What common cleaning chemical will damage gold? Chlorine. Never use chlorinated bleach to clean your gold, and you should also be careful if you use chlorinated bleach to wash clothing. You'll also want to avoid exposure to chlorine in swimming pools and hot tubs, as even this can damage gold.
We were reminded this earlier in February that many people aren't aware of the damage bleach and chlorine can cause to gold. Both cause a chemical reaction that disintegrates the alloys in the jewelry over time. (Nearly all gold jewelry is alloyed, because pure gold is too soft on its own.)
Chlorine turns gold karat jewelry black:
The effect upon chlorine on gold jewelry which is not pure 24K gold is to turn it black, due to a chemical reaction between the chlorine and various alloys which are mixed with gold to make it more durable.
First, never use harsh cleaners such as bleach or chlorine as they can break down the base metals of your jewelry. Abrasive products such as toothpaste or baking soda can scratch your gold and silver so stay away from those. It is best to use warm water with a drop of mild liquid soap and clean with a soft toothbrush.
Chlorine is gold's worst enemy: with repeated exposure, chlorine will weaken your gold jewelry's structure and eventually lead to it breaking. Make sure to take your jewelry off before getting in a pool or spa. Cover or remove while cleaning: household cleaners with acids or abrasives will damage your jewelry's finish.
Pure bleach will turn your silver ring black! These are all harsh chemicals that can break down some of the base metals in your ring, dulling the finish, and actually damaging porous colored gemstones.
The acid in the vinegar can damage these delicate stones, leaving your jewelry looking less than its best. If you have gold jewelry with stones and want to clean it well, use mild soap and lukewarm water instead.
No, gold will not turn black when you burn it with a lighter. If your gold jewelry turns black when you hold a lighter to it, it's most likely fake.
Polishing Gold
Standard commercial gold polishes will quickly and safely clean gold jewelry when applied with a soft chamois cloth. If your gold jewelry has begun to tarnish, you can remove the tarnish by making a lukewarm water and dish soap mixture with just a few drops of ammonia.
Never use toothpaste, baking soda, or a commercial metal cleaner on gold. If you use these abrasives, you may scratch the gold. Never use bleach.
Gold is an extremely soft metal and baking soda is an abrasive cleaner, says Franco. It will scratch ruin the finish and cause the plating to wear off.
The only way gold could truly be destroyed is through nuclear reactions. However, there does exist a way to dissolve gold using “Aqua Regia,” which is a mix of hydrochloric and nitric acids.
Rubbing alcohol can work wonders, but bleach can literally destroy jewelry so avoid it at all costs. Using warm water is the best bet when cleaning your own jewelry.
Jewelers use ultrasonic cleaners with high frequency sound waves and chemicals, which create bubbles that latch on to the dirt on the diamond. The high frequency sound waves pull the dirt away from the stone and bring them up to the surface.
Dish soap
Pour about 3 drops of a mild dish soap into a bowl of warm water (you could also follow the rule of 1 drop per half glass of warm water). Stir to mix and then, place the gold jewellery in the solution for about 5-7 minutes depending on how tarnished it is.
Gold jewelry can be cleaned with dish soap, ammonia glass cleaner, or even just hot water. As with silver, you can give it a good scrub when necessary, but be sure to use a soft toothbrush or other small brush designed specifically for jewelry.
An effective tool specifically formulated to remove tarnish from sterling silver, silver plate, platinum, copper, gold, diamonds and jewelry. Do not use on stainless steel, chrome, pewter, aluminum, brass, artificially oxidized silver, lacquered surfaces, pearls or porous stones.
You can also fill a cup or glass with white vinegar, and drop your gold in it, let it soak for 5-8 minutes, take it out and rinse with water. If the metal has changed its color even slightly, then the gold is not pure but if it keeps shining, then the gold is pure.
However, bleach can change the color of the metal. After some time, the aluminum surface may darken or even turn black. So if you're planning to clean a pot or pan that you want to keep silver and shiny, avoid using bleach.
You should definitely remove your ring before handling bleach or other chemicals. Chemicals can damage the metals used to alloy gold for diamond settings, and abrasive cleaning products or cleaning brushes can scratch the gold.
Black will most often discharge to a red or orange color when bleached. The result will be slightly different depending on the exact composition of the black. Contrary to what you might think, black does not discharge to grey.