Learn how to Care for your Gold Plated Blings

Unless you’re a celebrity or living in a rich man’s world, it’s most likely that your jewelry collection is primarily gold plated rather than solid gold. But there’s no shame in that, as gold plated jewelry helps keep costs down, allowing designers to offer a more budget-friendly option and to design more intricate shapes out of stronger silver or brass before coating it all with gold. Once it is all coated anyway, it is almost impossible to differentiate it from the real solid gold ones. 

As with all the pros of gold plated jewelry, of course there are also some drawbacks, like tarnishing and fading. But all of that can be prevented with some proper handling and care.

So here are a few tips, and your jewelry will be able to last as long as you want.

Admit it, we all love to drench ourselves in perfume and of course moisturize our skin to make it soft like a baby’s, but these contain chemicals that can tarnish your jewelry.  So, spray on your favorite perfume, and apply your moisturizing lotion first and allow them to dry first before putting on your jewelry for the day. The same goes for substances like oil, chlorine and even your own sweat, so don’t forget to take them off prior to starting your daily exercise routine or before taking a dip into the pool.

Include cleaning your jewelry in your daily routine, by wiping it down every after use. The key is to be as gentle as possible using a cotton ball or very soft cloth, preferably the ones used to clean glasses and camera lenses. It would be best to avoid using other types of cloth as those can actually scratch the gold plating off. 

Cleaning them every after use will not actually be enough. After every few weeks, bathe them in a solution of basic soap and warm water. Again, the key is to be gentle, so avoid using the harsh jewelry cleaners and polishing liquids. Soak your jewelry in the said solution for a couple of minutes so as to loosen some dirt and residue that has built up. Afterwards, wipe them with a soft cloth.

Aside from knowing how to clean your jewelry, knowledge on how best to store them is also crucial to keep them looking like new. Storing jewelry made with similar material is best, as mixing gold plated ones with silver can make everything tarnish quickly. You can individually wrap them in cloth, store them in baggies or even invest in a jewelry box with dividers. Better yet, keeping them in a jewelry box is also a good alternative. You can check out the La Hera Travel Bag and Jewelry Box, as these can assure that your jewelry are safe and sound.

Those were just easy steps, weren’t they? So always keep them in mind, so that your jewelry will always look good as new.