This is how you prevent discolouration of your gold jewellery.

How to prevent discolouration of your gold jewellery

You've just purchased a beautiful piece of gold jewelry, a delicate ring , or a pair of stunning earrings . But after a while, you notice something strange: the color changes; the jewelry seems to become duller or even slightly darker. How is that possible? It's gold, after all. In this blog post, you'll discover exactly why gold jewelry can discolor and, more importantly, how you can easily prevent this. Read on and keep your jewelry radiantly beautiful!

Why does gold tarnish?

Although gold is known as a durable and precious metal, pure gold (24 karat) is naturally very soft. Therefore, jewelry is usually made from an alloy: a combination of gold with other metals such as copper, silver, or zinc. These added metals can react to external influences, causing discoloration.

Carat and discoloration:

• 24 carat gold (99.9% pure): Virtually no tarnishing, but too soft for everyday use.
• 18 carat gold (75% pure): Has a warm colour and is reasonably resistant to discolouration.
• 14 carat gold (58.5% pure): Stronger and cheaper, but discolours faster due to the higher percentage of copper or silver.
• 9 carat gold (37.5% pure): Most susceptible to discoloration due to its low gold content.

The lower the carat, the greater the chance that the jewelry will discolor due to chemical reactions with the skin or environment.

Causes of discoloration

There are several reasons why your gold jewelry can discolor over time. Here are the main causes:

• Contact with skin oils and sweat
  Sweat contains acids and salts that can react with the alloy metals, especially in warm weather or during exercise.
• Use of cosmetics
  Perfumes, lotions, sunscreen and makeup can chemically react with your jewelry, causing tarnishing or discoloration.
• Cleaning agents and chemicals
  Household products, chlorine and cleaning agents are aggressive and can affect the color of gold.
• Water and humidity
  Regular showering or swimming with jewelry can cause oxidation, especially with lower carat gold.
• Physical pH value
  Some people have more acidic skin, which leads to faster discoloration of metals.

How can I prevent discoloration?

Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to keep your gold jewelry in top condition. Below are some practical tips:

• Remove jewelry when showering, exercising or swimming
  This way you avoid contact with water, sweat and soap.
• Allow perfumes and lotions to absorb first
  Apply cosmetics before putting on your jewelry to avoid chemical reactions.
• Store jewelry in a dry, closed box
  Prevent exposure to air and moisture, for example with a jewelry box or ziplock bag.
• Polish jewelry regularly with a soft cloth
  This is how you remove grease, dirt and sweat residue that builds up.
• Avoid contact with cleaning agents
  Do not wear jewelry while doing housework.

What to do in case of discoloration?

Has your gold jewelry tarnished? Don't panic! Follow these steps to make it shine again:

1. Clean the jewelry carefully
   Use a mild solution of lukewarm water with a few drops of dish soap. Let the jewelry soak for 10-15 minutes.
2. Use a soft toothbrush
   Gently brush the jewelry to loosen dirt, especially in small corners.
3. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry
   Use a soft, clean cloth to pat the jewelry dry.
4. Polish with a jewelry cloth
   This will remove any remaining tarnish and make the gold shine again.
5. Have it professionally cleaned (optional)
   Is the discoloration persistent? Then take your jewelry to a jeweler for a deep cleaning or polishing.