The purpose of gold is its brilliance. While it doesn't tarnish like silver, over time gold will form a greasy, dirty film from skin lotions, powders, soaps and oils. And gold that has been alloyed with other metals, such as copper, silver or nickel, can tarnish and stain. One of the most common questions we receive here at All In Faith is “Does gold jewelry tarnish? Gold in its purest form does not tarnish, however, the gold used for jewelry mixes with other metals, allowing it to tarnish.
Let's take a closer look at what constitutes gold jewelry and how you can prevent or repair tarnished gold jewelry. Because of its durability, 14-carat gold maintains its brilliance for many years. The silver content means it can tarnish over time, but it can be washed and polished at home with a little warm water, dish soap and vinegar. Your gold jewelry can shine like new again with a simple gold cleaning solution that you can prepare at home.
While this may seem negative, pure gold is soft and easily scratched and, therefore, most gold used in high-end jewelry has a purity of between 10 and 18 carats or (41 to 75%). It may take a while before your 18-carat gold-plated jewelry starts to tarnish, but it will tarnish over time. Depending on the percentage of other metals mixed with gold, there is a chance of tarnishing; the lower the number of carats, the more likely it is to tarnish;. When you start adding other metals, all of which are more reactive than gold, the risk of tarnishing starts to increase.
If you have some gold jewelry and want to know if the tarnishing process has already occurred, take a closer look at them. A ring with a higher proportion of gold and alloy will be more susceptible to wear and tear and will need to be actively maintained to prevent warping. If the jeweler wants to produce gold that looks yellow, he will use a mixture of silver and copper to produce the desired shade. However, it is very rare to find jewelry made of 100% pure gold, as it is very soft and easily damaged.
I never thought about cleaning my gold pieces because I thought that the opacity of time was just what jewelry looked like. Gold jewelry has been very popular for thousands of years all over the world and is still precious and prized in the modern era. Jewelry made of gold dates back further than most jewelry and is one of the most commonly transmitted types of jewelry. However, smaller carat gold jewelry tarnishes at a slower rate than sterling silver, another popular choice in jewelry.
