04/17/2026
These are the 3 most common mistakes I see when people are cleaning their 14k gold jewelry at home.
As a jeweler, it breaks my heart to see beautiful, heirloom-quality pieces accidentally damaged by bad advice! Here is what you need to stop doing:
1. Scrubbing with toothpaste or baking soda: I see this “hack” everywhere! Gold is a naturally malleable metal, and these gritty abrasives act like sandpaper. They will create thousands of micro-scratches on your 14k gold and permanently dull its shine. The safest at-home method is simply soaking your pieces in warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap.
2. Throwing everything into an ultrasonic cleaner: They look incredibly satisfying to use, but those intense ultrasonic vibrations can easily shatter softer gemstones and shake the prongs holding your diamonds completely loose. Unless you know exactly how your stone reacts to vibrations, it is safer to skip the machine.
3. Drying your jewelry with a paper towel: It sounds harmless, but paper towels are actually made of wood fibers! These fibers are surprisingly abrasive and will leave tiny scratches on your solid gold over time. Always use a soft, lint-free microfiber cloth to dry and polish your pieces.
At Eliza Ray, we craft our collections in durable, water-resistant 14k Solid Gold so they can handle your everyday life, but they still need the right kind of TLC to stay sparkling forever!
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