natural shine. The composition contains caring components that fill microcracks and protect against subsequent oxidation.
• HG is a cleaning agent that removes skin and grease particles from the surface of the product.
• KIM-5 napkins - have a neutral composition PH. But at the same time, the jewelry is cleaned of traces of scotch tape, stickers, ink and other contaminants.

The easiest way is liquid soap

You can also clean diamonds with laundry soap. It perfectly removes all substances accumulated on the surface of gold.

1. Dissolve the shavings of detergent in 200 ml of warm water.
2. Stir the solution vigorously.
3. Soak the jewelry in water. Do not keep it in liquid for more than 5 minutes.
4. Then gently wipe the diamond and gold with a soft cloth.
5. Rinse in cool water.

The most versatile method is salt

Salt cleans well not only metal, but also diamonds.

1. Dissolve a teaspoon of fine salt in 300 ml of water.
2. Wait until the crystals disappear, then dip the jewelry into the liquid.
3. Leave it overnight.
4. In the morning, wipe with a sponge and rinse in clean water.

Alcohol is the fastest way

The quickest way to clean gold diamond jewelry is with rubbing alcohol or vodka. Place the product in the solution for 5 minutes and then wipe it down with a soft cloth. Insert gaps can be cleaned out with a toothpick. Then wash off all the alcohol in cold water.

Sodium thiosulfate - against heavy contamination

Colorless crystals, which you can buy at the pharmacy, dissolve well in water and cleanse all dirt from jewelry.

1. Add 1 tsp to the glass. substances. Stir.
2. Put the gold piece in water and let it sit for 30 minutes.
3. Rinse with cold water.

Other cleaning solutions

If it was not possible to buy ammonia, then you can use other recipes that will effectively cleanse yellow or red gold at home.

1. Use dishwashing detergent as the main component. To do this, you need to take:

• water - 1 glass;
• dishwashing liquid (preferably with a softening effect) - 1 tsp.

The container that should be used for the cleaning process should be selected taking into account that the composition will be heated for several minutes. A soft cloth should be put on the bottom, then the decorations that need to be cleaned, and then all the components to create the solution are added to the container. The heating process takes 10 minutes. Then the products should be taken out and rinsed under running water, wiped off with a soft towel. The method is suitable for cleaning jewelry and bijouterie from yellow, as the most popular, and red, which is gaining popularity, gold.

2. Liquid soap and hydrogen peroxide are also used when there is a need to clean gold from contamination and plaque. You will need to mix:

• water - 250 ml;
• hydrogen peroxide - 40 ml;
• liquid soap (it is better to choose a mild one, without unnecessary additives) - 1 tsp;
• ammonia - 1 tsp

The water needs to be heated, but not boiled - it should be warm, about 37 degrees, then add all the other components and mix. Then put the jewelry that needs cleaning into the container. The holding time is 20 minutes. Finally, gold items should be rinsed with plain water and wiped off using a lint-free cloth.

3. Salt, which is probably found in every home, is also used to carry out work to remove dark deposits from gold. An effective method for those who wish to achieve a good and durable result includes the following components in the composition of the solution:

The ingredients should be mixed until the salt is completely dissolved. Jewelry is placed in a solution for 12 hours, then washed under running water.

4. Another easy way to clean gold is by using foil.Products will shine and sparkle. Would need:

Foil should be placed on the bottom of the selected container so that it completely covers the surface. It is required to mix water and soda, pour into a container and put jewelry in the solution. The cleaning process also continues for 12 hours, after which the gold should be rinsed and dried with a soft cloth towel.

5. The number of jewelry made using this type of metal is increasing every day. Therefore, the question of how to clean gold at home and not damage the surface is especially relevant. Accuracy, slowness and delicacy are important here. Powders, brushes cannot be used.

You can use the following solution - ammonia (25% solution). The product is placed in it for 2 hours, then washed with water and wiped dry with a soft cloth.

Lime mixed with water is also suitable for cleaning matte gold items. Lime (3-4 g) needs to be mixed with water, put a little soda (1 g), mix. The mixture should be infused for 3 days. Then products are placed in it for 4 hours. At the end, the gold is rinsed as usual and wiped off with a soft towel.

Professional gold cleaners

Recently, in jewelry stores, you can buy ready-made products for giving shine to gold jewelry. Among the most popular are the following manufacturers:

• Talisman - paste, liquid, napkins;
• "Alladin" - solution;
• "Sunny metal polish" - cream-paste.

