How to Remove Tarnish From Gold Rings?

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7 replies

Foreign_Act_4824 · 8 months ago

Silver can turn yellow color before eventually turning brown and then black from tarnish. Hard to say from the pic if its gold plated or yellow tarnish, but either way you can remove it.

You'll need something to buff it off, I'd reccomend a Sunshine Polishing cloth, pretty high shine, very cheap, works well on silver, its not like the most shiny polishing cloth but will be good for removing this oxide layer.

Soap and water will not help in this case since it's a chemical bonded layer of oxide, you'll need to use an acid to remove it. Standard white vinegar should be strong enough to clean it off if you dont want to buy a polishing cloth. Let it soak for 15 to 30 minutes if cold, or you can warm (dont boil) but warm it on a stove top or microwave a small cup for 10 seconds. Then put the ring in, and leave for about 5 minutes and see if it clears up with a wipe of towel.

2 upvotes on reddit

Cute_Bird707 · 8 months ago

I have a ring that's sterling heavily tarnished and has a copper bead in the middle. I tried soaking a matching pendant in jewelry cleaner and it ruined the copper bead. Is there anything I can soak my ring in where that won't happen?

1 upvotes on reddit

Foreign_Act_4824 · 8 months ago

Acids chemically bind to oxides and remove them from the metal by converting the oxides to oxygen gas, but they can also etch into any surface past that as well. Copper will not just like fully disolve in jewelery cleaner or any low grade acids like vinegar or citric acid, it likely was copper plated very thinly and it disolved it off revealing the true metal below it.

Sadly, polishing compounds will also remove this plating as well, you can try using a VERY VERY fine grit polishing compound to hopefully take the oxide off and then immediately stop as soon as you see the copper, a few extra swipes can easily wear down the plating. A compound such as Red Rouge, Orange Luxor, or ZAM polishing compounds on a fine cloth(like a glasses lense cleaner cloth) are your best options here.

You can try the vinegar or citric acid but just watch it while it etches and give it like 1 minute, wipe with a soft towel, then if its not clean, do another minute etc till it cleans up, so that way it doesnt etch too far by just leaving it in there for 5 to 30 mins.

Alternatively, take it to a jeweler and have them do it that way they can copper plate the bead again and then clean the rest.

If you wanna go crazy DIY chemistry and copper plate it yourself, you can polish the entire piece with a cleaning cloth, and then coat the entire piece in acrylic paint, or nail polish, something to coat the ring EXCEPT for the bead you want to be copper. Make sure you dont miss any spots. Then get a cup, fill it with vinegar, find a random piece of steel, like nails, screws etc. Put those in the cup, and then put the pendant in there. Steel will combine with the vinegar acids and the copper inside the pendant will attract to the surface of the metal, creating a copper plating surface on any area not coated in paint. If it doesn't work then there is no copper in your metal, you may be able to seed it by placing a piece of copper in the bath with the pendant and steel. Then dunk entire piece in acetone to remove the paint/nail polish. But yeah thats all very extra to fix this piece lol.

2 upvotes on reddit

mejl24 · 8 months ago

I would suggest a gentle scrub with a soft toothbrush and dish soap, a dip in this jewelry cleaner, and then a buff with a jewelry cloth

1 upvotes on reddit

zensnapple · 8 months ago

You can get a jewelry cleaning cloth, or put some baking soda and dish soap on an old toothbrush and scrub it clean

2 upvotes on reddit

Relevant_Moment3385 · 8 months ago

Shampoo hot water and baking powder wash with this ring

1 upvotes on reddit

kimlulu · 8 months ago

Aluminum foil , baking soda and hot water. Works wonders !

2 upvotes on reddit

See 7 replies

r/jewelry • [2]

Summarize

Any solutions to fix this?

