Is it Possible for Real Gold to Tarnish?

Many people often assume that gold can’t tarnish. But the truth is that it can if you don’t know the best ways to use your jewelry and if you don’t take the right measures when it comes to storing your gold coins and bars. While you do have a valuable asset that will surely last long with proper maintenance, you could be putting your investment in the metal at risk if you don’t take proper care of it. 

Need answers to the question of why does real gold tarnish and what you can do to avoid damage to the metal? You will find below some of the best ways to keep your gold jewelry, coins, and bars safe always. 

Ways Real Gold Can Tarnish 

With many people looking to make an investment in precious metals in the coming years, there is no doubt that you want to know everything possible about how to make the right investment in gold and silver. Knowing the right places to buy jewelry or open a precious metals IRA, are some of the things you want to note depending on how you choose to invest. Still, if you decide to buy the physical asset, you want to make sure that you know all the tricks about keeping it safe. Below are some of the ways real gold can tarnish.

Exposure to Chemicals 

No doubt that metals react negatively with chemicals. And for gold, corrosive chemicals are a no-go when it comes to keeping them safe. You don’t need to expose them to a jar filled with Sulphur compounds before the metal corrodes. Gold exists naturally as a soft metal and needs to be alloyed to form jewelry so it can maintain a solid form. But common contaminants such as the chemicals in perfumes and creams applied during your makeover could promote corrosion of the metal. 

To avoid corrosion easily, you want to go for high karat options such as the 24karat gold as it is less susceptible to the action of oxygen and other elements that promotes corrosion. You can find more resources online that talk about the difference in karats when it comes to precious metals. 

Reaction with Water

It is also common that you will experience changes in the physical quality of your water if you leave your jewelry exposed to water constantly. Taking a bath with your watches, rings, and necklaces made out of the metal could be a fast way to promote tarnishing. There is also the fact that you don’t want to get into the pool with your jewelry on. 

While it can accommodate the occasion sweats that come with a hot day. You want to do well to clean the jewelry properly afterwards. It may also be best to take them off on days when you sweat profusely to keep them safe. This page has more on the dos and don’ts of buying jewelry. 

Not Cleaning Them Regularly            

Another thing is that your metals could be losing their value if you are not cleaning them regularly. And this means that it will be a good idea to know how to clean your gold jewelry properly if you want to prevent them from tarnishing. Even for the 24karat purest options, you will still need to get them for a professional cleaning session if you use them regularly at least once a year. 

You can find dealers in your area in high-value jewelry who can talk to you about how to clean your gold professionally. The goal is to do well to prevent exposure to dirt such as beach sand and other contaminants to ensure they maintain their value. 

Ways to Prevent your Gold from Tarnishing 

If you had taken the time to read through the points above on ways that real gold can tarnish, you already have some idea on how to prevent tarnishing. But all the same, I will elaborate more on some of the expert techniques used to get gold to last long and prevent tarnish to the metal.

Clean them Properly 

You want to make it a habit to clean your gold jewelry after a busy day to prevent them from tarnishing. This will help slow down the effect of corrosion even if it has been exposed to chemicals, oxygen, or water. Leaving them with cleaning after a long day of exposure to sweat will surely speed up the corrosion process. And you surely want to remember to get them away from any corrosive substance that can cause tarnishing. This link https://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Rings-from-Rusting has more on how to stop rings from rusting. 

There are several methods you can employ when it comes to cleaning your gold and to be safe, you want to stick to one of the methods depending on the one that suits you. 

Cleaning with Baking Soda

You can make use of baking soda to clean your jewelry as it is a mild alkali that can help remove dirt and slow down the effect of corrosion if you use the metal regularly. But you want to know that you should not use baking soda on the precious stones that are added to gold jewelry. Only use it on the metal part. 

Using a baking dish covered with aluminum foil, add in baking soda and toss in the gold jewelry, and add in boiling water to the top and cover with the foil for five minutes. This will allow the baking soda to soak into the metal. After five minutes take the object out and rinse in cold water for no more than 30 seconds. Clean dry with a soft cloth carefully until you’ve got all the dirt out. 

Cleaning with Dish Soap 

It is also possible to clean your precious jewelry with dish soap and water treatment. You want to avoid using detergent and soap with harsh chemicals that could promote tarnishing faster. Go for natural options that are mild and can do a good job of cleaning. Get a bowl of warm water and add in the dish soap and toss in the object and allow to soak for five to 10 minutes. 

This should be enough time to get the soap to soak into the metal and work on the dirt. You can make use of a soft scrub such as a foam brush to work the edges where you notice stains and then rinse off in warm water and dry clean with a soft cloth. 

Store them Properly 

Storage is also important if you want your gold jewelry to last long. If your jewelry comes in a box, do well to always return the item to the box after each use. You can always find storage options available for sale if you happen to lose yours or need to purchase one. They will save you a lot as they could prevent losing your jewelry and also ensure that your gold does not tarnish. 

Final Note 

You can get the best out of your real gold if you know ways to keep them safe from tarnishing. And as explained earlier, exposure to chemicals, water, and not caring for them the right way are some of the reasons why your real gold can damage.