I have been cleaning out my grandmothers things, I found lots of real, authentic antique jewelry and pearls..my question is i have also found an old @ 30" gold chain (rope) attached to a small ladies pocket watch. My question is how do I clean the gold chain. I used a chemical dip and clean from Wal mart, made very little difference in the appearance. Should gold "shine" afer cleaning. It is likely it has not been cleaned in 50 years, how can I tell if it is real gold ??

My plans are to shorten the chain and have it made into a necklace I can wear and maybe pass down to my kids..

thanks for the input..
also, I live 45 mins from teh nearest wal mart or jeweler lol

The practice of stamping gold jewelry with level of content/purity began in 1906, so is there no stamp on clasp area? Could also be older than that of course.

You could also pack it all up and ship to our resident jeweler in Orange County for an assessment of that and other items.

I have not looked at the clasp with my good glasses, that is an excellent idea. I was thinking that after a quick clean it should be very bright and shiny to be real gold ,admittedly, i know nothing of gold or jewelry per se.

I'd also ask our resident expert first but I don't think Gold will tarnish or oxidize so a good detergent should clean it up if it's real gold.
Gold will have a higher weight than other metals too but without an accurate scale and a determination of the volume you'll just have to feel it's weight in your hand to see if it seems heavier than something similar. Not an exact science by far.
If you think the watch is original to the chain, is there any identification there to help?

A quick search of testing gold jewelry at home came up with this and lots of other ideas.

Place your jewelry on a table or hold it in your hand, pour some white vinegar on the metal directly (a dropper can also be used) if the metal of the jewelry changes its color, it is not pure gold and if it keeps shining then you have real gold in your hand.

https://www.google.com/search?...=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

Since its already discolored you may have your answer.

Gold rope chain is notorious for holding dirt. If its legit gold you may need to soak it for hours or days to break down all the dirt. If you have an ultra sonic that would speed things up. But, no a quick dip in cleaner is not going to give you bright, shiny gold. I know this as I worked as a jeweler while going through college. Repaired many a rope chain and the dirt they hold is impressive to say the least.

Gold does not tarnish.

The metals gold is alloyed with to make jewelry are a different story. The lower the gold content, the worse the problem can be.

I’d start with dish soap with a bit of ammonia and a soft toothbrush.

As noted, gold does not corrode (known as "tarnish" for this metal).

This is why most (all?) electronics used in space flight are gold plated.

man, thats what i love about this forum, so much knowledge and so friendly, thank fellas, I will soak it an dclean it well and see how it goes, if i can figure it out, i will post pics tmw

Last gold chain I bought the jeweler gave me a little ultra sonic cleaner. Couldn't have been that expensive, does a fantastic job

Try toothpaste on an old wet toothbrush.

I would suggest an ultrasonic cleaning on a solution of white vinegar, water, and a bit of salt added to the mix. The salt will convert some of the white vinegar to Hydrochloric Acid which will act on many of the "dirt" constituents but absent any Nitric Acid it will not etch or dissolve Gold. Have a go in the ultrasonic with this brass cleaner and then do a cycle with just a bit of dish soap and water. After that rinse it clean and take not of the improvement.

Recipe for "Brass Cleaner". One part white vinegar, 6 parts water, 1/2 teaspoon table salt, 1/8 teaspoon Dawn Dish soap. This is what I use in my Thumblers Tumbler with stainless steel pins and after 40 minutes the brass comes out looking brand spanking new. Also used this method to clean up about 40 dollars worth of Quarters, Dimes, and Nickles from a coffee can in the garage that were pretty nasty and 20 minutes had those coins looking rather good.

I took it to a jeweler I know and trust, the chain was not gold but I had a ring that was 14k gold that i used to trade up for a nice chain. thaks fellas.