Gold is a soft metal, and it requires special care when wearing, storing, or cleaning it.

Cleaning gold can best be done simply by using soap and water, then rinsing it dry. Soap residue makes jewellery appear dull, so the final rinse is critical to your success. And as with all jewellery cleaning, wash your gold while holding it over a bowl or jar, to catch the piece if it slips from your hands.

Do not use the soap-and-rinse method if your gold piece is set with organic materials or soft stones (such as opals, amber, pearls, or peridot). Soap can damage them.

Your gold jewellery should never come in contact with chlorine bleach. Chlorine is found in chlorinated swimming pools and household cleaning bleach, and it damages gold even more than soap by boring holes in the metal and discolouring the mounting.

As a general rule, gold jewellery should be removed before you shower, swim, play sports, garden, or do housework because it may be damaged or lost during such activities. In addition, remove jewellery before putting on makeup, powder, or hair spray. Washing your hands before you put your jewellery back on will also keep you from getting dulling residues from these materials on your pieces.

Because it is soft, gold will scratch easily. Keep your good pieces in a fabric-lined jewellery case, or in a box with separated compartments. Ideally, each piece should be wrapped in velvet or silk.

To protect gold chains from scratching (and to keep them from becoming entangled), store each one in its own elongated box or hang it from a chain keeper. Most keepers are constructed of velvet-covered padded cardboard on a small easel, which will hold eight or more chains. Remove all your gold chains at night and store them flat or hanging on the keeper, to avoid kinking or breakage.

Care should also be taken with pierced earrings. Use rubbing alcohol or a disinfectant to clean the wires that go through the ear lobe before you put them on - every time is best. Some costume jewellery and karated gold can cause an allergic reaction, in some people (which usually shows up as an irritation of the ear lobe). Should you experience this type of problem, you can consult your jeweller about how to address the problem. And remember to remove your earrings before you sleep each night - this gives your earlobes a chance to breathe.

Try not to touch the stones, as the stones will cause a greasy build-up on their surfaces that greatly reduces brilliance and sparkle. DO visit your jeweler at least once a year to have your jewelry checked for loose prongs and wear of mountings. Your jeweler can also give them a professional shine up all at the same time