Why 22K scratches — and why that's fine

Pure gold is soft enough to mark with a fingernail. That is a fact about the element, not a defect in your bangle.

The trade-off nobody explains

22K is 91.6% gold. That high purity is exactly what gives it the deep, warm colour that 18K can't quite reach — and exactly what makes it soft. You cannot have one without the other. Choosing 22K is choosing colour over hardness. Choosing 18K is the reverse.

If a piece will be worn every single day and knocked about — a men's chain, a daily ring — 18K is often the more honest recommendation, and we'll say so.

The first month

New 22K picks up a haze of fine scratches quickly, then largely stops. What you're seeing is the high polish wearing into a softer patina. Most people stop noticing within weeks; some prefer it.

A polish restores it completely. That's free at any of our stores, for life, for as long as you own the piece.

What actually causes damage

• Chlorine. It attacks the alloys in gold and can make a piece brittle. Take it off before a pool.
• Other jewellery. A diamond will scratch every piece in the box. Store separately, in cloth.
• Worn prongs. Stones are lost to metal fatigue, not bad luck. Have claws checked once a year.
• Ultrasonic cleaners. Fine for plain gold, potentially disastrous for emeralds, pearls and anything glued.

Cleaning it

Warm water, a drop of mild dish soap, a soft toothbrush, five minutes. Rinse, pat dry. That's it. Nothing stronger, ever — no toothpaste, no baking soda, no household cleaner. They all work by abrasion, on a metal you already know is soft.