Posted by ---Jessica---- · in r/jewelry · 2 months ago

I’ve had this (gold plated) ring for a while now but I haven’t worn it in about a year or so. I’ve noticed that it now has these tarnishing marks on it that I’d hopefully like to get rid of. Any ideas on how? I have not tried anything as I don’t want to accidentally ruin it further

2 upvotes on reddit

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4 replies

MoistSoggyPoptarts · 2 months ago

Signet started allowing their jewelers to work on gold plated jewelry. Take it to a Jared’s or Kay’s, explain you want the ring polished and redipped in gold plating

0 upvotes on reddit

flawedtoperfection- · 2 months ago

Looks like blood lol

1 upvotes on reddit

---Jessica---- · OP · 2 months ago

One too many bar fights 🤫

2 upvotes on reddit

Prestigious_Car9440 · 2 months ago

You could try a polishing cloth. It will help. But honestly looks like just bad quality jewelry/plating and you’re going to have the same problem again. Also after a few cleanings with the cloth the plating will probably start wearing off too.

1 upvotes on reddit

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r/metaldetecting • [3]

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Cleaning help please. I believe this is just gold plated but vinegar and baking soda aren’t working. Any other ideas?

Posted by EverybodyFumbles · in r/metaldetecting · 4 years ago

12 upvotes on reddit

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4 replies

WarlikeGuardian · 4 years ago

I use a product called Universal stone for taking tarnish off of jewelry

2 upvotes on reddit

silversurfer2133 · 4 years ago

Toothpaste or in a pan out foil on the bottom with baking soda and the ring in it and pour boiling water over it.

2 upvotes on reddit

EverybodyFumbles · OP · 4 years ago

Thanks. Boiling water, baking soda and aluminum is doing wonders.

3 upvotes on reddit

silversurfer2133 · 4 years ago

AWESOME ��

2 upvotes on reddit

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r/jewelry • [4]

Summarize

Tarnished 14k gold

Posted by lonelynightadventure · in r/jewelry · 5 months ago

Hi everyone! This 14k eternity band seems to get tarnished very quickly. Any tips on how I can clean it at home? I’ve tried dish soap and it doesn’t seem to do anything

21 upvotes on reddit

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12 replies

[deleted] · 5 months ago

That's not 14k Gold. I have pieces of 14k that my grandmother wore for 50 years and never did anything close to that. Gold Vermeil, or Gold Filled.

61 upvotes on reddit

DushkuHS · 5 months ago

Yep. And nobody would expect it to. Tarnish refers to silver reaction with sulfur. A 14k ring likely doesn't have enough silver in it to tarnish at all. And never could with regular wear.

1 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 5 months ago

The Fillers in lower purities such as 10k and 14k can tarnish, especially after constant contact with chemicals like pool chlorine, but it will look different than silver. Gold will low quality filler or improper filler can tarnish quicker and be more noticeable.

1 upvotes on reddit

kittywyeth · 5 months ago

i’ve never had a gold piece tarnish

8 upvotes on reddit

jojobdot · 5 months ago

How quickly is very quickly?

9 upvotes on reddit

lonelynightadventure · OP · 5 months ago

6 months or so

0 upvotes on reddit

TheRealGuen · 5 months ago

What do you do while wearing your ring? Use cleaning chemicals, take it in the pool, other stuff with any kind of harsh agent?

9 upvotes on reddit

jojobdot · 5 months ago

Rhodium (the plating that makes white gold white) wears differently depending on wear, of course, but also on your body chemistry. As you sweat and just…exude the assorted oils and dead skin cells that we exude, it can break down the rhodium and cause the ring to turn colors. Usually it will start looking yellowy. It’s a personal thing - my sister wears out rhodium super fast where I do not, for example.

Try having your jeweler put heavy rhodium on it and see if that helps. If not, you may want to consider switching to platinum.

6 upvotes on reddit

Cre8tiv125 · 5 months ago

I’ve Never had yellow 14kt jewelry turn color, Ever. I’d get it tested by another jeweler if u paid Good money for its alleged provenance.

Frankly I have not even had my 14kt white gold wear off the rhodium that people say they get re-plated. Maybe I just have too many pieces to wear n never get it that worn out, lol.

7 upvotes on reddit

Wabi-Sabi-Iki · 5 months ago

I have 18K yellow gold jewelry and it definitely tarnishes if not worn and polished regularly. I have pieces that get a reddish sheen. In fact, I just buffed the reddish part out of a ring that I rarely wear. Because of the design, I had to wrap a fingernail dotting tool wrapped with a polishing cloth to get into the tarnished area. One particularly intricate necklace has many areas that have turned reddish on the back. Too much of a pain to get into the nooks and crannies to buff it out since no one can see, but it is there. A few wipes of a sunshine polishing cloth usually gets the tarnish off.

