You have a lot of money invested in your jewelry collection but do you know that your jewerly needs to be periodically cleaned just like any other items you own? Did you know that improper cleaning is one of the major causes of jewelry, especially gold being damaged?
Not only will cleaning your favortie items bring them back to the way they looked when you first purchased them but they will last longer becuase of your careful care.
Item list
- Your jewelry
- Non-abrasive mild detergent – I reccommend Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid
- 2 Large bowls of warm water
- Microfiber cloth or jewelry cloth
- Soft bristle toothbrush
- Can of compressed air
- Baking Soda (Silver Cleaning)
If you do not feel confident enough or you have antique pieces have them professionally cleaned!
Spray the piece with the compressed air to remove excess dust. At the same time examine your pieces for any signs of damage. Soak the item in warm sudsy water for 1-3 minutes. Next remove and use the toothbrush to gently remove any remaining dirt. Use your cloth to dry thoroughly especially gold which will tarnish if it remains moist.
This method will work fine for most jewelry including diamonds, pearls, and most precious gemstones. When cleaning silver cover the item with baking soda – avoid this if the item has gems in it and use the soapy water technique – pour warm water over the baking soda. When the reaction stops remove the items use the toothbrush to remove any remaining dirt. Rinse and dry off.
When working with your jewelry it should go without saying not to use any tool, abrasive chemical, or rough cloth because as stated earlier it will damage your piece. Another thing to consider is that most natural gems are porous meaning that using any type of chemical on them it will absorb into the item damaging it. Done correctly you can clean all your own jewelry and save yourself some money. As I said from the start if you do not feel confident in your ability to clean your jewelry take your pieces to a professional.
You may have to repeat the steps several time to remove built up dirt. If after 5-6 cleanings the dirt remains it is time to bring in the professionals to finish the job.