As a rule, the price of such funds fluctuates in the range of 300-500 rubles. Jewelers recommend using special products when the browning is too extensive and deeply ingrained.

These cosmetics are made on the basis of petroleum jelly, water, vegetable oil, lead carbonate. This means that even with increased chafing, the product will not be scratched.

In order to clean the jewelry, you need to apply a small amount of the paste on a soft brush and rotate the surface. After that, rinse the jewelry with vodka or rubbing alcohol to remove the remaining grease, wax, and leave to dry on a napkin.

The nuances of cleaning different types of gold

The above methods will help cleanse traditional red and yellow gold, but there are also varieties of jewelry that need special care. For example, products with precious stones, gilded, and also made of white aurum. Let's consider the features of cleaning in more detail.

White gold

The nuance when cleaning white gold is extreme scrupulousness so as not to damage the outer layer of the coating

Copper, aurum and nickel are included in the composition of the white gold alloy. And outwardly, such jewelry is rhodium-plated. Since such a metal is susceptible to mechanical abrasion, it must be cleaned with the softest cloth, lint-free.

There are several ways to process white gold:

1. Take equal parts ammonia and water and mix in a container. Add 20 ml of shampoo to the composition and mix the liquid. Then place the jewelry in it and leave it for 30 minutes. Then the jewelry is washed in water. Finally dry with a cotton towel.
2. Take water and ⅓ part of the cream soap. Dissolve it and soak your jewelry in the resulting liquid for 20 minutes. Then remove and blot with a soft cloth.

Gilding

Cleansing gilding should be done with care, because metal is not resistant to mechanical stress

Gilded items should be treated more scrupulously, as they are subject to rapid abrasion. Therefore, be sure to remove all dust from the products before cleaning. This can be done with cotton wool or a soft sponge to avoid scratching the gilding.

There are several ways to clean gold plated jewelry:

1. Dampen a cotton swab with wine alcohol or turpentine. Then process your items and rinse under the tap.If you do not have the indicated compositions, you can replace them with strong beer or prepare a solution of ammonia and liquid soap in a 1: 4 ratio.
2. Egg white also cleans the gilding. To do this, simply soak your jewelry in a liquid mass for 30 minutes, then rinse under running water and dry. For greater efficiency, a solution of egg white (2-3 pcs) and jelly water (20 ml) is also allowed. The processing technology is similar.
3. Pure wine vinegar will also help eliminate the blackening of the gilding. To do this, you will need to soak a soft cloth in liquid and process the jewelry. After a few minutes, rinse the vinegar under running water and leave the items to dry on a towel.

Gold jewelry with stones

Jewelry with stones requires delicate processing

Jewelry inlaid with precious stones (including diamonds) is the pride of every woman. However, black plaque or spots may form on them. It is undesirable to clean such jewelry in the usual way, since what is good for the metal can harm the minerals. To make your products sparkle and bring joy, we recommend the following ways to eliminate pollution:

Cologne treatment. To do this, it is enough to moisten an ordinary stick for cleaning the ears in the composition and clean the stones with smooth movements.
Alcohol solution. To clean jewelry, take a soft cotton cloth, dampen it in liquid and process the jewelry. Then wipe with a damp cloth and dry.
Petrol. This product is suitable for heavily soiled jewelry.

Dip a soft toothbrush in this solution and gently scrub your items. Then rinse under a copious stream of clean water.

Matte gold

To clean matte gold, you need the simplest components.

Matte-finish jewelery is becoming more and more popular, but care must be taken with the utmost care. As with cleaning gilding, in this case, it is unacceptable to use powders, hard fabrics, brushes and other means.

We recommend using the following cleaning methods:

1. Take a 25% ammonia solution and pour it into a glass. Then place your jewelry in a container and leave for 2 hours. After the specified time has elapsed, remove the products, rinse under the tap and dry with a soft cloth.
2. Take 1 tsp. lime and stir in 1 glass of water. Add ½ tsp to the resulting liquid. soda and salt on the tip of a knife. Stir the solution and let it brew for 3 days. Then place the jewelry in a container and leave for 3 hours. Finally, rinse under running water and dry with a soft towel.