2 upvotes on reddit

Cre8tiv125 · 5 months ago

I think I have 2 18k gift pieces from Italy but haven’t even looked at in years. . Now I’m curious. Next trip to bank vault lol

1 upvotes on reddit

scyiia · 5 months ago

Def looks like plated silver to me

64 upvotes on reddit

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r/jewelrymaking • [5]

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Newbie question? Tarnish in the supplies box

Posted by Routine_Eve · in r/jewelrymaking · 2 months ago

Hi,

I am new to making jewelry myself but did grow up with a mother who made beaded jewelry, needlework etc. so I have some years of familiarity with the stories of supplies at least.

Which leads me to my question -- I am experiencing something new to me. My mother paid $$$ for the good supplies some of mine are straight up dollar tree. I also thrifted jewelry to harvest charms, findings, and clasps.

Now I am experiencing a plague of tarnish in my supplies.

It's wild because this one hook was gold and has gone dark but the others from the same supply bag (Michael's) is not dark.

What do I do?

i.redd.it

3 upvotes on reddit

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thecasualgardener · 2 months ago

you can get anti tarnish cloths that you can wipe it off with

3 upvotes on reddit

Grymflyk · 2 months ago

Those are probably brass and can be polished but, they look like they have a patina already from the factory.

3 upvotes on reddit

Routine_Eve · OP · 2 months ago

Doesn't it? But no, it was shiny when I purchased it. I didn't buy anything patina'd other than the thrifted things. The tarnish spread

2 upvotes on reddit

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r/renfaire • [6]

Summarize

Pewtersmiths, help please, how do I remove tarnish from a ring?

Posted by ReadWriteSign · in r/renfaire · 6 months ago

I'm not sure where else to ask, sorry if this is the wrong place. Many many years ago I bought a pewter ring at a ren faire and wore it and loved it and everything was good. A couple years ago I took it off and set it on my (pine? I think) bedside table and now it's completely black, which makes me sad. I lost it before for a year or so, and found it, and it never tarnished like this. I thought I'd ask here before I tried something like silver polish. It's got a stamped-in design that was always black at the bottom of the indents so I don't want to lose that.

Can I fix it? Also what caused that, do you know?

4 upvotes on reddit

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https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=how+to+polish+pewter

1 replies

Public_Frenemy · 6 months ago

A paste of vinegar and flour seems to be the go-to DIY solution. It's normal oxidation. Pewter oxidizes very easily.

2 upvotes on reddit

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r/jewelry • [7]

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Can the discoloring/tarnishing on this ring be cleaned?

Posted by burclur · in r/jewelry · 4 years ago

2 upvotes on reddit

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wagashi · 4 years ago

Electro-cleaner will take that off in a split second.

1 upvotes on reddit

somekindafeeling · 4 years ago

Toothpaste and a soft bristle brush cleans many things.

1 upvotes on reddit

salvagedsword · 4 years ago

If it's gold, yes. You can have a jeweler professionally polish it for you or you can give it a light polish yourself at home. You can gently clean it with a little chrome polish on a qtip, followed by dishsoap on a toothbrush, then rinse in water. Another option is to rub it with a jewelry polishing cloth.

1 upvotes on reddit

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r/jewelry • [8]

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How to bring my favorite ring back to life

Posted by officiallyedgy · in r/jewelry · 1 month ago

Hello! I have a cheap claddagh ring I bought over 10 years ago, and I really want to bring it back to its former glory. I have no idea what metal it is made out of, but it has started to tarnish and warp. Photos attached. Is there a way I could fix this at home, or would I need to bring it to a professional? Thank you!

14 upvotes on reddit

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3 replies

toomuchblack · 1 month ago

If no hallmarks, likely a base metal. You can ask a jeweler if it’s can be polished and re-rounded but the labor may be worth more than what it cost you. Only you can factor in the sentimental value.

