White gold has its own shine and brilliance that makes it a popular choice for rings and other jewelry items. However, when it’s worn overtime, the white gold starts turning yellow. This yellowing phenomenon occurs due to the wearing of rhodium plating that gives white gold its silvery white finish. When rhodium fades up the alloy beneath it becomes visible and the natural yellowness of gold gets exposed.
If you are facing the same issue, then there is no need to worry because taking proper steps can help you clean the white gold that has turned yellow. Moreover, taking care of white gold can preserve its shine and elegance. In this article, we will guide you about the entire process to clean white gold jewelry that has turned yellow.
Why White Gold Turn Yellow?
White gold is just white by name. It is not white in its natural form but a mixture of gold with certain other metals like palladium, silver or nickel to create a pale hue. Gold is plated with rhodium to create a white glossy finish that is associated with white gold. However, this rhodium plating wears off with time. It occurs due to several factors:
When white gold is worn daily it becomes exposed to sweating, friction and other environmental elements daily. This puts pressure on the rhodium plating and exposes the yellowness. Moreover, chemical exposure to substances like perfumes, bleach, lotions and household cleaners speed up the degradation of rhodium plating.
Skin also releases natural oils that can dilute white gold’s luster. Once the rhodium layer on the gold wears of the yellow part gets visible. This not only ruins the silvery color of gold but also decreases the luster of white gold jewelry.
Home Cleaning Methods for White Gold
The best way to take care of white gold is to clean it regularly, especially when it gets exposed to certain chemicals. Professional cleaning is considered the best solution. However, there are certain other methods that you can use at home to restore the luster of your while gold jewelry.
Mild Soap and Water Solution
The simplest and most gentle way to clean white gold at home is using warm water and mild soap solution. Here are the steps to clean white gold with this method:
Put warm water with a couple of drops of the gentle dishwashing liquid. Ensure that the soap used for washing does not contain any chemical agents that are likely to harm the jewelry.
Soak your white gold jewelry in the solution for about 20-30 minutes to softened any dirt or grime.
After rinsing, take a soft small toothbrush and optionally soak the jewelry again and brush the material.
Follow this specially if the jewelry has uneven surfaces to clean all the grooves where dirt can stick and accumulate.
Wash the jewelry under clean warm running water and wipe it with a clean, soft and lint free cloth. This method is good for cleaning the surface of the jewelry and giving it some of its shine back but it will not replate the jewelry if it has begun to turn yellow.
Ammonia-Based Solution
Another best way to clean white gold jewelry is with a solution based on ammonia. However, ammonia is highly potent, so you have to be extra careful to avoid damaging the jewelry. You particularly have to watch out when cleaning pieces with complex settings.
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Begin by diluting ammonia so that it becomes appropriate for cleaning of the jewelry. The suggested concentration is one part of ammonia to six parts of water. For example, you may add one tea spoon of ammonia to six tea spoons of water. To avoid any scratches to the precious finish of the jewelry or to any gems that may be included it is appropriate to keep the solution dilute.
These should be taken in a small bowl, and do not let it come in contact with your skin. Soak Briefly: Soak your white gold jewelry in the diluted solution for only 1-2 minutes. The ammonia is effective in dissolving greasy and dirty spots within a short time; thus, the brief soaking time is sufficient.
Leaving jewelry in the solution for a longer time can cause harm to the jewelry and there is a possibility that stones such as pearls, opals or other delicate materials are ruined by ammonia.
Let the jewelry stay in water for about five minutes After that, flush the jewelry under clean running water to rinse the ammonia. This step may be one of the most important ones because ammonia residue can otherwise damage the metal or the glue that holds the gemstones over time. After washing, it is recommended to dry them gently using a piece of clean, fine mesh cloth.
Do not let the metal air dry as this will cause formation of water spots which are not good for the shine of metals. Make sure that an article which has been washed is thoroughly dry before you decide to wear it or store it again.
Professional Cleaning and Replating
Gentle cleaning methods work finely to keep your jewelry shiny for longer. However, in the course of some years, professional cleaning and rhodium replating are needed to give back the white shine to white gold jewelry.
In this case the rhodium layer has got a wear out, the natural color of the white gold alloy becomes visible and this cannot be treated using just home cleaning. Expert jewelers have more specialized equipment and procedures for a revival of the jewelry item.
The first step in professional cleaning is to use ultrasonic cleaners and steamers that clean areas that cannot be cleaned with regular cleaning.
The initial steps of this process can be very helpful for complex designs like an oval Moss Agate Engagement Ring as it ensures that all parts of the ring including the gemstones, metalwork, and settings, are all cleaned meticulously.
After cleaning such jewelry, it is submerged in rhodium and this metal will stick to the surface making it as white as before. Not only does this rhodium give the jewelry pieces a glamour and sophisticated look, but it also helps prevent it from becoming yellow and getting scratched. It is tougher than the base gold alloy and make your jewelry resistant to chemical damage.
For such jewelry as white gold engagement rings, professional cleaning is both effective in terms of appearance and longevity, and the results can last several months to a year depending on the wear. This revitalizes the piece ensuring that the aesthetic value and durability of the piece of jewelry is maintained so it remains as shiny as when it was bought.
Preventing Future Yellowing
White gold will naturally turn yellow over time, but you can slow down the process by taking care of it:
Avoid water and chemicals
Never wear your white gold jewelry when swimming, showering, washing dishes, or when handling cleaning products. It is also true that soap, lotion and pool water leave a negative impact on the rhodium plated parts.
Avoid physical activity
Remove your white gold jewelry when exercising or gardening because the jewelry can get scratched or damaged. Avoid over-polishing Polishing somehow reduces the thickness of the rhodium layer on the surface of the jewelry but very slightly.
Have it replated
An independent jeweler can plate rhodium once again on the jewelry piece to regain the white look. The price depends on the extent of the wear of the rhodium layer.
Select an alloy that is less yellow
When buying white gold jewelry, you can decide to go for an alloy that is not likely to change color to yellow. The period that white gold takes to turn yellow depends on how often you wear the jewelry. For instance, after one year of usage the engagement rings might tarnish and turn yellow, while earrings or brooches might remain shiny for many years.
Conclusion
White gold is hard metal and a perfect option when it comes to making jewelry like engagement rings. However, with time the shine and brilliance of white gold fades away because rhodium alloy starts tearing down with usage. So, the yellow gold becomes visible that decreases the grace of jewelry. White gold turned yellow can be fixed through replating. You can also take care of your white gold jewelry to keep it lustrous for longer. This involves cleaning with soap or ammonia-based solutions.
If you want to buy moss agate white gold engagement rings then Mossagate Ring's selection of white gold and moss agate rings is a perfect option for you. Their collection of rings exhibits a combination of elegance and durability that will make your day bigger and better.
