How To Clean Your Jewelry
Did you know that ALL jewelry tarnishes, even fine jewelry? That's right! The real question is, what happens to your jewelry after it tarnishes? The answer - it depends on what kind of jewelry it is.
1) Gold Plated Jewelry CAN'T be cleaned! Once it tarnishes, it's ruined. Cleaning it will strip off the thin gold layer.
2) Gold Filled Jewelry CAN be cleaned! The gold layer is 100x thicker than gold plating and securely bonded to the base metal, making it safe and easy to clean.
3) Solid 14K Gold CAN be cleaned! You'll be amazed at what a good cleaning will do for your fine jewelry.
General care
To maintain the beauty of your jewelry, whether it’s gold filled or solid gold, always avoid salt water, chlorine (swimming pools, jacuzzis) and all heavy detergents and cleaning agents. These harsh chemicals can damage all types of jewelry, so please remember to remove your pieces before coming into contact with these substances.
Cleaning Gemstones
Gemstones are durable, yet they do need some care to maintain their luster. Follow these general guidelines, and yours will look brand new for years to come.
You can clean transparent gemstones simply by soaking them in water with a touch of soap. Use a soft toothbrush to scrub the stone.
Never use an ultrasonic cleaner or ammonia for cleaning porous gemstones like lapis, turquoise, malachite, opal, or onyx. They should be gently wiped clean with a moist cloth. These gemstones will absorb chemicals, like soap, which can build up inside the stone and discolor it.
Organic gems like pearls, coral, and amber should only be wiped clean and dry with a moist cloth. Due to their organic nature, these gems are both soft and porous, so as a general rule avoid bathing with them. Be careful with hairspray, cosmetics, and perfume. The chemicals in those products can permanently damage organic gems (especially pearls) over time.
Cleaning 14K Gold
14K Gold is very tarnish resistant, but you will still benefit from cleaning it from time to time. If you notice your jewelry is starting to look a little dull, use a jewelry cleaning cloth to wipe it down. You can also use some mild soap and water if it's very dirty, and dry it off with a soft micro-fiber towel. Do not use harsh chemicals or jewelry cleaning solutions to clean your 14K Gold, and be careful not completely dry your gemstones immediately after cleaning. Some gemstones will absorb water and discolor if left wet.
Cleaning 14K Gold Filled
14K Gold Filled is highly tarnish resistant, however, sweat, lotions, perfumes, and normal wear can dampen its beautiful gold shine. Fortunately, gold filled jewelry is easy to clean! All you need is a jewelry cloth made for polishing gold, which has a chemical that removes dirt, grime, and tarnish. We have these available for sale here. If your order was $50 or more, we sent you one for FREE because we're cool like that.
Expert Tip: Don't confuse tarnish with the actual gold rubbing off. This won't happen to KOZAKH 14K Gold Filled, but it will happen to gold plated jewelry you buy elsewhere.
Cleaning Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver is a precious metal that jewelers have loved to use for thousands of years, including us! Sterling Silver has one issue - it is prone to tarnishing (think grandmas antique silverware). Believe it or not, wearing your Sterling silver jewelry is a great way to keep tarnish from building up, but if you do end up leaving it off for a while and notice its not looking so hot, don't worry! All it takes is a quick dip in some silver cleaning solution, and it'll look brand new. Our favorite silver cleaner is eco-friendly Simple Shine.
Cleaning Gold Plated
Gold plated jewelry should be cleaned very carefully and gently. The gold layer on gold plated jewelry is not as durable as it is on gold filled and solid gold jewelry. You can easily damage the gold layer simply by rubbing the gold with anything other than a very soft microfiber towel or jewelry cleaning cloth. It's best not to get your gold plated jewelry wet, and to store it in a dry environment when you're not wearing it. Chemicals like those found in perfumes, lotions, and soaps can damage the gold layer. Be careful with you gold plated jewelry to get the longest life out of it.
We hope you found these cleaning tips helpful! If you have any other questions about you jewelry, you can reach us anytime at customercare@kozakh.com.