Cleaning Vintage Gold Jewelry with Sokolov's Kit: A Game-Changer!

I recently gave my vintage gold jewelry a deep clean, and I'm thrilled with the results. I was thinking of trying out Sokolov's cleaning solution, as I'd heard great things about it. In the past, I'd usually clean my gold with hydrogen peroxide or just wipe it down with some spirits. A couple of years ago, I was using vinegar, but that involved boiling everything in a pot with a sheet of aluminum foil at the bottom. It was a decent cleaning method, but it was still tricky to get into the tiny details, and the metal would eventually oxidize and I'd have to do it all over again.

I ordered the gold cleaning kit from Ozon, and since these individual products aren't sold separately, this review is for the kit. I'll go into more detail about the kit and show you how it works. I've got a mix of old Soviet gold and some newer pieces, so I was able to put the results to the test. I'm still waiting for a similar silver cleaning kit to arrive, so I can continue with the cleaning process.

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The Gold Cleaning Kit

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Name: Gold Care and Cleaning SetManufacturer: SokolovCountry: RussiaPrice: Ranges from 300 to 700 rubles (depending on the store and promotions), I got it for 300 rubles.Set contents: Cleaning solution, polishing cream, brush, and soft cloth.How to clean gold at home with Sokolov's productHow to clean gold at home with Sokolov's productHow to clean gold at home with Sokolov's productHow to clean gold at home with Sokolov's productPackaging: A cardboard box with the brand name, all looking very bright and shiny.How to clean gold at home with Sokolov's product It looks solid. Inside, everything is very neatly arranged, not rattling around. How I Cleaned Gold at Home with Sokolov's StuffOne thing I appreciated about Sokolov's gold cleaning solution is that each bottle has clear instructions on how to use it, along with some extra info on the box itself. It's all super straightforward and easy to follow.How I Cleaned Gold at Home with Sokolov's StuffIngredients Breakdown:Gold Cleaning Solution

Water ≥30%, 5% ≤ thiocarbamide ≤ 15%, inorganic acid ≤5%, NPAV (alkylpolyglycoside) ≤5%, fragrance ≤5%.

Polishing Cream

Water ≥30%, 5% ≤ thiocarbamide ≤ 15%, inorganic acid ≤5%, NPAV (alkylpolyglycoside) ≤5%, fragrance ≤5%.

From the manufacturer:I was excited to try out SOKOLOV's gold care kit, which promises to restore the shine and beauty of your favorite gold jewelry. The kit comes with professional-grade products developed by SOKOLOV experts, designed to help you get your jewelry looking like new again. The 2-step care system includes: 1 - a gold jewelry cleaner that removes any dirt, grime, tarnish, discoloration, or metal oxidation; 2 - a universal polishing cream for all types of jewelry, which removes micro-scratches, gives a dazzling shine, and keeps your jewelry looking beautiful for a long time. The kit includes: gold jewelry cleaner (100ml), a jewelry cleaning brush, universal polishing cream for all types of jewelry (25ml), and a universal polishing cloth for jewelry.

Shelf life: 12 months.xa0

My Thoughts

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I've been cleaning my earrings and rings periodically, but I've never been able to get them really clean due to their small details. So, I was really counting on this kit to deliver. I mean, who doesn't love a good miracle, right? I'm a firm believer in the power of chemistry, and this kit seems to have some pretty cool stuff in it. I have to say, I'm a bit surprised that we didn't learn about cleaning gold and silver in school - it's like we're re-learning everything all over again. Oh well, I guess that's just the way it goes sometimes.

I started by gathering all the items I needed to clean. My earrings weren't super dirty, but they'd lost their luster over the years - they're old family heirlooms, after all. I decided to clean my sister's vintage earrings too, and her engraved ring, which always seems to collect grime around the stone.

I took a photo of the instructions on the bottles first, starting with the one containing the soaking solution.

Cleaning gold jewelry at home with Sokolov's solutionThe liquid is transparent, slightly foamy when shaken, and has a slight fragrance:

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Before cleaning:

Cleaning gold jewelry at home with Sokolov's solution

Cleaning gold jewelry at home with Sokolov's solutionSince I'd started this process, my sister decided to clean her gold jewelry too - we'll see how it turns out. She has some old vintage earrings that are really hard to clean, and her engraved ring is also looking a bit grimy.