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 with abrasives, so forget about tooth powder, soda, or salt. Ruby, pomegranate and topaz are sensitive to high temperatures and cannot be washed with hot water. And amber, pearls, coral or ivory do not like acids, alkalis and solvents very much - it is better to entrust cleaning to specialists.

If you are confident in your abilities, use the following methods of cleaning gold jewelry with stones:

1. Alcohol. Moisten a cotton swab with an alcohol-based liquid (strong alcohol, cologne, or alcohol lotion will work). Rub the jewelry gently to remove grease and other dirt.
2. Petrol. Moisten it with an unnecessary soft toothbrush and process the gold piece. Fine bristles are great for removing dirt from hard-to-reach areas.

How to clean stones?

The easiest way to clean white gold at home is to regularly wipe it with a fleece or felt cloth until it shines. If the stone is still tarnished, it is not necessary to run to the master. Perhaps regular products will help restore its shine.

Onion juice helps to restore beauty to white gold with a diamond. It is necessary to cut the onion and clean the frame and stone with it. After 1-2 hours, rinse the product thoroughly and wipe it dry to give the stone a shine.

Beer and egg white

This is a proven way to clean white gold diamond rings. Beat a glass of beer with the protein of one egg. Apply the mixture to a soft cloth or sponge, wipe the product, rinse and wipe dry.

Professional remedies

The most effective method is to clean the jewelry with special products. They quickly deal with various types of dirt and are safe for stones. The formulations are sold as solutions, pastes, and cleaning wipes.

To clean the jewelry with special means, you must follow the instructions. In general, the process is similar to home methods:

• apply the composition;
• remove contamination;
• rinse with water;
• wipe dry;
• polish.

Usually, the lines of special tools have all the necessary devices: containers, brushes, polishing napkins.

Gold cleaners with diamonds

At the present time, there are enough ways to clean such products. Let's consider how to clean gold with diamonds.

Textile. The easiest way. You just need to gently wipe the gold with a piece of cloth until it shines. This usually takes 10 minutes. It is worth considering that if you do this every day, then other methods will not be needed.

• Soap solution. If the gold is too dirty, cleaning with a cloth will not help. Therefore, add soap to the water and soak the product for about 1.5 hours. When the dirt is soft, you can gently brush the gold and diamonds at home with a toothbrush, and then wipe it well.
• Soda. Dissolve a spoonful of baking soda in water and put the jewelry there for 5 minutes. Then brush and dry. In no case should vinegar be added to the solution, as it can damage stones and metal alloy. Therefore, this method is undesirable for jewelry with stones.
• Sugar water. Also a popular cleaning method. How to clean a gold diamond ring and other jewelry in this way? Sugar must be dissolved in a glass of water and soaked for 3 hours. Care must be taken to ensure that the liquid completely covers the gold. After the procedure, it is necessary to rinse the products well so that no sticky layer remains.
• Toothpaste. This method is used by many, because in every home there is toothpaste. It contains substances that do an excellent job with dirt, and after cleaning with this method, any metal begins to shine. The whole process will take no more than 10 minutes.
• "Coca Cola". As you know, this drink contains active chemical elements, so with it you can easily clean gold, and it will be as good as new. "Coca-Cola" helps to clean rust and remove dirty stains from clothes, so the drink will be able to cope with gold washing easily and in a short time. You just need to pour Coca-Cola on the product for 30 minutes, then rinse it with water. At the end, just wipe it down with a rag. After this procedure, the desired effect will certainly be noticed.

Gentle cleaning methods

The methods listed above are not suitable for all cases. For example, for jewelry with pasted or large diamonds, it is better not to use them: water can get inside the product, and over time there will be a risk of the stone falling out of the setting. You also need to use gentle cleaning methods for expensive and exclusive gold jewelry, which is a pity to spoil.

Lipstick

Contains titanium dioxide - a substance that removes dark plaque from the surface of the product. To brush gold with diamonds, apply lipstick to a cotton swab and rub for 3-5 minutes. Then use a clean dry cloth to scrub the surface.

Borax solution

Borax comes in three forms on sale:

• jewelry drill - you can buy it in specialized stores and workshops (it is advisable to purchase just such a drill);
• a solution of borax in glycerin - sold in a pharmacy under the name "Sodium tetraborate";
• as part of insecticidal preparations against cockroaches (this method of treatment is less preferable, since there is a risk of getting a burn of the mucous membrane while cleaning the jewelry).

