Does Gold Need To Be Polished?

We are all captivated by gold, its bright and shiny appearance is attractive and dazzling, so it’s no wonder why the precious metal is used to create so many types of jewelry. Gold is not only beautiful, it is a soft metal. This means that it needs to be taken care of to keep it in good condition. 

So, gold needs to be cleaned regularly. But, does gold also need to be polished?

Gold does need to be polished and for most jewelry this should be done once or twice a year. If you rarely wear the jewelry it can be polished less often. Polishing your gold jewelry can help keep the precious metal shiny. As you wear gold jewelry often, you expose it to many elements and polishing will help remove the effects of those elements. 

Gold needs to be maintained, but depending on the type of gold, it can be more or less durable. Since gold is soft, it is mixed with  metal alloys to make it more durable. These alloys give the piece strength and can also give it a certain color. Pure gold is yellow, but yellow gold jewelry is still mixed with metal alloys for durability.

Yellow gold is a combination of pure gold, copper, silver, and zinc. This type of gold is hypoallergenic and out of all the colors of gold, requires the least amount of maintenance. 

White gold is made up of pure gold mixed with either platinum or palladium. It can also be made from a combination of palladium, zinc and nickel which is a cheaper option. These silver colored metals give white gold its silvery white color. White gold is more scratch-resistant and durable than yellow gold however it is often rhodium plated. 

White gold jewelry that is rhodium plated will need to be redipped (be rhodium plated again) about every few years depending on how often you wear the jewelry. If it’s a wedding ring that is worn all of the time you will likely need to get it re rhodium plated every couple of years. 

Rose gold is a pure gold, silver, and copper combination. Because of the copper content, it is more durable and longer-lasting than yellow or white gold. Even though it contains these durable metals, rose gold can still become damaged or lose its luster. Over time it will start to appear dull from everyday wear and tear. 

When this happens, you need to polish your gold to bring back its shine. Every 6-12 months your gold jewelry will need to be polished by either a professional jeweler or yourself using a polishing kit. 

Just make sure you don’t polish your gold jewelry too often as it can cause the gold to wear down faster if you polish it too often (since polishing will typically remove a tiny layer of gold each time that it is done). 

To see the most popular jewelry polishing kits so you can polish your gold jewelry whenever you want to just click here. 

How Can I Make My Gold Shiny Again?

Do you love wearing your gold jewelry? Maybe you have a gold engagement or wedding ring that you wear daily. Or maybe you have a dainty gold chain or some glittering gold earrings that go well with so many of your outfits. 

If this is the case, then you probably want to keep it looking shining and sparkly. You may be wondering how you can make your gold shiny again?

You can make your gold shiny again by polishing it. This can bring back its luster and make it sparkle just like new. Polishing gold is simple and easy to do yourself at home or you can take it to a jeweler to have them polish it for you.

Let’s take a look at the different ways you can polish gold:

• Regular polishing

• Fill a bowl with water, a small amount of baking soda and dish soap.
• Place the gold in this mixture and leave it for a few minutes.
• Using a soft bristled toothbrush (a smaller toothbrush will work best), scrub the gold gently and be sure to get in any crevices.
• Rinse the gold thoroughly under warm water.
• Examine to see if there is any tarnish left on the gold.
• If it is clean, use a soft cloth to dry the gold with (don’t use paper towels or abrasive cloths that could scratch it) or let it air dry.
• Gently wipe the gold with a jeweler’s cloth removing any leftover debris.
• Repeat wiping the gold with the jeweler’s cloth to increase its shine.

• Removing scratches:

• Add some water and dish soap to a bowl
• Using a clean cloth, dip it into the mixture and rub the gold gently
• Wash the gold with water and air dry.
• Wearing gloves, mix 1 part ammonia and 6 parts water in a bowl.
• Immerse the gold in the mixture and let it sit for one minute (don’t leave it in there for longer than this).
• Examine the gold to see if any scratches remain on it.
• Wipe the gold with a tissue or let it air dry
• Repeat the last 2 steps as many times as you need to to remove scratches from the gold.

• Protecting your gold:

• Avoid wearing gold jewelry when you are exercising or doing an activity that makes you sweat. If you sweat while wearing the gold, wipe your gold jewelry off with a soft cloth afterward.
• Avoid using lotion, perfume or spray while wearing gold. These chemicals can damage it.
• Avoid bumping into things while wearing gold or handling rough materials since this can scratch and damage it.
• Avoid wearing the gold when you don’t need to such as when you are at home.  If your gold isn’t very durable, then avoid wearing it all the time.
• Avoid using chemical products when you’re wearing gold. These inculcate cleaning products that contain chemicals.

How Often Does Gold Need To Be Polished?

The more gold is worn, the more dull it will appear. If you own some gold jewelry, then you know that this can happen just from wearing it a lot. When this happens, it needs to be cleaned and polished. 

We already discussed that gold needs to be polished. Taking care of your gold is key to preventing it from getting damaged. But how often does gold need to be polished?

You don’t need to polish gold too often since this can damage it. Ideally, the precious metal needs to be polished once or twice a year. Polishing can restore the beautiful shine of the gold but polishing too often can wear down your gold jewelry. 

Now, you want to be careful when you are polishing your gold. When you are polishing your gold jewelry, you should be very gentle. It is recommended not to take gold into a jeweler for polishing too often. This is because every time it is polished by a buffing wheel, it can wear a micro layer of gold away. Little by little it will wear down the gold layer on the piece. 

This is why you don’t want to polish gold too often.

Although polishing makes your gold jewelry look shiny and new again, doing it too much can be bad for your jewelry. It can wear down the gold and damage the mountings on the piece. If your gold needs to be polished because it is starting to lose its shine, sometimes a cleaning can help with revealing your gold’s luster. 

You can still polish your gold, or take it into a jeweler to be polished, just not too often. Gold only needs to be polished once or twice a year at most and if the piece isn’t worn often it can often go multiple years in between polishings. 

Final Thoughts

It is good to polish your gold, but not all the time. Cleaning your gold regularly is essential, but you should only polish it at most once or twice a year. 

You can polish your gold or take it to a jeweler to be polished. Gold does need to be polished every once in a while to remove scratches and keep it shiny but it shouldn’t be done weekly or monthly as that can cause your jewelry to wear out before it needs to.