How to Clean Toledo Gold Jewelry

Toledo, Spain, is known for its jewelry and visitors often tour Toledo's jewelry factories, which use a process called damascening to make their jewelry. Damascening is a process where a precious metal, like gold or silver, is applied in a decorative pattern over the top of a non-precious metal, like iron or steel. Damascene jewelry dates back to the Middle Ages and is still popular today. You should clean gold damascene jewelry from Toledo the same as you would clean most vintage jewelry.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lint-free cloth Small paintbrush or makeup brush Warm water Mild detergent Polishing cloth

1. Store and take care of your Toledo gold jewelry. All your jewelry, including your damascene gold jewelry from Toledo Spain, needs to be kept away from moisture. Store your jewelry in soft jewelry pouches where pieces will not touch or rub against each other, which may cause scratching. Take off all your jewelry while swimming, using a hot tub or using harsh chemicals like bleach.

2. Dust your Toledo gold jewelry. You can use a makeup brush or a soft fine-tip paintbrush to lightly brush around the intricate designs of your Toledo jewelry to get any dust or dirt off.

3. Use a damp lint-free cloth to clean your Toledo gold jewelry. Dampen a cloth, like one you would use to clean glasses, with warm water. If your jewelry does not have any stones or gems in them, you can add a little bit of mild dish detergent. Gently rub your jewelry all over to remove any grime and dirt.

4. Polish the gold on your jewelry. Use a jewelry polish cloth that you can buy in jewelry stores, or just use a dry lint-free cloth to rub and polish the gold on your Toledo jewelry until its luster and shine returns.