Caring for you 18k gold plated jewellery
Our pieces are considered delicate and not meant to be worn during rough activities such as sports, gardening, cleaning, etc. And while all of our pieces are made from quality materials, they will still need a little love from time to time to ensure their long life span.
Ultimately, how long your pieces last will come down to your lifestyle and environment, including:
- What ends up on your jewellery i.e. products and chemicals:
- How you look after your jewellery; and
- How it is stored.
Things that can cause tarnish
Pools, spas and chlorine: This one is very possibly one of the worst offenders. Gold plated jewellery can be ruined after just a couple dips in a heavily chlorinated spa or pool due to the chemicals. If there's one thing you just don't do to your jewellery, it's this.
Sweat: Daily exposure to the salt and chemicals in your sweat can really take its toll on your jewellery. It’s best to try to remember to remove your jewellery before hitting the gym.
Hair products, lotions, sunscreen, etc: The impacts your products can have on your jewellery can vary, so a rule of thumb is to simply try to remember to put on your jewellery after you’ve applied any products including moisturiser, perfumes, makeup, etc. and if you are sunbathing with sunscreen on, it’s best to simply remove your jewellery for the duration of your activity.
Cleaning (and how often)
Daily maintenance: To keep your pieces in the best shape, you should simply wipe them down with a soft cloth after each use. If you know that it has been exposed to a bit more that day than normal (ex: skincare/hair products, sweat, etc), rinsing in warm water and drying with a soft cloth is a good idea. Removing your jewellery before you sleep will also help it last a lot longer.
If you know that your piece has been exposed to EVEN more than normal i.e a day at the beach or lying by the pool (although not recommended), or it's just been a while since you’ve last cleaned it, you can do a deeper clean by following the steps below:
- Prepare a bowl of warm water with just a tiny squeeze of a mild, clear dishwashing liquid.
- Let your piece soak for 5-10 minutes.
- Gently wipe your piece off with a soft cloth, or use a VERY soft toothbrush if you need to get into areas with a lot of detail.
- Rinse thoroughly, several times if necessary, to make sure all of the soap is off.
- Dry off the piece completely before wearing or storing your jewellery.
Note: For gold plated jewellery stay away from polishing cloths, polishing liquids and polishing creams as they contain chemicals that can permanently affect the gold plating.
Storing your jewellery
To properly store your gold plated jewellery when not in use, place it in an airtight container or bag (such as a small ziplock) after you’ve completed the daily cleaning (make sure it is completely dry - never put a damp or wet piece into a sealed bag - this will cause rapid tarnish).
We know that remembering to put your jewellery in little containers every night can be tiresome, however, if you really want your pieces to last, this is a great step to take.
High humidity environments
How you store your jewellery becomes much more important if you live in a high humidity area as excessive humidity can cause accelerated tarnish, so storing it in an airtight, low humid space becomes more important.