Different jewelry cleaning tips are always a very interesting topic because there is no point in having all that jewelry if you are not interested in keeping it clean, shiny and great looking. Well, since I’ve spend so much time listing and drooling after different types of bracelets, earrings and necklaces, I figured this post should be about cleaning fine jewelry we already have as opposed to buying new all the time. So here are a few jewelry cleaning tips that will help your gold, silver and platinum pieces and gems shine like brand new:
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1. Use Water to Clean Pearls and Natural Stones
Natural stones are very sensitive and traditional cleaning liquids will can damage them pretty badly so, if you’re not sure about the proper way to clean each and every one of them, you can just use water and very soft toothbrush. Soak them in water, brush a little bit, and then leave them to dry naturally. Jewelry cleaning tips for pearls slightly differ so you’re allowed to use mild detergent although soaking them isn’t really a good idea. Use a wet cloth instead and your pears will be just as good as new!
2. Don’t Use Toothpaste
One of the most popular jewelry cleaning tips is a toothpaste scrub and, although I’ve tried this one myself, I must admit the results were far from satisfying. Pro jewelers say using toothpaste to clean your prized possessions is a huge mistake as toothpaste contains tiny but very abrasive micro granules that will scratch and damage both stones and metals.
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3. Use Clean Cotton Cloths
Always make sure to use clean 100% cotton cloths or those special cloths made for this purpose. Experts suggest using a brand new one each time but I guess having to buy a new cloth every time one of your numerous pieces of jewelry gets dirty can be a big pain it the neck. Want my advice? Use paper towels! My fiancé uses those a lot and, since making and cleaning jewelry is his job, I guess that the right way to go.
4. Cleaning Diamonds
Diamonds are one of the hardest elements known to mankind but that doesn’t mean they don’t need any care at all. In fact, the realization that your diamond ring isn’t as sparkly as it used to be might hit you pretty fast. No biggie, just clean it using this simple recipe: mix one cup of warm water with ¼ of a cup of ammonia and let your ring rest in this mixture for about 20 minutes. The soft toothbrush I’ve mentioned above should help you remove the remaining dirt and voila! Hope you have some shades close by!
5. Cleaning Silver and Gold
All silver or all gold jewelry can be cleaned using some of the standard store bought cleaners and I’ve personally always preferred those because the results are better and longer lasting. Whichever gold or silver cleanser you choose, have in mind that you shouldn’t use the brush as this will cause scratches. Just let your jewelry sit in the solution and then rinse and polish. You can even buy or borrow one of those little ultrasound cleaning dishes as they give the best results and are used in jewelry shops too.
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6. Other Gems
Due to their soft nature, emeralds are the only gems that can’t be cleaned using the diamond cleaning solution I’ve described above. So, if you don’t want them to crack I’d suggest you stick to mild water. The solution, however, works for all other gems so there you go – that’s good news.
7. Care Tips
These aren’t exactly jewelry cleaning tips so consider this a little bonus… something that will help you take better care of your fabulous jewelry. Like I said before, bleaches and strong chemicals are a definite no-go so make sure you take your jewelry off prior to touching anyone of these. Soap is another thing you might want to avoid as it tends to get stuck in the holes and kind of makes the gold lose its shine. And the last but not the least – swimming pools!
Well, that’s the list of my jewelry tips but feel free to add some of your own too! Do you clean your jewelry at home or having it cleaned in a jewelry shop is the best, the safest and the easiest option for you?
Top Photo Credit: gemteck1