A cotton swab (or a toothpick with a cotton swab at the end) is dipped into the borax solution and gently wipe the frame and pebble. Then the jewelry is quickly rinsed in cool water and dried with a cold hair dryer.

Toothpaste and alcohol

The paste contains fine abrasives that effectively remove dirt from the surface of the product. Apply to a soft bristled brush and gently scrub the frame. Do not touch the diamonds. Remove the toothpaste from the product with a damp swab.

Use rubbing alcohol, vodka, or cologne to clean the stones. Dampen a cotton swab (or use a ready-made alcohol wipe) and rub the diamonds until they sparkle.

Finally, wipe the product with a dry soft cloth.

How to clean your gold chain, bracelet and earrings at home

How to clean your gold at home with an ultrasonic cleaner? The technology is simple - pour water, put the products in the bath of the device, plug them in. This device can perform quite complex tasks to remove any organic matter. Using this method, you can both clean the gold chain and restore the original appearance to bracelets and earrings of various configurations. It is mechanically difficult, but high-frequency exposure is the only way to get rid of contamination in the links.

You can watch how to clean gold jewelry in the video below:

There are some rules that you can apply to jewelry for a long time without losing its appearance.

1. Protect from shock and mechanical impact.
2. You need to take off jewelry while doing household chores while in the gym. You do not need to take a bath with decorations, and also be in them when you sleep.
3. Thermal changes, light sources, and high temperatures are undesirable for jewelry.
4. Contact with mercury, active oxidizing agents, is highly undesirable. This can contribute to the appearance of stains and loss of gloss.
5. Care cosmetics, deodorants can negatively affect the integrity of products.
6. Sulfur and sulfur compounds cause blackening of silver in the ligature. For this reason, contact with cardboard and sulfur preparations is undesirable.
7. Photoreagents are hazardous to jewelry.
8. Sea water, therapeutic mud, hydrogen sulphide springs are not the place to wear gold.
9. Halogens contained in medicines (iodine, bromine) should not be in contact with precious metals and inserts
10. Chains must not be bent or folded over and over to avoid deformation.

There are also some guidelines used for inserts.

High temperature provokes adhesion of fat, dust on diamonds, topaz crystals. This contributes to the loss of shine to the stones.

Pearls, turquoise, corals pale in the sun. It is advisable to store such products without lighting.

High-strength stones such as emeralds, sapphires, due to their crystal structure, can be split. They require delicate handling. Their shine is easy to maintain in the same way as to clean gold - with ammonia (a few drops in a glass of water, clean, rinse, then dry).

Pearls can be preserved by rubbing with starch.

Proper and safe jewelry care

Jewelry needs attention. There are stones that cannot withstand high humidity, such as amber, turquoise, and opal. Therefore, when cleaning jewelry yourself, you need to find out the characteristics of the gemstones in your jewelry, you should not immediately use the home cleaning method.

Plaque and various dirt not only penetrate the metal, but also clog in the cracks between the stones, which makes it difficult to remove them. The best tool in this case is a cotton swab.

It is almost impossible for them to damage the frame, which cannot be said for hard and sharp instruments. You should not also clean the jewelry inlaid with stones in running water - stones can fall out of the frame into the drain.

When cleaning the stone, do not use paste or powder. This could damage the surface. Easily removes tough cases of gasoline contamination.

When the hardness of the stone is less than 5, it is advisable to use only soap as a cleaning agent. Low hardness stones are: turquoise, moonstone, malachite, opal and apatite.

What soap can you use

The fat released from the sebaceous glands of the skin forms an oily coating on gold and diamonds. Dust settles on the surface, and the object begins to darken. The wedding ring is rubbed with soda, but the abrasive material scratches the precious stone on the ring, and the boiling water changes color. The soap acts sparingly, cleans pearls and coral, topaz and diamonds from plaque, leaves no residue on gold.

Baby

To return the shine to the jewelry, remove dirt on earrings or a pendant, heat water, fill a bowl with it, add a little baby soap, whip it into a lather. Gold items are dipped into the solution, wiped with a soft brush, after an hour they are removed from the container, rinsed and laid out on a napkin.

Dermatological

This type of soap consists of synthetic substances with antibacterial properties. The detergent produces a small amount of foam, but disinfects and removes plaque that forms on gold items.

