Advice on cleaning this

[Gen Lew Wallace]

I picked up a vintage chain and fob for my antique pocket watch.  It needs cleaning and I was wondering if anyone has any helpful ideas.  I'm pretty sure it's gold plate and not solid gold.  Would one of those off the shelf cleaners like Tarn-x work without hurting the plating?  I was also thinking coke, but it's got acid of course.  Thank you for any ideas.

[Forty Rod]

A good jeweler will probably do it for under $5.00, and do it right.

[St. George]

You can buy a 'Selvyt Cloth' at any jewelry supply store, and it'll do the job nicely.

Stay away from the paste cleaners like 'Wenol', 'Simichrome' and 'Flitz' - they work beautifully, but the plating on your chain is beyond thin, and it'll fade even faster than it is now.

You 'could' give 'Nevr-Dull' a try - that, you can find at your local antique mall, and it comes in a tin.

Good Luck!

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Major 2]

The Jewelry counter at your local Walmart has small plastic screw jar with a liquid cleaner solution , just dip it.

[Forty Rod]

You can buy a 'Selvyt Cloth' at any jewelry supply store, and it'll do the job nicely.

Stay away from the paste cleaners like 'Wenol', 'Simichrome' and 'Flitz' - they work beautifully, but the plating on your chain is beyond thin, and it'll fade even faster than it is now.

You 'could' give 'Nevr-Dull' a try - that, you can find at your local antique mall, and it comes in a tin.

Good Luck!

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

Used to use Nevr-Dull to clean airplane wings. You'll never know what fun polishing a Beech Bonanza is until you've done it that way.

[GunClick Rick]

be careful with the dip stuff,it will blacken silver.Might try Eferdent..There is a polish you can get at the grocery store,i think it is wilson,what plastic jar with blue lid,i use it alot,it has a sponge inside and turns into a gentle foam,use it with water.

[Gen Lew Wallace]

Thank you all for the information. 

I know all about Nevr-dull.  I spent 20 years in the USAF fire service polishing the diamond plate on our fire engines.   

[GunClick Rick]

It's amazing where ashes can get... Ever sleep for 12 hours on top of a nice cool 25,000 gallon tank?

[Gen Lew Wallace]

Nope, can't say that. 

[Blair]

Gen. Lew,

Try finding a Jewelry store that offers a "sonic" cleaning of such items.
Just a thought on my part,
  Blair

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I mhave a sonic cleaner, but I don't have  a gold watch chain. 

Somebody send me one and I'll do a test