Caring for each finish

Six rings, six finishes

Line up six plain rings: sterling silver, rhodium-plated silver, gold plated brass, gold vermeil, stainless steel and solid gold. Two are silvery white, three are golden, one is a cooler grey. Side by side, they look like cousins.

A bottle of silver dip would treat them as strangers. Its own label warns against using it on gold, on plated pieces and on costume jewellery. The British Stainless Steel Association goes further: hydrochloric acid based silver cleaners, it says, must not be used on stainless steel at all. The liquid that brightens one ring can strip, stain or pit the one beside it.

So caring for jewellery starts with knowing what each piece actually is, and what is on its surface.

Why plating needs a lighter touch

A plated piece is one metal wearing a very thin coat of another. How thin? UK hallmarking law allows a coating of gold, platinum or rhodium to be added to a hallmarked piece, but no more than 2 micrometres thick at any point. That is two thousandths of a millimetre. In the United States, a piece can only be called vermeil if its gold is at least 2.5 micrometres thick throughout.

At that thickness, the things that do a solid metal no harm start to matter:

• Abrasion. Every polish removes a little metal. On solid silver, there is plenty more underneath. Conservators warn that on plated pieces, polishing can damage the thin layer of plating, or remove it entirely.
• Chemicals. The Gemological Institute of America says exposure to chemicals can damage or discolour gold, silver and platinum, and that chlorine bleach can pit or damage gold alloys. Fine jewellery, it says, should come off before a chlorinated pool or household cleaning.
• Cosmetics. Perfume, hairspray, body lotion and foundation can all corrode silver, according to the Sheffield Assay Office, and they can permanently damage pearls and porous stones such as turquoise.

None of this means plated jewellery is fragile. It means the surface is the part you are looking after.

Finish by finish

Plain sterling silver

Sterling is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper, and it tarnishes as it reacts with sulphur in the air. Tarnish is a surface film, not damage, and the cure is gentle: a silver polishing cloth for light tarnish, mild soap and water for grime. Wearing silver regularly slows tarnish. Taking rings off to wash your hands helps too, because soap and hand gel can leave a dull film. Our guide to cleaning silver jewellery goes into detail.

Rhodium-plated silver and white gold

Rhodium is a hard, bright white metal, and a thin layer of it is often used over silver and white gold. UK hallmarking rules allow it on silver, gold, platinum and palladium. Treat it as a surface to preserve: no silver polish, no polishing cloth with abrasive in it, no dips. Wash with mild soap and water and dry with a soft cloth. When the plating thins, white gold can start to show its warmer colour, and a jeweller can re-plate it. Our guide to re-plating and repairs explains what that involves.

Gold plated jewellery

Gold plate over brass, copper or steel is the most delicate finish here, because the layer is thin and the metal underneath is not precious. In the UK it can't be hallmarked as gold at all. Keep it away from water, chemicals and abrasives, put it on after perfume and lotion, and wipe it with a soft, dry cloth after wearing. A silver dip is not a gold cleaner, and its makers say so.

Gold vermeil

Vermeil is gold plated silver. In the UK it is hallmarked as silver, and the gold layer must be at least 375 parts per thousand, 9 carat. It is still plating, so it needs the same care as any gold plated piece: no dips, no silver polish, no abrasives, and soap and water at most. Store it away from harder pieces that could scratch through the gold.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel doesn't tarnish the way silver does, but it isn't maintenance free. The British Stainless Steel Association says it is easy to clean with soap or mild detergent and warm water, followed by a rinse. Its warnings are specific: chloride solutions, including hypochlorite bleach and hydrochloric acid cleaners, can cause staining and pitting, and acid-based silver cleaners must not touch it. Wire wool and ordinary scouring pads can leave tiny particles of plain steel embedded in the surface, which then rust and look like the stainless steel is rusting.

Solid gold

Gold doesn't tarnish like silver, but it is soft and scratches easily, especially at higher carats. Soak it in lukewarm water with a little mild washing-up liquid, brush gently with a soft brush, rinse and dry with a lint-free cloth. Keep it out of chlorinated pools and away from bleach, which can pit the metals alloyed with gold. Never use toothpaste or household cleansers, which the Gemological Institute of America says can scratch gold.

The care table

Stones change the picture for every finish. A piece set with pearls, opals, emeralds or other delicate stones should be cleaned for the stone, not the metal.

Dips and ultrasonic cleaners

Two cleaners promise effortless sparkle, and both deserve caution with plated or stone-set pieces.

Dips, including the "acid bath" style jewellery cleaners, are made to dissolve tarnish from silver. One silver dip's safety data sheet lists thiourea with phosphoric and citric acids and a pH of about 2. The label of another popular dip says it is not suitable for gold, plated items or costume jewellery, and warns against contact with opals, coral, emeralds, pearls and paste stones. A third maker advises particular care with plated items and says that if plating is badly worn, dipping may not be appropriate. Jewellers often see plated pieces come back to them dull or patchy after a dip, and the labels explain why.

Ultrasonic cleaners use sound waves to make millions of tiny bubbles in water, which shake dirt loose. The same vibration can shake loose a stone. The instruction booklet for one home ultrasonic jewellery cleaner warns against using it on fashion jewellery, oil-treated stones such as emeralds, porous stones such as opals, coral and pearls, and anything held together with water-soluble glue. It adds that any cracked electroplating will be enlarged by cleaning.

The Institute's advice is that ultrasonic cleaning is best left to jewellers, who know which stones and settings can take it. For most stone-set pieces, warm water, a mild washing-up liquid and a soft brush are the safest method there is.

Everyday habits that help every finish

• Last on, first off. Put jewellery on after perfume, hairspray and lotion have dried, and take it off before washing, cleaning, swimming or the gym.
• Rinse after chlorine. If a piece meets pool water or a cleaning product, rinse it in clean water straight away and dry it.
• Dry it. Pat pieces dry after washing rather than leaving them damp in a dish.
• Store each piece separately, so harder pieces can't scratch softer ones or rub through plating. Our guide to storing jewellery has more.
• Have it checked. The Gemological Institute of America suggests having jewellery checked by a jeweller every six months, which catches loose stones and worn claws early.

Back to the six rings

The six rings from the start of this guide need only a few things in common: a soft cloth, a bowl of mild soapy water, and somewhere dry to rest. Beyond that, each asks for something slightly different. The silver wants wearing, the plated rings want leaving alone, the steel wants to be kept from bleach, and the gold wants keeping from scratches. Know which cousin is which, and they will all last.