Easy Jewelry Care Tips: Essential Guide for All Metals | GLDN

How do you take care of jewelry?

Answer: it depends on the metal, but it’s all much easier than you think…and can happen right at home! Even high-quality materials—like solid gold, gold fill and sterling silver—require a little love to keep them looking their best and brightest. You can dive deeper into all of our metal offerings in our metal overview journal, if you’d like to learn more!

We’ll get into specific care tips a little bit later, but let’s start with our five essential dos and don’ts for how to care for your jewelry. This goes for all metals, but if you’re looking for specific pearl care tips, jump to the very bottom of this article!

	DON'T: Contact any chemicals. This includes sunscreen, fragrances, harsh cleansers and chlorine, or anything with chemical additives that may corrode or tarnish your jewelry.
	DO: Shower in your pieces. Clean water and gentle soaps will passively clean your pieces (which means less work for you)! Just be sure to dry them off afterward with a soft towel. We even wrote a journal all about waterproof jewelry and what “waterproof” really means.
	DON'T: Sweat in them. Sweating is how our body rids itself of excess fatty acids and amino acids which can tarnish and corrode most metals.
	DO: Periodic deep cleans. Soak your pieces in gentle soap and water for a few minutes, use a toothbrush to gently remove dirt in tight spaces and dry thoroughly.
	DO: Polish mindfully. Use your polishing cloth (included with every order!) to shine up your pieces once per month; over-polishing can corrode certain metals, like gold fill and gold vermeil.

 

Caring for solid gold jewelry.

Will solid gold tarnish?

Rarely, if ever. In fact, it might take decades for a 14k or 10k solid gold piece to tarnish (and that’s if you never clean it). Solid gold is the lowest-maintenance, most tarnish-resistant metal of all—it’s made for 24/7 wear—and cleaning it is incredibly easy.

How do I clean and protect solid gold?

• Shower or bathe in it. Gentle soaps and clean, non-chlorinated water will passively clean your solid gold pieces for you—our easiest recommendation for how to clean gold jewelry.
• Polish once a month. And this is only if you really need to. Solid gold stays shiny with minimal upkeep; if you contact any chlorinated water or harsh cleansers, though, a dull film may develop and will require a quick polish.

Caring for sterling silver jewelry.

Will sterling silver tarnish?

This precious metal will last a lifetime, but it is particularly prone to tarnishing—sweat, salt, cosmetics, sulfur and the acidity of our skin are the main culprits. It may sound strange, but even the air works to tarnish your sterling silver! Hot, humid conditions—and naturally occurring sulfur in the air—are particularly harsh on the metal. (Speaking of sulfur, exposing your jewelry to sulfur-rich foods, like onions and eggs, can tarnish it too.)

The good news? Tarnish isn’t permanent, and it’s easy to minimize it, prevent it and clean your sterling silver pieces to return them to their full, icy glory.

How do I clean and protect sterling silver jewelry?

• Wear it often—our easiest tip for how to clean silver jewelry. The oils in our skin naturally polish sterling silver and keep it from tarnishing; this metal loves to be worn!
• Keep away from chemicals. Harsh cleansers, cosmetics, fragrances and chlorine are no-nos.
• Store your pieces safely. Tuck your jewelry in an airtight container to prevent oxidation, and make sure it isn’t contacting any tissues or papers that may be acidic.
• Polish once a month. Use your polishing cloth to buff away tarnish—such a simple way to make a big impact.
• Try a baking soda soak. If your piece is heavily tarnished, line a pan with aluminum foil, fill with water and add 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp baking soda. Soak it for 5 minutes and watch your piece lighten (like magic)! This is especially helpful for chains or other creviced pieces a polishing cloth won’t fully clean.

Caring for gold fill jewelry.

Will 14k gold fill tarnish?

It really depends on what touches it, how you clean it and how you store it! Gold-fill jewelry consists of a thick layer of solid gold that’s been heat and pressure-bonded to a high-quality brass core, and contains much more solid gold than gold-plated jewelry.

That said, keep your gold-fill jewelry away from the usual culprits: chlorine, hot tubs, sunscreen, sweat, fragrances, saunas and harsh cleansers, as they can corrode that thick layer of gold over time. Unlike sterling silver (which loves to be worn!), gold-fill jewelry can also be more sensitive depending on your unique body chemistry. Removing your pieces before sleep and wiping them gently after use can make a big difference in keeping them bright and shiny.

How do I clean and protect gold-fill jewelry?

• Keep away from chemicals. Harsh cleansers, cosmetics, fragrances and chlorine are no-nos.
• Store your pieces safely. Tuck your jewelry in an airtight container to protect it from the humidity in the air.
• Polish sparingly. Use your polishing cloth to buff away tarnish—but use a soft hand! Even gold-fill jewelry’s thick outer layer of gold can be slowly corroded by over-polishing.
• Try a gentle soak—a great tip for how to clean jewelry if it’s heavily tarnished! To do this, soak it in clean water with a touch of mild dish soap or cleanser, then carefully pat it dry.

Caring for gold vermeil jewelry.

Will gold vermeil tarnish?