Self made

They clean the jewelry from impurities with gruel, which is prepared from water, chalk and grated soap, which is made on the basis of olive or castor oil and wax. The mixture is rubbed with stone and gold, polished to a shine with a dry cloth.

Liquid

Jewelry retains its beauty and sophistication when it is regularly looked after. For a long time you do not have to turn to the master for help if you soak gold objects with a fixed stone in a composition of liquid soap, which forms a thick foam. Plaque dissolves and dirt can be easily wiped off with a soft brush. The product is rinsed and must be dried with a napkin or cloth.

Cream soap

Rings and rings with loose diamond inserts should not be soaked in liquid formulation. They clean such jewelry with a special paste or wipe it with a swab, typing cream soap on it.

How do I clean white gold?

The peculiarity of white gold is that it is actually an alloy of several different components. It can contain nickel, copper, palladium, rhodium plating and other additives, depending on the decoration. The main rule here is not to erase the upper light and shiny layer, so no abrasives.

You can refresh such jewelry in a solution of sugar (2 large spoons per glass of water), in which they are soaked overnight. The same soapy solution, where you need to put jewelry for half an hour, will help from a slight blackness. When white gold is pretty dirty, leave it for half an hour in a solution of ammonia and shampoo.

Cleaned chains and rings should be thoroughly rinsed with running water and gently wiped off with a soft microfiber or paper towel. Keep in mind that restoring the lost shine of white gold is a task that is close to impossible. Therefore, it is better to entrust any serious manipulations and complex stains to master jewelers.

Care and storage rules

So that jewelry made of gold does not lose its luster, looks elegant and elegant, you do not need to wear them in the heat, on the beach, in the sauna, in the pool. It is not recommended to wash dishes in rings, since the water supplied to houses and apartments through pipes is chlorinated. Jewelry made of white gold with rhodium should be worn and removed carefully so as not to scratch the surface.

Once every 2 or 3 months, it is necessary to clean products from dirt and plaque, items with inserts made of diamonds or other precious stones are advised to be taken to the workshop every six months. It is better to store white gold rings and earrings in a separate box with a velvet backing, and not with other jewelry, which will protect them from cracks and scratches.

Jewelry should be washed not in boiling, but in warm water, wiped dry, and not left wet. It is not advised to clean objects made of gold and stones with abrasive substances; only old dirt should be wiped with ammonia. Subject to the rules of care and storage, jewelry made of precious metal with diamonds or diamonds does not lose its shine and attractive appearance for a long time.

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Reasons for darkening of gold and diamonds

The first thing that comes to mind about gold is that the metal is among the noble ones, next to silver and platinum. This means that oxidation and corrosion are nothing to him. This is true, but gold is also a representative of soft metals, which in their pure form are easily deformed. Therefore, jewelry raw materials are nothing more than its alloy with copper or other more durable elements.

And the lower the sample, the higher its strength and lower immunity to external negative conditions - skin secretions with which jewelry is in direct contact, and cosmetics. Plus, street and house dust, atmospheric emissions, high temperatures.

Diamonds suffer for the same reasons. From cosmetics and sweat, a thin cloudy film forms on their surface, the stone itself becomes dull. Chlorinated water and chemical compositions of various cleaning and detergents also do their destructive work. Bleach is not terrible for gold, but the diamond insert loses its charm, the rays of light no longer play on its edges.

Therefore, house cleaning, gardening and dacha work, beach entertainment, baths and fitness are reasons to take off your diamond ring, and your other treasures, at least for a while. And do not throw it casually on a dressing table or in a common casket, but store it in a separate wardrobe trunk. In the rules for how to care for diamonds, this is an important point. Proper storage will prevent microcracks on products that do not add beauty to them.

Separately, it should be noted the amateur tests for the authenticity of metal or stone, which are so fond of conducting many suspicious natures. Let a professional check the fire resistance of diamonds and their impact resistance. Home experiments are more likely to damage the product than dispel doubts. And they will also be punished with a ruble: the lost natural transparency of the stone will have to be restored in the workshop or polished in the factory. From such additional manipulations, the diamond is reduced, its grade may decrease. But self-cleaning of diamonds at home is not prohibited. And you should start by observing the general rules.

