If you use 'wood bleach' aka oxalic acid to lighten and even out the wood color, it won't effect the gold initial oval at all. No matter what the karat of gold or if it's even just brass it won't do anything to it,,silver the same. It usually cleans the surface of some tarnish, but that's about it.
'Savogran' is the most common off the shelf oxalic acid wood bleach in crystal form avail at DIY stores like HomeDepot, ect. But there are others from the different wood finishing product makers.
Stay away from laundry bleach use on the wood IMO.
