What actually damages your gold
It is neither water nor soap. Five habits that add ten years to a piece.
The question we hear most is “can I shower with it?”. The answer is yes. Water and mild soap do gold no harm. What damages it lies elsewhere, and is often counter-intuitive.
Chlorine
This is the real culprit. Chlorine attacks the alloy metals — copper and zinc — and weakens the metal’s structure from within. A chain worn daily in a hot tub eventually snaps at a link, without warning. Take pieces off before the pool and the spa, not before the shower.
Perfume and creams
Alcohols and oils leave a film that dulls the surface and lodges under a setting’s prongs, where it kills the stone. Get dressed, apply your fragrance, then put on your jewellery. It is the highest-return habit on this list.
Storing loose
Two pieces rubbing in a pouch scratch each other. Hard gold scratches soft gold: a 10K bangle will mark an 18K band. Store each piece separately in a soft cloth, and hang chains rather than coiling them.
Cleaning at home
Warm water, a drop of dish soap, a soft toothbrush, two minutes, rinse, dry with a cloth. Nothing else. Toothpaste is abrasive, so is baking soda, and consumer ultrasonic baths can dislodge a poorly set stone.
Once a year, have the prongs and clasp checked. With us it is free, for life, on pieces bought in store — and it is what prevents losing a stone.
A question this article does not settle? Write to [email protected] or call 1 833 295-2345. We answer ourselves.
