One of the top recommended things to be done to ensure the maintenance of the shine of your jewelry is polishing. It’s often a simple and inexpensive solution that leaves your jewelry looking as good as new every time.
And with the best kind of polishing cloth, you will be able to get rid of the dirt and grime throughout that piece of jewelry. The best part of the polishing cloths, however, has to be its ability to eliminate the dullness on jewelry (say from tarnishing or exposure to water and soap), as well as its function as a buffer that means that the polishing cloth is ideal for getting rid of all kinds of scratches on the jewelry.
So, with all the benefits associated with the polishing cloths, how do you choose the right polishing cloth for gold and silver jewelry? And more importantly, what’s the difference between the polishing cloths for gold and silver? Also, when is the best time for you to use the gold or the silver polishing cloths?
Keep reading for answers to all these and more.
What is the gold polishing cloth?
A gold polishing cloth can be defined as the most convenient way for you to clean your gold jewelry, whether at home or when traveling. The gold cloth keeps the jewelry looking great and free of scratches and scuffing. The polishing cloth not only cleans but also polishes all kinds of gold jewelry while getting rid of tarnish. So, if you are looking for a jewelry polishing cloth that will help enhance the appearance of the jewelry by preventing the build-up of tarnish, a gold polishing cloth might be a great option for you.
Note that you only need the polishing cloth if you need your jewelry to get back that nice, lustrous finish, especially if the jewelry is already one that’s supposed to have a nice and bright shine. Note that the gold cloths are designed for use with gold jewelry and gold-plated pieces. But there are cases where the gold polishing cloth can be used to polish silver jewelry as well.
At the heart of the polishing cloth is a chemical product that allows for the protection of the jewelry, the removal of jewelry, and the dissolution of stubborn marks and scratches. And though effective, it might be a good idea for you to start using the gold polishing cloth only sparingly because the chemical agents in the polishing cloths can be damaging.
What is the silver polishing cloth?
The silver polishing cloth refers to a specially designed piece of cloth that is made of the highest quality materials such as cotton and used to clean and polish the jewelry, getting rid of all scratches and scuff marks.
The polishing cloth could also be used in cleaning jewelry, besides polishing. At the same time, the best silver jewelry polishing cloths are made with additional ingredients, most often, the anti-tarnish agents. Therefore, the silver polishing cloth is an ideal solution for not just cleaning but also dusting the lightly tarnished silver or silver-plated jewelry and accessories.
If you have an old piece of silver jewelry that is highly tarnished, you’d want to make use of the polishing cloth after cleaning the piece(s).
How do polishing cloths for jewelry work?
Well, the polishing cloth for silver jewelry, for example, is used for the removal of tarnish from the silver pieces. To do this, the polishing cloth is often impregnated with something called the Jeweler’s Rouge, which is one of the finest polishing compounds. This compound is often filled on one side of the jewelry, while the other side of the cloth is often free of the rouge, hence ideal for buffing the polished pieces after polishing is completed.
There are different types of polishing cloths that vary depending on the type of rouge used, but the best part is that the polishing cloths can be used on or for just one type of jewelry.
What’s the difference between gold and silver polishing cloth?
Polishing cloths for silver and gold often look similar, but there are numerous differences between these polishing cloths. This means that when buying a polishing cloth for your sterling silver or gold jewelry, you need to look at more features than what’s on the product’s name. The size and the features of the polishing cloth are just as important as the quality of the cloth, and because manufacturers have different product specifications and controls for the products, you need to make sure that the purchased polishing cloth is the absolute best.
Regarding the size and design, for example, you need to make sure that the polishing cloth is perfectly square or perfectly rectangular, and also, it must have perfect stitching with no loose threads.
Also, look for something called Pinked and Sheared. This is a term used to refer to the specially cut edges of the cloth, which means that the polishing cloth will neither unravel nor catch on the jewelry.
The thickness of the polishing cloth is also crucial, and though they come in different thickness levels like your bedsheets and tee shirts, the best of the polishing cloths are thick and plush. The thickness and plushness of the jewelry is also important because it determines the amount of rouge or tarnishes remover the cloth can hold (and how long the polishing agents last.
- Different Material
The polishing cloths designed for gold jewelry often allow for the perfect polishing and finishing on the jewelry, leaving it bright and shiny. The effectiveness of this cloth comes from the fact that the inner layer of the cloth is filled with the polishing rouge, a treatment that cleans the jewelry while buffing it off to get rid of scratches. It does this rather gently, meaning you won’t have to worry about the cloth removing the gold finish or causing more scratching. This cloth is often made of cotton fiber, and it’s ultra-soft.
The silver polishing cloth is also designed in the same way as the gold polishing cloth with a cleaner and an anti-tarnish agent that will remove the layer of tarnish on the silver jewelry. In case of scratches, the cloth will also buff all of the scratches out, leaving you with a piece of silver jewelry that looks as lustrous and as good as new.
- Different Price
There isn’t much of a price difference between the gold and the silver polishing cloths, but this often depends on the manufacturer and the specifications of the polishing cloth.
- Different Purpose
The gold polishing cloth is intended for cleaning gold jewelry – it clean and removes scratches while protecting the gold finish.
The silver polishing cloth, on the other hand, is ideal for cleaning and tarnish removal for sterling silver pieces of jewelry. It’s also designed to provide an extra layer of protection against the further build-up of tarnish.
Can you use silver polish on gold?
Although silver and gold jewelry polishes don’t have many differences when you first look at them, these two types of polishing cloths shouldn’t be interchanged.
Stick to the silver polish for the silver jewelry because this polishing cloth is made of an anti-tarnish rouge that will get rid of the black and grey specks from tarnishing. The gold polishing cloth, on the other hand, is ideal for cleaning and polishing, as well as scratch-removal for the gold jewelry.
Only use one polishing cloth for the other kind of metal/ jewelry if the manufacturer notes that the cloth can be used for both kinds of jewelry.
Where to buy gold or silver polishing cloth? You can buy it here on Amazon.
Conclusion
Polishing cloths come in handy when you need to clean your gold and/or sterling silver jewelry easily and to retain the initial luster of the jewelry easily. However, you must follow the recommended cleaning procedures for the jewelry before using the polishing cloth. Also, don’t use the polishing cloths frequently.
Read more useful tips here or here!
Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.