We know how important a good care and maintenance routine is to make our gold jewellery last longer and stay looking like new. As we have been selling both pre-owned and new jewellery since 1825, we know a thing or two about what to do if a gold chain gets wet or how to get a chain repaired. In this gold chain maintenance guide, we take a look at some of the most common questions we get asked about how to care for gold chains. We also share the best do’s and don’ts to keep your gold jewellery looking luminous and shiny.
How Should You Store Gold Chains?
Gold chains should be stored in a way that minimises exposure to sunlight and temperature changes. Storing your chain in a soft lined jewellery box will prevent the gold chain from being scratched by other pieces whilst in storage. This will also stop your chain from becoming tangled with other items.
Keeping the box or pouch closed and away from direct sunlight, or away from hot radiators will stop your gold from being exposed to extreme temperature changes.
How Should You Clean Gold Chains?
With multiple links and a high surface area, gold chains can easily trap dirt and over time they can lose their shine. We’d always advise to clean your gold chain relative to the amount that you wear it. If you wear a gold chain every day, a monthly clean will not go amiss, but if it’s an occasional item then it might be best to clean it after each use, before putting it away and possibly before each wear.
How to Clean Gold Chains with Soap and Warm Water
It’s relatively easy to clean gold chains at home by using a mild washing up liquid and warm water. If you soak the chain for a few minutes in the soapy water the dirt will come away easily with a soft cloth or a soft toothbrush. We would recommend not cleaning gold chains with toothpaste or other strong abrasive chemicals. Once the gold chain is dry you can use a gold polishing cloth to buff the chain and bring out the lustre.
How to Clean Gold Chains with an Ultrasonic Cleaner
If you’ve tried using warm soap and water to clean a gold chain and it’s still not looking as good as new, then it may possibly need a more thorough clean. Ultrasonic cleaners are relatively inexpensive and clean gold chains by emitting high-frequency sound waves while the gold chain is in water. The sound waves will agitate any dirt so that it easily comes away from the metal. If you do use an ultrasonic cleaner, always read the instructions carefully so that you don’t overuse it.
Can Gold Chains Get Wet?
If you are wearing a chain necklace every day then you may forget to take it off before stepping in the shower. This won’t cause any harm to gold chains but it can reduce the shine over time so we wouldn’t recommend this. Although gold chains do not tarnish like sterling silver, if they get wet this can create a patina on the metal. Getting any plated jewellery wet can remove the plating so we would always advise to remove any plated jewellery before showering or swimming.
Can Gold Chains Rust?
Gold is one of the least reactive metals which is why it is so popular for jewellery. Gold chains will stay shiny for longer compared to other metals and it is very unlikely to cause an allergic reaction against the skin. Although this doesn’t make gold impervious to damage from water or chemicals.
Despite gold’s low reactivity, pure gold or 24k gold is too soft to be used for jewellery, almost all gold jewellery will have alloys mixed in. Gold and these other alloys will not rust, however, these alloys can sometimes react with perfumes and certain medications, which can cause discolouration.
Can Gold Chains Stretch?
You might be surprised to hear that gold chains can stretch. We know this can happen if a necklace is pulled but stretching can also happen over time if you are wearing a pendant that is too heavy for the chain. We would always recommend not to wear a heavy pendant with a hollow chain, a hollow chain may not be substantial enough to hold the weight of a heavy pendant and can cause damage to the chain as a result.
Gold is a precious metal and unlike steel and iron, it can stretch over time if not stored properly or it has become damaged by heavy wear. Solid link stretched chains can be repaired by specialist jewellers, such as ourselves, by replacing the damaged links or often removing the damaged links, depending on link style, to shorten the chain.
Can Gold Chains Break?
Any gold chain can break if it has been tugged too hard or weakened from stretching. If a chain breaks due to stress caused by continuous wear from a heavy pendant, it will usually break either centrally or at the clasp.
Keeping your gold chain clean will help reduce any risk of chemicals causing damage or weakening the links. Making sure you remove any chains carefully will reduce the chances of chains being pulled at during the night or being caught on your clothes.
Can Gold Chains be Repaired?
We know that gold chains are often worn every day so it can be distressing when they are broken. However solid gold chains can be easily repaired by jewellery specialists so that you’ll have them back like new in no time. These are some of the most common repairs for gold chains:
- • chain link soldering to fix broken links or a snapped chain
- • replacing the clasp if the spring has failed or the clasp has become bent out of shape
- • shortening a gold chain
Can Gold Chains be Shortened?
Getting a gold chain shortened is a simple job for all jewellery repair specialists, depending on chain link style. You might want to get a piece shortened for style reasons or to remove stretched links as we mentioned earlier. The gold chain is cut to the required length and re-soldered to make sure the links are strong and sturdy. Even chunky and thick chains, such as cuban chains, can be shortened by cutting the links open and then soldering them closed.
At William May we are specialists in gold chains, we have thousands of gold chains to suit every occasion, style and personality, whether it’s a heavy cuban chain or a fine trace chain for a pendant. Shop Gold Chains with us today to find your next favourite piece of jewellery.
