Caring For Your 18k Gold-Plated Jewelry

Although gold-plated jewelry is known to be durable, the microns-thick layer of gold is still vulnerable to flaking off, tarnishing, or reacting with chemicals and other metals. To keep your Shop Simpli jewelry looking fresh all year round, you’ll want to take special care when cleaning your rings, necklaces, and earrings.

If you’re entirely new to owning gold-plated jewelry, follow these 3 simple steps to keep your pieces in tiptop shape.

Gently cleaning your rings after every use can increase their lifespan significantly!

1. Clean Gently 

You can wear your Shop Simpli collection all the time without having to worry too much about tarnishing. However, removing said jewelry after every wear to give them a gentle cleaning helps maintain their luster. A regular cloth is too abrasive for gold-plating, so use a cotton ball or soft cloth (preferably microfiber) to lightly remove dirt, dust, and oils.

For pieces that you wear more regularly, wash them every few weeks with a warm water and fragrance-free soap solution. Steer clear from using traditional jewelry cleaners, antibacterial soaps, and harsh chemicals because they will degrade the gold-plating and make your jewelry tarnish more quickly. Allow the jewelry to sit in the solution for just a few minutes, take them out, wipe them off, and voila! Your Baby Snake Huggies (https://shopsimplijewelry.com/collections/earrings/products/snake-earrings) are good as new!

1. Be Careful With Storage

Even if you’re diligent about cleaning your pieces after every use, you should also be mindful of how and where you store your treasures. The best way to be sure that your jewelry will maintain its shine is to keep like metals together and store pieces apart from one another when possible.

If metals rub up against each other, they will scratch and potentially expose the base metal underneath. Storing gold and silver-plated jewelry in the same compartment in your jewelry box will also cause the metals to react negatively and tarnish more quickly. Consider storing gold and silver in different drawers, or if that’s not an available option, separated in plastic bags. If you’re traveling, keep your jewelry in the original Shop Simpli bag or a small plastic bag to keep the metal in pristine condition.

Skip out on the beauty products after putting on your plated jewelry to avoid tarnishing.

1. Wear Your Jewelry Mindfully

If you’re guilty of wearing your jewelry all day, every day, you probably have experienced the woes of flaking and tarnishing before. Luckily, you can take a few precautions in your daily life to keep your favorite necklace looking as new as the day you bought it. 

Before putting any jewelry on, let lotions, oils, and other beauty products completely dry— spray perfumes on ahead of time as well for the best results. The chemicals and oils in these products can irritate the metal, tarnish it more quickly, and react negatively with your skin. While it is safe to shower or exercise while wearing your jewelry, the sweat and residual oils from your skin can cause it to lose its shine, so try not to do these things in excess.

While all of these tips may seem intimidating, incorporating a regular cleaning routine for your jewelry into your schedule only takes a few minutes per day. The results will speak for themselves when you’re wearing your link chains and huggie hoops years in the future with little sign of wear.

If you’re curious about the next steps in growing your jewelry collection, click here to check out our shop, and make sure you follow us on Instagram for all of our latest updates and promotions!