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Pure gold is extremely unlikely to tarnish. But pure gold is too soft to make jewelry out of and hence usually other metals such as silver or copper are mixed to make jewelry. The addition of these metals can cause your jewelry to tarnish as it allows reacting to oxygen, moisture and/ or sulphur in the air and will eventually turn your gold jewelry to a darkish black shade. Hence it is important to give your gold jewelry a regular cleaning. Here are some tips that will help you keep your gold shiny and new looking for life while avoiding the dangers of tarnish.

To clean gold without any other gemstones:

• To clean your gold jewelry which does not have any pearls, crystals or any other gemstones put it into a container full of slightly warm water mixed with a mild detergent or a dish washing liquid. Gently rub the ornaments with a cotton swab or simply use your fingers. For really grimy or dirty ornaments, use a soft tooth brush. Be extremely gentle as gold is very easily scratched. Never use baking soda or tooth paste to clean any sort of gold ornaments as these cleaning agents are too abrasive and will harm your jewelry. Make sure you use only extra mild non-phosphate based cleaning agents.
• Once done rinse your ornaments well with some warm water and then wipe with a soft and dry cotton cloth. Do not use tissues since they are made of wood which could scratch your jewelry. Let the ornaments air dry for a while, leave overnight if necessary. Moisture content can tarnish your ornaments and hence its very important for your jewelry to be completely dry before putting away.
• If after cleaning you ornaments are looking a little dull rub them gently with a polishing cloth made specially for jewelry. Once again wipe with a clean and dry cloth and then put it away.

Using a machine to clean:

• If your ornaments are still dark after the above process it might just need some machine cleaning. Many jewelers possess some kind of automatic cleaning machines, such as steam or ionic cleaner or an ultrasonic cleaner and have a lot or experience in cleaning jewelry. It might be a good idea to take their advice on that cleaning method to follow.
• The machines available at jewelry stores will be more effective in cleaning gold equipment than the equipment sold commercially for using at home.

Cleaning by a professional:

• Gold jewelry that is clean and yet doesn’t have a new shiny look or has been scratched might need some extensive and detailed polishing to look as good as new again. It might be a good idea to hand it over to a professional to clean in such cases. A professional will use abrasive paper and not a polishing cloth and hence is a job for a professional. Such a job will reduce the weight of your jewelry and waste precious gold and hence its a better idea to store the gold well in the first place.

Additional tips:

• Keep each piece of jewelry separate from the other to avoid getting scratches.
• To store for long periods use an air tight bag or roll it up in an anti tarnish tissue.
• Keep you jewelry away from rubber.
• Do not wear gold in a hot tub or a swimming pool as this contains ammonia which is bad for metal. Its a good idea to remove any ornaments before a bath too.
• Do not use newspaper of cling wrap to store gold as these might contain sulphur
• Remember storing gold properly will avoid any damage and you might never have to clean it in the first place.

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