Just like gold fill, it also depends on what touches it, how you clean it and how you store it! Gold vermeil is a thick layer of gold electroplated to a sterling silver base, but typically uses less solid gold than gold-fill jewelry, making it a bit more delicate to care for.

Keep your gold vermeil jewelry away from the usual culprits: chlorine, hot tubs, sunscreen, sweat, fragrances, saunas and harsh cleansers, as they can corrode its layer of gold over time. Just like gold-fill jewelry, gold vermeil can also be sensitive depending on your unique body chemistry. Removing your pieces before sleep and wiping them gently after use are safe bets here, too.

How do I clean and protect gold vermeil jewelry?

• Keep away from chemicals. Harsh cleansers, cosmetics, fragrances and chlorine are no-nos. If you take any jewelry care tips to heart, it’s this one!
• Store your pieces safely. Tuck your jewelry in an airtight container to protect it from the humidity in the air.
• Polish sparingly. Use your polishing cloth to buff away tarnish—but use a soft hand! The layer of electroplated gold can be slowly corroded by over-polishing.
• Try a gentle soak. If your piece is heavily tarnished, soak it in clean water with a touch of mild dish soap or cleanser, then carefully pat it dry.

Caring for pearl jewelry.

Can pearls get damaged?

They can, but it’s easy to prevent! Pearls are organic, moisture-loving gemstones that react negatively to chemicals and harsh cleansers, just like most metals do. Keep them away from chlorine, bleach, vinegar, ammonia, cosmetics and fragrances, and avoid objects that may scratch their surfaces.

How do I clean and protect pearls?

• Wear them often. Just like sterling silver, pearls love to be worn! The oils in your skin keep them from drying out.
• Keep away from chemicals. Harsh cleansers, cosmetics, fragrances and chlorine are no-nos.
• Give your pearls some air. Pearls love moisture, which means airtight containers aren’t ideal for these pieces specifically—they may even crack in a plastic bag or safety deposit box. Our jewelry care instructions for pearls are easy: wrap them in linen or cloth, or place them in a soft pouch to store.
• Wipe to clean. Treat your pearls right and they’ll stay lustrous for years. If a film develops on your pearls, simply wipe them with a gentle cloth! Pearls don’t respond well to being submerged in water, so avoid soaking your pearl pieces like you would non-pearl jewelry.

 

Caring for gemstone jewelry.

Sought after for their sparkle and color, it’s essential to keep gemstones looking their best.

How do I clean and protect gemstone jewelry?

• Clean with warm water and gentle soap—never hot or boiling water. Gemstones appear quite tough, but many are susceptible to heat which may weaken their structure (especially if the stone has inclusions or has been treated, which many jewelers do to improve their color). Stay away from mechanical cleaning or ultrasonic cleaning, too, just to be safe!
• Avoid hard, rigid brushes or cleaning cloths and opt for a toothbrush instead—just make sure it’s labeled with a soft or extra-soft brush.
• Gently pat to dry. Use a soft cloth to remove water from your gemstones after cleaning.
• Chat with a jeweler for advice. Different gemstones have different cleaning needs, depending on their hardness, how they’re treated and a whole host of other factors. Most gemstones will do well with the gentle cleaning we mentioned above, but if your gemstone needs a little more love, professional help is always the safest way to go.

 

Image by Rebecca Goddard

How to use a polishing cloth

All of our pieces include a polishing cloth made with special polishing compounds. As you buff your pieces, you might see black strokes appear on the cloth, but don’t fret—this means the polishing agent is reacting with the metal (which means it’s working)! If you’ve always wanted to know how to clean your jewelry at home—when it doesn’t require a deep clean—a polishing cloth will be your new BFF.

Polishing solid gold & sterling silver jewelry:

As these are both solid metals, you’re welcome to polish your pieces as much as you need. 14k and 10k solid gold will rarely need polishing; sterling silver maybe more so.

Polishing gold fill & gold vermeil jewelry?

As these are not solid metals, and consist of a layer of solid gold over a brass or sterling silver core, you’ll want to polish gently and sparingly (no more than once per month) as over-polishing can slowly corrode the gold.

 

Extra jewelry care tips

Regardless of the metal your jewelry is made of, take these easy jewelry care tips with you and your pieces will stay lovely for years to come.

• Remove rings before washing your hands, applying beauty products, cleaning the house or applying lotions. It’s a super-easy habit to adopt that’ll extend the life of your rings for years. 
• Apply perfume before your jewelry. This goes for any piece that might come in contact with your perfume, like necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
• Remove your jewelry before swimming—chlorine and saltwater can slowly corrode the metal, especially if it isn’t solid gold.
• Find an anti-tarnish bag to store your pieces in, especially metals like sterling silver.
• Before you remove your makeup at the end of the night, remove your jewelry first so it doesn’t contact any cleansers or beauty products. 
• Think about getting your jewelry checked and cleaned professionally once a year—it’s pretty affordable and you know your pieces will be in good hands.

 

Here’s to shiny, sparkling jewelry. Treat your pieces right and they’ll last a lifetime.

Team GLDN ✨