The safe way to clean a gold necklace or ring
Line a bowl with a cloth, or work over a closed drain, because this is how chains disappear. Fill it with warm, not hot, water and add a small amount of plain washing up liquid. Let the piece soak for ten or fifteen minutes to soften whatever is on it, then work gently with a very soft toothbrush, paying attention to the back of settings where skin oil and soap collect and dull the stones from underneath. Rinse in clean water and dry with a soft lint free cloth.
That is it. Solid gold does not tarnish, so anything dulling it is dirt rather than corrosion, and dirt comes off with soap.
What damages gold jewellery
- Toothpaste. It is an abrasive. It will brighten metal by removing a layer of it, and it leaves a haze of fine scratches on gold, which is soft.
- Bleach and chlorine. Genuinely destructive. Chlorine attacks the alloy metals in gold and can make a ring brittle enough to crack at the shank. Take gold off before a swimming pool or a hot tub.
- Baking soda, salt and foil. The internet remedy for silver. It is an abrasive and a chemical reaction, and it has no business near gold or gemstones.
- Ultrasonic cleaners. Fine for a plain gold band, dangerous for many set pieces. See below.
- Polishing cloths on antique pieces. They remove metal, and on an antique they remove the patina that proves age.
The stones that must never go in an ultrasonic cleaner
Ultrasonic cleaners work by driving microscopic bubbles against the surface. On a plain band that is harmless. On a stone with a fracture, a treatment or water in its structure it can be ruinous, and the damage happens in seconds.
Keep these out entirely: emeralds, which are almost always oil treated, and the vibration drives the oil out and can extend existing fractures; opals, which contain water and can craze; pearls, which are organic and have a thin nacre surface that dulls and lifts; turquoise, coral, amber and lapis, which are porous or soft; and any stone you know to be fracture filled or dyed. Diamonds, sapphires and rubies in sound settings are generally safe, but if a stone is loose in its setting, ultrasonic cleaning is how it ends up down the drain.
Do not clean it before you sell it
This is the part that costs people real money, and it is the opposite of what instinct suggests. For scrap and melt gold, cleaning changes nothing: we test purity and weigh, and dirt weighs nothing. So there is no benefit.
For anything antique, collectible or signed, cleaning can actively reduce the value. Patina in recesses is evidence of age and originality, and a buyer pays for that. A polished antique piece looks reproduced. On coins the effect is severe and permanent, and a cleaned coin is marked down by every grader who sees it. We would rather see a dark, dull, tarnished piece than a bright one that has been worked on.
Bring it as it is. If it turns out cleaning would help presentation for a private sale, we will say so.
What if it is plated rather than solid?
Then cleaning is a risk in itself, because the gold layer is thin and any abrasion goes straight through it, usually at the edges and high points where it is thinnest. If a gold coloured piece is tarnishing, greening or marking your skin, it is plated over another metal, and rubbing it harder will only take the plating off faster. Our gold facts page covers how to tell, and why solid gold does not tarnish in the first place.
Dull, tarnished, tangled or broken: none of it reduces what we pay for solid gold. Tested and weighed in front of you, paid the same day. Call (732) 483-4145 or walk in.
Bring it as it is, to any of our 8 storesCleaning gold FAQs
How do I clean gold jewellery at home?
Soak it in warm water with a little washing up liquid for ten to fifteen minutes, brush gently with a very soft toothbrush including the back of settings, rinse and dry with a soft lint free cloth. Work over a cloth lined bowl or a closed drain. Solid gold does not tarnish, so anything dulling it is dirt.
Can I use toothpaste to clean gold?
No. Toothpaste is an abrasive: it brightens metal by removing a layer of it and leaves a haze of fine scratches on gold, which is soft. Plain soap and warm water do the job without damage.
Which stones must not go in an ultrasonic cleaner?
Emeralds, opals, pearls, turquoise, coral, amber and lapis, plus any stone known to be fracture filled or dyed. Emeralds are oil treated and the vibration drives the oil out, opals contain water and can craze, and pearls have a thin nacre surface that dulls and lifts.
Should I clean jewellery before selling it?
No. For scrap gold it changes nothing, because we test purity and weigh, and dirt weighs nothing. For antique, collectible or signed pieces cleaning can reduce value permanently, because patina is evidence of age. On coins the damage is severe and every grader sees it.
Why does my gold chain turn my skin green?
Because it is plated or low grade rather than solid gold. Solid gold is among the least reactive elements and does not tarnish or mark skin. Rubbing a plated piece harder only removes the thin gold layer faster, usually at the edges first.