How to Care for Gold Plated Jewellery So It Lasts

Perfume and hairspray are the biggest offenders. Both are alcohol-based, and alcohol lifts the anti-tarnish seal that sits over the gold layer. Once the seal is gone, sweat reaches the base metal.

Chlorine is next. A single afternoon in a pool does measurable damage to any plated surface, and salt water is not much kinder.

Abrasives finish the job. Toothpaste, baking soda and polishing cloths designed for solid gold will physically remove a microns-thick plating layer.

Jewellery goes on last and comes off first. Perfume, moisturiser, sunscreen and hairspray all get applied and allowed to dry before anything is put on.

At the end of the day, wipe each piece with a dry, soft cotton cloth before it goes away. This removes the body oils and sweat that would otherwise sit on the surface overnight.

For a proper clean, use lukewarm water with a single drop of mild dish soap. Dip, do not soak. Work gently around the stone settings with a very soft brush, rinse in clean water and pat completely dry.

Never use ultrasonic cleaners on plated or demi-fine jewellery. The cavitation that lifts dirt out of solid gold will also lift plating away from the base.

Store pieces separately in soft pouches or a lined box. Loose in a drawer, chains abrade rings and rings abrade one another, and every scratch is a place where the seal has been broken.

Keep the storage dry. A silica sachet in the box costs nothing and removes the humidity that accelerates tarnish, which matters through an Indian monsoon.