Cleaning Gold at Home with Sokolov's Solution I'm guessing you can see just how dirty my gold is from the photo. Now it's time to get cleaning. My mom wasn't willing to let me use her gold for experiments - either I didn't convince her or she thought I was crazy. No worries, the instructions on the box say the experts have approved it, so I'm feeling pretty confident. Don't forget to wear gloves, by the way - I didn't show them in the photo, but I was definitely wearing them. Time to get started I need a glass or plastic container. I've got a little opal glass bowl that's perfect for the job. I've added all the gold to it. Cleaning Gold at Home with Sokolov's Solution I've filled the container with the solution, making sure all the gold is fully submerged. The photo might make it look like something's poking out of the water, but trust me, it's not - it just looks that way. Cleaning Gold at Home with Sokolov's Solution I mix the solution and wait for 4 minutes. As I stir, I notice bits of dirt appearing in the water. I keep stirring, and it's clear that the process is working - even the chain is starting to show some signs of being cleaned. The smell is a bit like hair dye, but it's not overpowering. I could open a window if I wanted to, but my sensitive nose is behaving itself, and I'm not even getting a cough. It's actually quite safe. I can even see some cosmetic benefits.

After Cleaning

Cleaning Gold at Home with Sokolov's Solution I rinse it all under running water, dry it with a cloth. Honestly, it's not perfect. But my big earrings and my sister's earrings with red stones are now spotless, and even my chain looks brighter (I had no idea it was that dirty - yikes). However, my sister's big ring didn't clean up too well, and her newer hoop earrings still have a lot of grime in them. The resin has swelled up, but it didn't come loose... I tried to clean it with a brush, but then I used a needle to carefully remove most of the dirt.

How to Clean Gold at Home with Sokolov's SolutionI was surprised by how much grime I managed to scrub off the other jewelry pieces using a soft-bristled brush and a little bit of poking around with a needle. It was a decent amount of dirt, if I'm being honest. I wasn't thrilled about it, but I figured it was worth repeating the process.

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Soaking for a second timeI decided to soak it again, and it was a great decision.

How to Clean Gold at Home with Sokolov's SolutionBecause this time, everything came out sparkling clean!After the cleaningSo, I moved on to the polishing stage. Here's a shot of the cream:

Cleaning Gold at Home with Sokolov's Solution Oh, it's really beautiful, and the logo on the lid is a nice touch. I love the packaging. Inside, the cream is this watery stuff that's easy to apply to the surface. You just need to rub it with the cloth from the set. It's kind of like suede, but the only downside is that sometimes pieces of material would come off from the edges of the cloth...

Cleaning Gold at Home with Sokolov's Solution I started polishing - applied the cream and rubbed it with the cloth from the set. The result is amazing! You can even see the difference in the photo, and it's even more noticeable in real life. After polishing, you also need to rinse it under running water to get rid of any remaining cream. It's got active ingredients that not only clean but also smooth out micro-scratches.

I'm loving the result

My earrings look brand new again. I even polished my ring, and the color of the stone hasn't changed after cleaning. My wedding band is now slightly shinier too. And the best part? The dirt under the engraving is completely gone - jackpot!

Cleaning Gold at Home with Sokolov's SolutionI'm seriously impressed with how shiny everything looks now! These earrings really needed a good polish, and I haven't seen them sparkle like this since I got them from my grandma. They're old, too - I've had them for ages.

Cleaning Gold at Home with Sokolov's SolutionCheck out these new earrings - they were already pretty sparkly, but after cleaning, they're even better. I was surprised to find a ton of grime under the fianite stones.

Cleaning Gold at Home with Sokolov's SolutionEven these vintage earrings look amazing now. I'm not sure what kind of stones they have, but they're old - my great-grandma used to wear them. The stones are still sparkling, and the color hasn't changed.

Cleaning Gold at Home with Sokolov's SolutionThis chain looks brand new - I didn't even need to use a brush. And get this - it's an old chain from Soviet times.

Cleaning Gold at Home with Sokolov's SolutionI'm really happy with the cleaning solution and polish. I was able to get my jewelry looking brand new. It took me around 30 minutes or more, but it was worth it. I ended up using the entire solution, soaking the jewelry twice. If you have a smaller collection, you might be able to stretch it out a bit longer. I still have some polish left over.

I liked that I didn't have to heat anything up or boil it. The whole process was pretty straightforward and effective, even for older stains or oxidized areas. The discoloration on my earrings is completely gone - I had some on the clasps.

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The Verdict,

I'm really impressed with this set. It was easy to clean and polish everything. I found that old stains can come out easily if you soak them twice in the solution. The gems (which I think are rubies and sapphires) are still intact, and the gold is looking great. It works well on both old Soviet gold and new pieces. Everything's shining and looks amazing. I'll definitely be buying this set again to keep my jewelry looking its best. And I'm looking forward to trying out the silver cleaning set next.

I highly recommend it - I loved everything about it!

Thanks for reading and happy shopping!