Beware of the halogens! This family of the elements includes fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine. All of them can permanently damage or discolor your gold jewelry. These elements can make your gold more brittle. They are the most common cause of broken prongs. Chlorine is the one usually found around our homes. Do not wear gold jewelry while using chlorine bleach or while swimming in a pool or hot tub if you can avoid it. But this warning must be balanced with the risk of misplacing your jewelry or having it stolen. Example: If you are staying at a motel it is probably safer to wear your ring while going for a short dip in the pool, rather than leaving it in your room and risk having it stolen.

Do not allow your jewelry to come into contact with Mercury! The gold will dissolve the mercury. It will appear as if the mercury has discolored the ring, but what it is really doing is soaking into the ring. If you leave the mercury in contact with the gold long enough, it will soak all the way through the ring, turning it completely silver. If this happens to you, do not wear the ring any longer. Mercury is poisonous, and you should not try to fix it yourself. Give us a call, and we will be glad to help you with this problem.

For most gold jewelry, a sonic or ultrasonic machine is the most effective form of cleaning because it can get into the places that a brush cannot reach, but you should definitely consult with us before you purchase or use one of them. They can be expensive and there are some things that you should never put into an ultrasonic cleaner.

We recommend that you have your prongs checked and get a professional cleaning every six months. This service is complimentary at Gannaway Bros. Jewelers.

You can remove tarnish with a mild tarnish remover. I prefer Hagerty’s. Grease can be removed from karat gold jewelry by dipping the jewelry into rubbing alcohol, or by using a little lighter fluid with a toothbrush. After removing tarnish or grease, you should always clean your piece well using soap, water, and ammonia if you have it. Then rinse the piece thoroughly. Again, check with us about jewelry with gemstones other than diamonds, rubies, or sapphires. Some stones require special cleaning procedures.