It has been a while and you keep telling yourself you have to take your jewelry in for a good cleaning. Well you are absolutely right! It is a good idea to take your jewelry in periodically for a professional cleaning and have it checked out for loose stones. However, if going there keeps getting put on the back burner, here are a few quick and easy ways to clean your jewelry at home. Depending on the type of jewelry you’re looking to bring back to its bright and shiny state, let’s take a look at the best method and items you will need to achieve just that.
HOW TO CLEAN GOLD JEWELRY
To clean your gold jewelry, you’ll need the following items:
- 2-3 drops Mild Dish soap
- 1 ½ cups Warm Water
- Soft Bristle Tooth brush
- Bowl
Rinse:
- 1 cup Cool Water
Optional for excessive build up ( use with caution):
- ¼ cup of Ammonia
A simple and safe way to clean your 14K gold jewelry at home is to use a mild dish soap (such as Dawn), warm water, and a soft bristle tooth brush. Add a few drops of dish soap to a bowl with warm water and place the jewelry inside for a soak. After 10 minutes take the soft bristle tooth brush and gently brush the jewelry getting into those crevices. Afterwards rinse well by dipping the jewelry in a bowl of fresh water (never hold the jewelry over the sink in case you drop it). This simple method ok for all 14K gold set with diamonds, CZ, and colored stones (even good for silver).
Another stronger method of cleaning jewelry is by adding ammonia to your solution. Proceed with caution when using ammonia and follow these guidelines. If the jewelry has heavy buildup to remove and is made of only 14K gold without stones or 14K with genuine diamonds adding a little bit of ammonia to the soapy water will help loosen up the grime.
You can create a soak with one-part ammonia to 6 parts water and a few drops of mild dish soap, let the jewelry soak for 5 minutes. Brush with a soft bristle tooth brush and place back in for another 5 minutes. Follow with a rinse, and be sure to rinse thoroughly. Do not use this method for gold jewelry with stones other than diamonds. Turquoise, Opal, Pearls, Colored Stones, and even some treated diamonds (such as fracture filled) risk being damaged with ammonia.
Finally, it’s important to note if you have jewelry with soft gems or antiques it is best to take the item to a professional since certain cleaners can damage them.
HOW TO CLEAN SILVER JEWELRY
The best way to keep your silver from tarnishing is to wear it and wear it often! But not to worry, if you haven’t reached for that silver piece in a while and tarnish has begun to set in you can bring it back to its glory with a few steps. Let’s take a look at how to revive your silver.
To clean your silver you’ll need the following items:
- Silver polishing cloth
OR
- Silver polish liquid
- Soft lint free cloth
Silver that is not rhodium plated will tarnish over time, it just will and that is normal. Thankfully to bring dirty and/or tarnished silver back to life is pretty easy. The simplest way is to keep an impregnated jewelry polishing cloth on hand. These polishing cloths have compounds on them that safely remove tarnish on silver items. When signs of tarnish appear, gently rub the jewelry with the polishing cloth.
For excessive tarnish, you may choose to use a liquid silver cleaner such as Blitz silver polish or you can try a DIY solution that can be easily made at home.
Here’s what you’ll need for a simple homemade solution ( for excessive tarnish):
- 1-2 teaspoons of Baking Soda
- 1 cup Hot Water
- Aluminum foil
- Glass bowl
Line a glass bowl with aluminum foil, shiny side face up. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking soda into the bowl and pour in 1 cup of hot water. Place your silver jewelry in the bowl and let sit for about 20 to 30 minutes then remove the jewelry and place in a bowl of clean water for a rinse. Dry thoroughly with a soft lint free cloth. You can take it a step further and finish off by buffing with an impregnated polishing cloth for silver.
Additional Tips: Do not use if your silver piece has other precious or soft gemstones set in the jewelry. Do not scrub using a tooth brush with the baking soda mixture or you may scratch the surface of your silver. Do not use for vintage, antique or heirloom pieces… it is best to use a high-quality silver polish or take these items to a professional to avoid damage.
HOW TO CLEAN PEARLS
Pearls are classic gems every woman should have in her jewelry rotation and luckily it doesn’t take much effort to care for your pearls as long as you take care of them from the start. How you ask? Let's find out!
To keep your pearls looking their best gently wipe them with a soft lint free cloth after every wear to prevent a build-up of oils. Avoid wearing lotions, spraying perfume and/or hairspray and other products when wearing these precious gems. Pearls should be the last accessory to put on when leaving the house and the first to take off when returning.
If your pearls are visibly soiled, you may gently wipe them with a damp cloth dipped in a solution with mild dish soap and water. Do not submerge your pearls in water, the pearls and thread will absorb the water which can weaken the thread or cause it to stretch. After cleaning your pearls, follow up with another wipe using a soft cloth dampened with only water and lay flat to dry completely, never hang pearls when wet or for storage.
YOU ARE ALL SET!
Hopefully you have picked up some quick and easy tips on how to care for your fine jewelry. Remember jewelry with precious stones, semi-precious stones, and soft gems as well as antique pieces can be quite delicate. For pieces like these you’ll want to use extra care or take them to a professional to keep them safe and damage free. With this knowledge in mind your all set to roll up those sleeves and starting cleaning!