1 upvotes on reddit

SorryGarbage1551 · 1 month ago

My jeweller charged me £10 to polish and reshape a wonky gold ring. If it is silver I use Goddards silver polish cloths to get stuff shiny

1 upvotes on reddit

International_Clock7 · 1 month ago

that looks like silver tarnish, are there any markings inside the ring? If it’s silver, both reshaping and removing the tarnish will be pretty easy

6 upvotes on reddit

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r/SilverSmith • [9]

Summarize

Help getting this tarnish removed

Posted by Dramatic_Surround_ · in r/SilverSmith · 19 days ago

I have this sterling ring. It's not super bright like silver normally is, but there's some spots inside where it looks like the tarnish came off and it look a normal sterling color. I tried the baking soda method and it hasn't worked so far. Any tips to remove this grayish tarnish?

5 upvotes on reddit

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Grymflyk · 19 days ago

You sure it is solid sterling? Best I can tell from potato pictures, it looks like its plated and the plating is flaking off.

7 upvotes on reddit

Dramatic_Surround_ · OP · 19 days ago

Yes it is stamped 925. The stuff underneath looks like the normal sterling color so I'm confused

2 upvotes on reddit

Piano_Open · 17 days ago

Looks like the surface layer is peeled off. Happens when the piece is not properly degreased and is soaked in patina solution for too long. Or it’s plated with something…. Using a scale and a cup of water, you can determine whether or not your ring is solid 925, with great confidence. Check the link for detailed instructions on how to measure your ring’s density.density measurement method

1 upvotes on reddit

rambunctiousraviolis · 16 days ago

Buy sunshine cloths on Amazon or wright's silver polish at a supermarket.

1 upvotes on reddit

FroggyNight · 18 days ago

This appears to be some kind of plating. Can you please post a clear pic of the inside markings?

1 upvotes on reddit

debcsr12 · 18 days ago

Ketchup is mildly acidic and can remove patina if you feel like trying that.

1 upvotes on reddit

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r/howto • [10]

Summarize

how to clean gold jewelry

Posted by longhairandidocare · in r/howto · 3 years ago

25 upvotes on reddit

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jacktpowell · 3 years ago

Lemon juice and baking soda, stir into a paste then leave the jewelry to soak in it. Repeat if necessary

4 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 3 years ago

Wouldn't lemon juice and baking soda react and form a salt? I thought they countered each other's cleaning properties when mixed together.

I also used to clean my gold jewellery with some sanitizer, but i should try this out.

1 upvotes on reddit

Brazenjalapeno · 3 years ago

Just a water rinse to finish?

1 upvotes on reddit

jacktpowell · 3 years ago

Yeah water is okay on any jewelry if it’s not made with shit alloys

1 upvotes on reddit

W3H5 · 3 years ago

WD40 bath to degrease. Rinse with soapy water and polish with your choice of polish once dry.

Alternatively a sonic bath cleaner could be used but most people don’t have them handy. A jewellers may have one to use for a fee.

2 upvotes on reddit

longhairandidocare · OP · 3 years ago

Interesting. How long would I have to leave it in the WD40?

1 upvotes on reddit

W3H5 · 3 years ago

I’ve just coated mine with WD before rubbing down with a rough cloth.

A shallow bath (tub lid or something) should break down grease within a few minutes. For best effect maybe try 10-20 minutes.

Rubbing alcohol is another good cleaner for metals. Elbow grease is still a requirement though.

1 upvotes on reddit

RearEchelon · 3 years ago

If it's real gold, soap and water and a soft bristle brush. Gold doesn't tarnish, so any fouling will likely be sweat, skin cells, dirt, or any mixture of the 3 and should come off easily.

4 upvotes on reddit

TyRoSwoe · 3 years ago

Mail it to me and I’ll clean it for you. 🃏

16 upvotes on reddit

MikeD484 · 3 years ago

Buy some gold cleaner.

3 upvotes on reddit

longhairandidocare · OP · 3 years ago

Hmm depending on the price I'll look for some on Amazon. Thanks!

1 upvotes on reddit

TyRoSwoe · 3 years ago

Hello, I am a Nigerian Prince. I need your help…

12 upvotes on reddit

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