You can save discoloured gold jewelry

Sure, it sounds kind of odd to put your gold jewelry in a glass of lager, but it’s for a good cause! Do you have some gold jewelry lying around that you don’t wear because it has changed colour over the years and it just looks grimy now? That’s a shame, because you can easily revive gold jewelry with this simple trick. All you need is your jewelry, some beer and a clean cloth.

Dull-looking and discoloured jewelry and beer are a ‘golden’ combination.

Oxidation

Let’s start at the beginning. Silver jewelry reacts to environmental substances, such as air, water and dust. This makes it look dull and dark. Especially oxygen makes them look darker, but water also causes corrosion. We call this process oxidation. Pure gold cannot oxidize. However, pure gold is too soft to forge jewelry from.

Diamond silver

Did you know that jewelry like diamond (or fake diamond) rings can be made to shine again if you brush them with a soft toothbrush and a little bit of toothpaste? You can also use this trick for your silver jewelry. Afterwards, rinse the jewelry with water and let it dry.

Jewelry

Because pure gold is too brittle to use, your gold jewelry is usually made out of copper, nickel or zinc surrounded with gold plating. These materials can oxidize, which is why your gold jewelry can start looking a little worse for wear.

Go to the next page to read all about how you can make your gold jewelry look perfect again and to watch the video!