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world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


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Cleaning Gold to restore its shine

2003

Hello!
After wearing my gold overtime it loses its shine. Does anyone know how to clean it? I put it in a 1% acetic acid [on eBay or Amazon] solution, and it didn't help.

Thanks,Z-

Zulaika davison
- Fremont , California, USA

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I suspect that your gold was well polished and buffed for sale, and that over time the surface has become rougher and less reflective. Just as a knife edge gets dull over time and you can not sharpen it by cleaning it, I don't think you can restore the shine of the gold by cleaning it because the problem is not some coating on the gold, but the lack of smoothness of the surface. Perhaps the gold needs to be mechanically buffed.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003

Gold jewelry contains copper, nickel and zinc. All of these alloy metals oxidize or tarnish by just being in the air. Simple clean and remove the accumulated tarnish with a jewelry polish and the original surface will be restored. Buffing the surface takes off gold and the gold is collected in a dust bag. Use key words "refine gold" in Google search engine.

Richard Shrake
Retired - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
2003