At Antonia Guise we often get asked what the best way to clean Gold Vermeil jewellery is. As Gold Vermeil is Silver plated in 24ct gold it’s very important that you care for the jewellery properly to make sure the plating stays shiny in good condition.
In this article I’ll walk you through the best ways to make sure your plated jewellery lasts as long as possible. As the Founder and Designer of a jewellery brand, Antonia Guise, who create Gold Vermeil luxury pieces I’m experienced in caring for Gold Vermeil to make sure it looks it’s best all the time.
Pretty much everyone will have some sort of plated piece of jewellery in their jewellery box as most demi-fine, mid-range brands use the plating technique to deliver Gold products to the customer at a fraction of the price of solid gold. Most companies use Silver as the metal the Gold is plated onto, which means that over time your piece might start to show signs of Oxidisation. Silver reacts with Oxygen in air and water slowly producing a dark layer which dulls the Gold Plating making it less shiny. So, it’s important to know how to care for it properly.
To care for your jewellery you don’t need lots of fancy equipment, just some fairy liquid, an old, clean toothbrush and a Gold Polishing cloth – I like to use Town Talk’s Gold Polishing Cloth. If you don’t have a Gold Polishing Cloth then find a soft, clean and lint free piece of cloth instead.
The Gold Polishing Cloth great because it’s impregnated with polishing and cleaning agents and will ensure that any oxidisation that may have occurred on your piece will come clean off.
If your jewellery has lots of intricate bits to its design the toothbrush is perfect to get into those areas to remove any dirt.
There are only a few quick steps to getting your jewellery back to it’s shiny best and anyone can do it. Start by pouring a little hot water and fairy liquid into a small bowl. It’s best not to clean jewellery in the sink without a bowl, just in case the worst happens and you jewellery goes down the plug hole.
Taking your toothbrush very carefully brush the piece of jewellery making sure you don’t apply too much pressure. When you’ve been over the whole piece give the jewellery a quick rinse under cold water. If you’re cleaning gold earrings be sure to give the earring posts and earring backs a good clean too.
Dry the jewellery with a soft, lint free cloth being careful not to rub too hard. If you’re jewellery has gone a little dull – this happens a lot to earrings as they come into contact with a hair shampoo and tend to be touched a lot – then this will go a long way to making them look more alive again.
If your gold-plated jewellery has loss some shine, or has started to oxidise then the Gold Polishing cloth will sort this out for you. Gently polish the piece with the cloth, again not pressing too hard. You’ll notice the cloth starts to go a bit black, this is the oxidisation rubbing off.
For jewellery with scratches on it follow the above steps, and use the polishing cloth too, but be careful not to ‘scrub’ at the scratches. Some of them may lift a little, but scratching is a fact of life when it comes to well loved jewellery, particularly gold necklaces. It might be that finding a jeweller and asking if you can have the piece polished and re-plated is your best bet if they are deep and noticeable.
By the end of this process your jewellery should be looking more like it did when you first unwrapped it. Remember all Antonia Guise jewellery comes with a 3 year guarantee, meaning that we will re-plate any pieces that have deep scratches or look tired for you. All you need to do is email; hello@antoniaguise.co.uk and we’ll get it sorted for you.