How To Clean Gold-Plated Earrings? Everything You Need to Know!
Ever wondered what are gold-plated earrings? Here we answered all your questions on gold-plated earrings, how to take care of them and how to wear them properly. This way, you can buy them and wear them with confidence.
What Does Gold-Plated Earrings Mean?
Gold-plated earrings are a type of jewelry that has been cast in different metals and then plated in gold. The reason why gold-plated jewelry is becoming increasingly popular is that people have the chance to wear real gold layers of high-quality, durable jewelry without the high price tags.
How Long Do Gold-Plated Earrings Last?
Gold-plated earrings last up to 5-6 years, if not more, with proper use and care. We will discuss how to take care of your gold-plated earrings later in the text.
Another reason why gold is being used for this type of jewelry is not only because it’s a noble, highly-regarded material but also because it is one of the least reactive metals.
That means that gold does not rust, is waterproof, and does not lose its shine so easily.
To give you an example, we’ve all probably had those lovely pieces of bijouterie jewelry that were just adorable but would tarnish and turn green after just a few wears. This is because metals like that react to oxygen and moisture, and there’s nothing you can do to make them last longer.
How Are Gold-Plated Earrings Made?
Even though we said gold-plated jewelry is a lot more durable than fakes, it all depends on how it is made as well. Not all gold-plated earrings are the same, and you have to trust the brands you’re buying from.
To be able to talk more about gold-plated earrings, we are going to describe our process of creating gold-plated earrings and how to take care of them so they last for a long, long time.
How Agapé Studio Crafts Gold-Plated Earrings
- An authentic idea is worth plenty, so we always get inspired by Ancient locations, ways of people living in the past, and even excavation sites.
- When our creative team has had enough inspiration, we 3D model each piece so that our ideas come to life.
- After that, each model is crafted of brass. The reason why we use brass is that it is hypoallergenic due to our methods, and it gives gold its solid consistency.
- After the alkaline tube and the galvanization process, the brass pieces are soaked in gold.
- We add 3 microns of gold to each piece. This is a thick layer compared to the industry standard of 0.5 or 1 micron of gold. This ensures the longevity of your gold-plated earrings.
Of course, this was just a short summary of our process. If you want to learn more about how we create our gold-plated jewelry, check this out.
What Are Gold-Plated Earrings - FAQ
Every day on our IG page, we get questions like “can you wear gold-plated earrings in the shower?” or “will gold-plated earrings tarnish?” or “how to take care of gold-plated earrings?”
We always try to give you as much professional advice as possible, so we decided to share this information more widely than Instagram DMs.
How to Clean Gold-Plated Earrings?
You can clean gold-plated earrings by immersing them in a solution of gentle soap and lukewarm water to dissolve any sweat and skin residue.
You should use mild soap and warm water once a month if you tend to wear your gold-plated earrings often.
This should be a quick rinse in the soapy water. Then, use a soft, lint-free cloth to polish the earrings without rubbing too much.
This type of cleaning will help dissolve any surface oils built up over time. If you have earrings like our Cordia earrings, then we recommend using a very soft brush to brush them slightly in those places that are hard to reach.
Leftover sweat and continuous contact with the skin might tarnish the golden layer over time, so by cleaning them regularly and gently, you are able to make the earrings last long.
Do Gold-Plated Earrings Tarnish?
Gold-plated earrings tarnish when you don’t take proper care of them. If you wear your gold-plated earrings to the gym, the pool, or the beach, the materials will show signs of tarnishing because of the harsh and acidic chemicals that they come in contact with.
To prevent tarnishing and dullness of the golden shine, don’t spray perfume directly on the earrings or allow makeup to come in contact with them.
Our jewelry is waterproof, but we recommend not taking it to the pool because of the chlorine in the water. Also, saltwater might damage the gold layer and cause it to tarnish, so protect your fave earrings and leave them behind. You shine enough without the gold, too ;)
Can You Shower With Gold-Plated Earrings?
You can shower with your gold-plated earrings if they are made waterproof. While pool water or saltwater might wear off the gold plating faster, showering with your earrings isn’t as bad. At Agapé, we craft our jewelry to be waterproof.
However, we recommend taking your gold-plated earrings off because of the shampoo and other products that you use while showering. All products should be PH-neutral when in contact with the gold plating, so if you’re not certain, take them off just to be safe.
Do Gold-Plated Earrings Rust?
Gold-plated earrings could rust if they were not made well or not properly taken care of. Follow our instructions in this text above on how to properly take care of your gold-plated earrings.
If you want to know more tips on preserving gold-plated earrings and gold-plated jewelry in general, read this post. There you will find a lot of handy tips on taking care of your favorite gold-plated pieces.
Gold-Plated Earrings | Conclusion
We hope this article helped you understand what gold-plated earrings are, how they are made and how you can take care of them. With the proper care, you won’t only save money on jewelry, but you’ll also be able to wear your favorite pieces for a long, long time.
To shop our latest gold-plated earrings collection, here.