Jewellery Care

Want to make your plated jewels last? Here's how!

It is never easy to find a piece of jewellery that doesn't break the bank. At House of Carats, we use Sterling Silver, Brass with Gold, Silver and Rhodium plating. As much as we all love solid Gold and Silver items, the costs of such items mean the price would have to be much higher than we would like. Our main aim is to create jewellery that suits all budgets, as we feel looking good should not be a luxury!

Buying plated pieces is a great option if you're looking to find the lastest designs at affordable prices. Having gold plated jewellery no longer means you can't afford the real thing - it's an option that's hugely popular with fashionistas as the huge variety of designs out there fits any type of style.

Plating consists of placing a thin layer of gold or any other precious metal. To decrease the chances of your plating wearing out, consider our easy ways of keeping your jewels cared for to maximise their lifespan.

  1. Do not spray on perfume or other sprays while wearing your gold plated jewellery. Wear your jewellery after you have sprayed on your favourite perfume so that chemicals on the spray or perfume does not interact with your jewellery’s metal.
  2. Wait until your lotion or cream is dry or has been absorbed by your skin before you wear your gold plated ring, bracelet or necklace.
  3. Substances like oil, nail polish, nail polish remover, chlorine, perfume and the like may react with metal/plated jewellery and will cause it to tarnish easily. This also goes with sweat, so make sure you don’t forget to remove your gold plated jewellery when you exercise or anything that would require heavy physical work, and also when swimming.
  4. Every after use, clean your plated jewellery with a cotton ball or a very soft cloth to remove any dust and dirt it has acquired. Gently rubbing the surface of your gold plated jewellery using a soft jewellery cloth also helps restore shine.
  5. If your jewellery needs more cleaning you may clean it with warm, soapy water. Soak it for a few minutes and you may clean it with a soft brush. Stay away from jewellery cleaners and antibacterial soaps which may have certain components that will just make your gold plated jewellery tarnish more quickly.
  6. To avoid scratches, wrap your jewellery in a soft cloth after cleaning or keep it in a jewellery box separate from other types of jewellery you have.