Gold/Silver-plated jewelry is beautiful and affordable option, but over time it tends to lose its luster and become tarnished. This usually happens when the silver reacts with moisture and air leading it to oxidize. To restore the piece to its original shine, the jewelry needs to be cleaned and properly taken care of.
What is Gold/Silver Plated Jewelry?
Gold/Silver-plate refers to a thin layer of silver that has been coated onto a base metal to make it appear like solid silver. The base metal that we use is brass. Unlike sterling silver or pure gold, cleaning plated jewelry requires more care as the plating has potential to get damaged, exposing the metal underneath.
Light Cleaning – Soap and Water
If your plated items are showing some signs of tarnish and require a light clean, plain old soap and water can restore its shine.
- Use a mild liquid soap and warm water to create a foamy solution in a container.
- Submerge the jewelry in the water for several minutes.
- Using a soft cloth, rub the items, taking care to cover all surfaces. If the jewelry has lots of grooves or elaborate engravings, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to get the dirt out of those areas.
- Once clean, rinse the items in warm water.
- Wipe with a lint-free cloth thoroughly and make sure the jewelry is properly dried before you store them away.
Light Cleaning – Jewelry Polishing Cloth
Your plated jewelry may just need a little bit of TLC to get it back to its former glory. If that’s the case then a gentle polish with a jewelry cloth should do the trick.
- Use a quality jewelry polish cleaning cloth that will remove dirt and tarnish as well as give the pieces their shine back.
- Be sure to be gentle when polishing the jewelry by wiping instead of scrubbing.
- Buff your jewelry in between deeper cleans to maintain its shine.
While plated jewelry requires regular cleaning to keep it sparkling, it is very easy to restore your pieces and make them look as good as new.
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