How to Clean Plated Jewellery at Home

June 23, 2020

How to clean gold plated jewellery at home

We pride ourselves on the quality of our Francesca pieces as we believe that you deserve the best! At Francesca, we do not use flash plating (lower quality of gold, usually less than 0.25 microns thick). Instead, we use up to 3 microns of 14k gold plating, which is very high quality compared to industry standards.

Gold plating allows our designers to create more innovative and intricate shapes out of stronger silver or brass before gilding it in the good stuff. View our range of rose and yellow gold plated earrings, rings, charms and necklaces in our latest collection. Alternatively, visit our Hobart & Melbourne Central stores, we know you’ll be just as excited about our pieces as we are!

We want you to be proud of your Francesca pieces and have confidence in the quality, that’s why we offer a 3-month warranty on all of your pieces when you shop with us. We also want to make sure you can love your gold-plated pieces for longer and understand the desire to keep your pieces clean by giving them some TLC. Here are our tips on preventing tarnishing and cleaning your gold-plated jewellery:

Does rose gold/ yellow gold-plated jewellery tarnish?

Yes, as plated jewellery is a layer of gold placed on to the surface of another metal (usually sterling silver) to coat the piece, anything plated will eventually tarnish over time and wear.

How to prevent gold plated jewellery from tarnishing

As the items are not solid gold, extra care should be taken to diminish tarnishing and prolong the longevity of your pieces.
We recommend:

Do not spray perfume or other body sprays while wearing your gold-plated jewellery. These products often contain chemicals which can dissolve or tarnish the layers of gold on your piece. Instead, apply perfume before putting jewellery on for the day, this gives the products time to settle into the skin.
The same should be said for lotions and creams – wait for these products to dry/be absorbed before wearing plated rings, studs, bracelets or necklaces.
Avoid harsh substances like oils, polishes, nail polish remover and chlorine as these chemicals may react with the metals in the jewellery.
Avoid excessive sweating in your pieces or remove plated jewellery when exercising to reduce tarnishing.

How to clean rose gold and yellow gold-plated jewellery

We recommend:

Use a cotton ball or soft cloth (such as a cloth designed to clean glasses or camera lenses) and gently rub your piece to remove dust and dirt. Do not use a solid gold polishing cloth as this may strip away the plating.
Gentle wet wipes can also be used instead of polishing cloth.
Stay away from jewellery cleaners and antibacterial soaps which may tarnish your pieces prematurely. Instead, a combination of basic soap and warm water can be used to soak plated pieces for a few minutes then patted dry with a soft cloth can help restore shine!

How to store gold plated jewellery?

Keep your pieces looking like new by:

Storing like items together – different metals may react and cause each other to tarnish, fade or change colours. Keep your gold and silver jewellery separate by having different storage spaces for different colours of metals.
Ensure your pieces are stored in dry areas and kept in a jewellery box or on display in a space that won’t allow the pieces to be scratched or exposed to chemicals.

To have peace of mind when storing your beloved Francesca pieces, shop our jewellery boxes and storage here!

Now that you’ve read how to clean your gold-plated jewellery, you’ll be able to keep your favourite Francesca pieces looking pristine for years to come!

The gold-plated pieces we’ve been loving are:

The petite zodiac necklace, paired with either our 50cm or 80cm adjustable chain or our stunning bobble chain. Add your own unique meaning with our personalised charms!