Gold jewelry may look robust and indestructible, but the metal can easily sustain scratches and damage over time. Watching your favorite necklaces, bracelets, and rings lose their quality can be frustrating. There’s no way to guarantee your jewelry will last forever, but you can take some measures to help it last longer. To learn more about how to prevent scratches on your gold jewelry, continue reading.
Avoid higher karats
Although higher karats are synonymous with wealth and luxury, high-karat gold pieces are also more prone to damage. Karats are measurements that represent how much gold and alloy metals are in a jewelry piece’s composition. Higher karat numbers represent jewelry made with more pure gold and fewer alloy metals such as zinc and nickel.
Pure gold has a unique shine, but gold in its purest form is also incredibly fragile. Since pure gold is so frail, jewelry with higher karats has less protection overall and will most likely sustain high levels of damage if worn daily. Reviewing the different types of karats will help you avoid these jewelry accessories and opt for more sustainable jewelry.
Don’t shower with your jewelry
When you have a favorite ring or necklace, removing this accessory can make you feel naked. However, showering without your jewelry should always be a standard routine. When you forget to remove jewelry before bathing, you expose your metals to excessive water damage. If you shower with your jewelry repeatedly, you’re more likely to make your gold more susceptible to scratching and damage. Necklaces and bracelets may even snap if they become brittle.
Avoid wearing jewelry daily
Although wearing your favorite jewelry to work can be tempting, you should leave your jewelry at home most days. You’re most likely to scratch and damage your jewelry at work compared to any other establishment. Regardless of whether your occupation requires you to work with machinery, use your hands, or wash your hands often, your jewelry will be at an increased risk of damage over time.
Gold jewelry is far from indestructible. However, the luxurious glow of this metal makes it well worth the maintenance. Review these tips on how to prevent scratches on your gold jewelry to ensure your gold accessories last longer.