How to Clean Yellow Gold
March 29th, 2022 / Alese Oldenburg
Jewelry is beloved for its brightness, brilliance, sparkle, and shine and treasured for its enduring and exceptional quality. To keep all of its very best features intact, however, fine jewelry does require a bit of special care and attention. Yellow gold jewelry, in particular, can be quite soft relative to jewelry made of stronger metals such as platinum. That means this precious metal is more prone to scratches, but with proper care and regular cleaning, your yellow gold jewelry will maintain its lustrous appearance. Keep reading to learn how to clean a yellow gold diamond ring, such as your engagement ring, and other yellow gold jewelry.
How to Care for Yellow Gold Jewelry
Maintaining the quality and appearance of your yellow gold jewelry requires more than just cleaning and polishing. Here are a few of our expert tips to keep your yellow gold jewelry shining for years to come.
Remove it Often
There are two trains of thought when it comes to removing fine jewelry. Some people say that you should never take it off, as you run the risk of losing it or having it stolen. Others believe you should remove it whenever you’re not wearing it to avoid unintentional damage and keep it from showing signs of wear. There are pros and cons to both approaches. We say that jewelry, especially your engagement and wedding rings, is meant to be worn. However, there are a few non-negotiable instances where we encourage you to take it off and keep it in a safe place, such as a fine jewelry box.
Three of these instances are when you are cleaning, when you are showering, and when you are being active. A simple, everyday chore such as doing the dishes can wreak havoc on rings over time as they bump up against plates, pans, countertops, and sinks. Not only could you scratch or dent the metal surface of your ring, but you could knock a stone loose too. Many cleaning products also contain harsh chemicals that can wear away the metal on your jewelry. The same damage can be done when working out. Activities such as weight lifting and cycling mean metal is rubbing up against metal, which can lead to damage, but even activities sans weights can cause you to rip a bracelet or necklace away. In terms of metal type, yellow gold is a soft metal that requires special care. Also see our article on rose gold vs yellow gold for more information on types of metal for an engagement ring.
When it comes to showering, it’s best to remove all jewelry from earrings and necklaces to bracelets and rings. All of these pieces can easily get caught in your hair and slip down the drain, or get clogged with conditioner and lotion and lose their sparkle.
The one caveat to these rules? Never remove your jewelry in a public place. If you’re going to the gym, remove it before you leave your house. If you’re washing dishes at a friend’s, leave the ring on. It is better to avoid potentially leaving your ring behind or losing it than to take it off.
Keep it in a Safe Place
When you do take your jewelry off, always place it in a secure location where it will not only be safe from falling down the drain or slipping behind the dresser but also from surfaces and other pieces of jewelry that could scratch or damage it. Gold is a soft metal that can easily scratch, so it shouldn’t even come into contact with other pieces of your jewelry. Place each piece in its own designated box or fabric bag to preserve its quality. Another good idea is to keep ring dishes by the sink and on your nightstand so you have an easy place to put your ring when you remove it.
Clean it Regularly
The best way to keep your yellow gold jewelry looking as good as it did the first day you wore it, in addition to treating it in the ways above, is to clean it regularly. Every day dirt, particles, and products build up in the tiny crevices of jewelry settings and stones, which can cause jewelry to appear dull and even dingy. Clean your yellow gold jewelry every few weeks and it will retain its luster.
How to Clean Yellow Gold Jewelry
Thankfully, cleaning your jewelry will only require a few minutes of your day every few weeks. Additionally, it can be done with products you likely already have on hand, so it won’t require any additional funds. Follow these steps to learn how to clean yellow gold jewelry gently and easily without an expensive jewelry cleaner.
Step 1: Gather Supplies
You’ll need a soft cloth, a small bowl or container, mild dish soap, water, and a toothbrush. Set up your jewelry cleaning station by adding a few drops of dish soap as your cleaning agent (using a mild soap is key) to your bowl and filling it with warm water. It’s best to use a bowl made of a soft material for your cleaning solution such as plastic or to place a soft cloth in the bottom of the bowl to make sure it doesn’t scratch the jewelry.
Step 2: Soak the Jewelry
Once your station is set up, all you need to do is drop your yellow gold jewelry into the bowl and let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Once the jewelry has soaked, dampen the toothbrush and use it to softly brush away dirt and debris around the setting that has been loosened during the soak.
Step 3: Rinse and Dry
Set the jewelry aside on a dry cloth while you rinse out the bowl and fill it with clean water. Then, rinse the jewelry in the bowl of fresh water and pat your clean gold dry with a soft cloth (like polishing cloth or a microfiber cloth). Avoid rinsing the jewelry under the faucet to keep it from accidentally slipping out of your hands and down the drain.
How To Clean a Yellow Gold Diamond Ring
Diamonds are the hardest of gemstones, harder than most metals, so you don’t have to worry about them scratching or absorbing any solution when you clean them. Thus, you can clean a yellow gold diamond ring safely the same way you clean the rest of your yellow gold jewelry. Follow the steps above and your ring will look good as new.
Another great way to clean a yellow gold diamond ring when you’re on the go is to use a specially formulated cleaning wipe or pen. There are plenty of great jewelry cleaning products that you can easily toss in your purse and safely use on your engagement ring when you’re out and about and notice it’s lacking a bit of its signature sparkle.
Also see our blog on the best diamond color for yellow gold.
How to Ensure Your Diamond Ring Lasts
If you are considering a yellow gold engagement ring, but are worried about its durability, a 14 karat gold setting may be right for you. Compared to 18 karat gold, 14 karat gold is much stronger because it contains fewer gold alloys. Because gold is a relatively soft metal, the fewer gold alloys present, the more durable the metal. All of our yellow gold engagement rings at Diamond Nexus are made with 14K gold to give you a finish that is just as durable as it is beautiful.
Over the course of the lifetime of your diamond jewelry, it’s a good idea to have your ring professionally cleaned one to two times per year. When you visit a jeweler to have it cleaned, have them also inspect the setting and ensure all of the stones are securely fastened. This will keep your ring sparkling and help you avoid any costly losses while you’re at it.
Finally, for good measure, it is always a good idea to purchase insurance coverage for your engagement ring or large fine jewelry purchases in case the worst occurs and they are lost or stolen.
Every piece of fine jewelry comes with a responsibility to care for it, but when you learn how to clean yellow gold jewelry, from your necklaces to your engagement ring, and care for it daily, you’ll realize that this is a small commitment to make to ensure its beauty lasts for decades to come.
Sources:
How to Take Care of your Engagement Ring
*Here at Diamond Nexus, we strive to provide valuable information while being clear and honest about our products. The Nexus Diamond™ alternative is a patented lab created diamond simulant that, among all simulants, most closely imitates the look, weight and wear of a diamond, with two exceptions – it is absolutely perfect in every way, and it costs significantly less. Price points and environmental facts expressed in this blog were taken from popular online retailers and may vary. Learn more about the environmental impact of mining by visiting our blog.