Light pollution

(loss of gloss, uniform darkening of the metal)

Polishing is suitable for daily care of jewelry, giving products a mirror-like shine and removing minor dirt. It removes light deposits of dust, sebum and cosmetics. A polishing method is also indicated if a darkened piece needs to be restored to its original shade.

Polish jewelry with a soft microfiber, flannel, or suede cloth using gentle, unidirectional strokes using only light pressure on the metal. To enhance the effect, together with a soft cloth, use the following tools at hand:

1. Lipstick

Apply lipstick to fabric or directly to metal, buff. There is no need to wash the jewelry after the procedure.

2. Table vinegar 9%

Rub the item with vinegar, leave for 15 minutes, then rinse the jewelry with water and dry.

Rub the product with juice, leave for 30 minutes, then rinse the jewelry with water and dry.

4. A solution of egg white and beer

For the solution, you need the protein of one egg and two teaspoons of beer. Rub the product with the prepared composition, then rinse the jewelry with water and dry.

5. Magnesia, glycerin, ammonia.

Mix the ingredients in equal proportions, rub the product with the prepared composition, then rinse the jewelry with water and dry.

What happens to stones and metal?

Let's start with gold. Gold is a noble metal, therefore, it is inert. This means that gold does not interact with acids and alkalis, does not form oxides and bases. Simply put, gold does not oxidize.

An interesting fact: at the beginning of the 14th century, the theory of the absolute inertness of the precious metal was refuted. It was found that the metal can be dissolved using aqua regia (a concentrated mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids).

In everyday life, your jewelry is unlikely to be exposed to a concentrated mixture of acids. And even if you admit such a possibility, then you will definitely not be worried about the fate of the jewelry. After all, you have to save your skin.

Dust particles, moisture, bacteria ... In addition, the skin itself secretes a secret - fat and / or sweat. But we cleanse the skin using soaps and other cleaning products. What about the decorations? At best, they only get a light rinse under running water.

So, what can settle on gold, while changing its appearance:

• dust;
• droplets of moisture;
• microorganisms;
• sebum;
• sweat.

Deposits lead to the fact that the noble metal tarnishes, and in advanced cases it can even change its color.

What about diamonds? Diamonds are cut diamonds, precious stones. The primary material (diamond) is extremely durable and resistant to any kind of external influences. However, in the process of its processing, the most durable layer of material is removed, and the secondary material (diamond) is already more susceptible to various kinds of external influences.

For diamonds, all the same factors are terrible as for gold. But it is worth emphasizing that stones are more "afraid" of moisture and skin secretions. In addition, various kinds of abrasive particles, which can simply scratch the smooth surface, are also dangerous.

So, the appearance of a diamond can be affected by:

• high air humidity;
• direct contact with liquids;
• excessive amount of skin secretions;
• abrasive particles (powders, sand, etc.).

The simple rule that diamonds should not be worn on the beach is obvious. Below we will tell you the main secrets of gold and diamond care that will surely prove useful.

How to clean gold

There are several methods for cleaning gold jewelry at home:

Soak. The jewelry should be placed in a special liquid, which can be made from what you have in your kitchen, bathroom, or medicine cabinet. After a certain time, the plaque can be removed with a simple soft cloth.
Polishing with scrap materials. Suitable if you need to return a breathtaking shine to the product.
Mechanical cleaning. Applicable if the contamination did not succumb to the previous methods

Use with care so as not to damage the surface of your precious jewelry.

Mechanical cleaning

Of course, you can buy a special paste from a jewelry store. But if you want to effectively clean gold without leaving your home, it is easy to prepare such one from scrap materials.

Remember: you should not use aggressive abrasives such as soda or sandpaper to clean jewelry, there is a great risk of damaging the surface of the precious metal. Therefore, we will use softer and more delicate mixtures.

1. Dentifrice. A little bit of powder, an old toothbrush and a little patience will remove old plaque from the gold.
2. Toothpaste + petroleum jelly. Works as well as toothpaste, but is more neat and gentle.
3. Chalk + laundry soap.Pound the crayon (the usual white one from the children's art kit will do) into a powder and mix in equal proportions with grated soap. Stir until a smooth paste is obtained, then rub the decorations with a piece of cloth. To avoid streaking, be sure to rinse the gold with running water.
4. Chalk + ammonia. Grind the chalk and mix with ammonia until a thick mass is obtained. Brush the gold thoroughly with a toothbrush or cloth, and then rinse and dry.