How to Clean Gold Rings, Jewellery and Trinkets at Home

As the most luxurious metal on the market, owners of gold will no doubt want to keep their most prized jewellery possessions in mint condition. Doing this is fairly easy if you know how to clean gold the right way. 

We recommend cleaning your gold rings, jewellery and trinkets each week at home, as well as having your items professionally cleaned at least once every six months. 

What Is The Best Way to Clean Gold Jewellery? 

Depending on the karat quality of your gold, your piece may be more prone to tarnishing. As a general rule, pieces above 24 karat gold tarnish at a much slower rate since this indicates the item is made of pure gold, rather than a mix of other metals. 

However, fine jewellery of this calibre does need a light cleaning to remove any residue left from skincare or natural oils that sit on the skin. 

Gold below the 24 karat threshold will need some closer attention. 

Most likely in your jewellery collection, you’ll possess pieces that are both above and below the 24 karat spec. Gold items above 24 karat gold have a softer surface making them vulnerable to scratches, so take note if you have an active lifestyle. 

That said, you should treat your most worn pieces like gold rings as though they are likely to tarnish by giving them a regular clean-up. 

To do this, you’ll need to use a professional jewellery cleaner that has a gel-like consistency.

While this cleaner may feel and look like dish soap, you should never use the household product as an alternative. Dish soap with unknown ingredients will sometimes add a layer of residue onto the surface of your gold, rather than clean it. 

When using jewellery cleaner, create a solution by diluting three to four drops of cleaner with warm water. From here, submerge your items in this liquid and soak for 15 minutes. 

After removing the item, you’ll want to use a soft cloth to wipe it clean. This works well on gold rings where there are no ridges and only a smooth, circular surface. With fine jewellery or trinkets with intricate designs, it might be necessary to use a soft, fine brush to remove the solution and dry the surface of hard-to-reach areas. If you need a tool like this, make sure to purchase a specialist, soft-bristled brush rather than a regular toothbrush as its abrasive texture could easily scratch the surface of gold. 

Also read: How to Clean Silver, Gold and Pearl Jewelry at Home 

How Can I Make My Gold Items Shiny? 

As well as removing dirt and residue from gold items, you’ll also want to restore shine. 

To make gold rings and other jewellery items return to their original state, you can add an extra step to your jewellery care routine. 

Usually, this comes in a form of liquid polish or polish wipes for convenience. 

When opting for liquid polish be careful not to saturate your cloth in too much polish — only add a few drops per item. A trinket may require three to four drops of polish while a gold ring may only need two drops before it looks shop-window sparkly. 

For this reason, polish wipes are probably the easiest method to employ. 

Each specialist jewellery wipe will have the perfect amount of polish for cleaning a singular item. 


Use your cloth or wipe to buff the gold surface, rather than using swiping motions. These circular motions will leave the surface streak-free and promote shine. 

If you have a particularly extensive jewellery collection you might consider purchasing a polishing machine similar to those used by a professional jeweller. These machines often use steam to clean the ring and restore shine in a singular step. Otherwise, the polishing method we’ve described above will quickly restore shine and leave your jewellery and trinkets ready for immediate use. 

How to Prevent Gold Wear and Tear 

Prevention is the best policy for gold care. We suggest making subtle lifestyle changes to ensure the longevity of your jewellery. 

The more substances gold comes into contact with the more likely it is to tarnish. For this reason, you should get into the habit of removing your jewellery when washing your hands, showering and cooking. During these activities, it’s easy for cosmetic products, soaps and cooking oils to build up residue on the surface of your jewellery, especially on gold rings. 

As an extra preventive step, you could also invest in natural cleaning and cosmetic products to reduce the risk of chemical contact.

Lastly, you’ll want to avoid dipping any gold jewellery into concentrated chlorine as this will begin to strip and corrode the surface of the metal — be strict about removing jewellery when taking a leisurely dip in a swimming pool. 

Being mindful of the journey that your jewellery takes throughout the day can make a huge difference to its lifecycle. Ultimately, a careful approach will allow your jewellery to last longer and your care routine will be much shorter as a result. 

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