Basic guidelines to follow before you start cleaning your jewelry Research and make sure you know everything about the materials of your jewelry including: metals, stones, crystals. Many items have different finishes and hardness, the safest way to clean up most jewelry is using a soft dry cloth, this method will clean most of the dusty films and item avoids scratches to items that are delicate.
How come my jewelry has lost it's shine and sparkle? Jewelry is affected by many factors. Many metals will tarnish and become darker and dull due to the presence of nickel copper, humidity and outside factors such as dirt, dust, and perspiration. Stones and crystal surfaces are affected by outside factors such as skin and hair care products. To avoid this problem try putting your jewelry on last, after any lotions, perfumes, hair spray, soaps, and oils, this will help your stones to retain their original sparkle and appearance.
Also be sure to take off your jewelry before washing, taking showers or going into swimming pools as chlorine, soaps, detergents can be very damaging to the delicate luster of many stones and metals.
How to clean and polish my silver and gold jewelry Special jewelry polishing clothes are available specifically to clean and give your jewelry its sparkle back. These special cloths have a fine polishing ingredients formulated to remove the dullness, dust and tarnish from these metals.
Important note: Care must be taken when using commercial liquid tarnish removers as these might have strong chemicals to remove tarnish, this is specially important for plated items. Read the product instructions carefully and do not used these products on items that have been treated for oxidation, have special finishes or are porous stones such as pearls.
If you decide to use liquid tarnish removers choose gentle formulas and used very small amounts. It is very important to polish and rinse until the formula thoroughly cleansed from the item as any residual can add to the dullness of the metal.
Note on Plated items: When cleaning silver/gold plated items only use a gentle silver polish, not a metal polish intended for copper and brass. Rinse after cleaning in clean water and dry with kitchen towel or a clean tea towel. A dry soft brush can be used to remove polish from crevices. Never use wire wool or an abrasive cloth to remove stains as they will scratch the surface. Polish your item only as necessary as a small amount of metal will be removed over time. This can be a particularly important for silver-plated jewelry as the repeated and unnecessary cleaning can cause the silver to be worn away.
Other metals: Bronze, Copper & Pewter In certain metals such as bronze, copper and pewter their patina is often considered desirable, giving the items a warmer vintage look as it ages. However, if you would like to return the item to the original high polished finish of the metal you can use a polishing cloth with a small amount of their specific liquid tarnish remover made specific for each type of metal, rinse thoroughly and polish until your desired color is achieved.
How do I clean a piece that has several metals on it? Many times jewelry pieces are made of different metals, this may give the piece a unique look but makes the cleaning process a bit more challenging. To avoid damaging any part of the item, choose the safest method of cleaning by using a mild soap and polishing with a soft cloth. Pieces that are vintage and are darken due to time may have to be taken for professional cleaning to used stronger and safer process to preserve the metals intact
Cleaning Precious & semi-precious stones Precious and semi-precious stones come in a myriad assortment of textures, finishes, so it is basically impossible to give a sure way of cleaning for each stone without know their type, grade and quality. The safest way to clean any stone is to rub it gently with a soft cloth to take away the dusty films.
Many stones such as Pearls, coral, opals, turquoise and Lapis Lazuli are well know for their porous finish and fragility, therefore extra care must be taken when cleaning them.
Soft (Porous) stones such as: Pearls, Lapis Lazuli, Opals, Emeralds & Turquoise amber, bone, coral, horn, ivory There are many different types of colored soft gemstones, some of which require specific care and cleaning procedures. It would be impossible to enumerate all of them in this guide. However, there are some general care and cleaning rules which apply to all soft gemstone jewelry
If your jewelry contains soft gemstones or pearls, do not immerse in water, as this can loosen some settings. Never use dips or abrasives cleaners on gemstones.
After wearing, wipe your gemstone jewelry thoroughly with a clean, soft, slightly damp cloth. This will enhance the gemstone's luster and ensure that your jewelry is clean before storage.
Store gemstone pieces individually in soft pouches or plastic zip-lock bags. Do not expose your gemstone pieces to salt water or harsh chemicals, such as chlorine or detergents. These chemicals may slowly erode the finish and polish of gemstones. Do not use toothbrushes, scouring pads, or any abrasive material to clean your stones as it will scratch them
Never use an ultrasonic cleaner, ammonia or any chemical solution to clean opaque gemstones, such as turquoise, malachite, onyx, lapis lazuli and opals. These are a porous stones and may absorb chemicals, which build up inside the stone and cause discoloration. Simply wipe them gently with a moist cloth until clean.
Do Not Clean Soft Gems with: -commercial jewelry cleaners
-an ultrasonic cleaner
-steam
-detergents
-bleaches
-powdered cleansers
-baking soda
-ammonia based cleansers
-toothbrushes
-scouring pads or abrasives
What about crystals, glass, enameled pieces Many crystals, glass and enameled pieces are attached to jewelry using adhesive that can be damaged by using liquids, again the safest way to clean these pieces is using a soft dry cloth. Vintage pieces can be more susceptible to cleaning as the adhesive can become weak during the cleaning process.
If you are unsure of how to care for your jewelry, consult the artist or store where the piece was purchased.
The safest advice for keeping your jewelry clean and sparkling It is worth repeating, a soft cloth is also the safest way to clean jewelry
Keep you jewelry safe from other pieces to avoid scratches. Many times a small ziplock bag will protect your jewelry for the environment. Put your jewelry last, cosmetics, lotions and hair spray can impact the luster of your pieces.
Consult and read the instructions provided by your jewelry designer and store on how to take care of your pieces.
If no other information is available use a soft cloth to lightly dust your pieces. Pieces with years of grime should be taken to a professional jeweler that can analyze your pieces and clean them using the proper methods to ensure you items are polished and safe from further deterioration.
Common questions about metals
Is German silver the same as sterling silver? No. German or Alpaca (metal): Alloy of copper, zinc and nickel. Silver-colored. This alloy is resistant to tarnish and keeps beautifully. Yet, if dullness develops over time, polish the silver areas gently with a low abrasive silver polish and a soft cloth. Do NOT use silver dip on the stones as it could destroy them. Items keep their shine for a long time if you keep them in an airtight plastic bag.
What is tarnish? Tarnish is the discoloration of metal due to oxidation. Most metals change with exposure to air. For jewelry, silver is the metal that tarnishes most quickly. This is due to the presence of some nickel and copper in most silver. Fine silver, which contains fewer other metals, will show less tarnish over time. Sterling silver contains 92.5% or more pure silver.
How do I keep my jewelry to become tarnished? Jewelry boxes are a great way to keep your jewelry organized and dust-free, however they do not protect much against tarnish. To prevent and slow down the appearance of tarnish, jewelry can be kept in sealed little plastic ziplock bags. Keeping the air out will slow the process of oxidation. Try laying the plastic bag containing the jewelry piece on a flat surface. Press excess air from the bag before sealing. Also try using anti-tarnish paper strips which can be helpful when placed inside the plastic bags where your jewelry is stored.
Proper care and cleaning will keep your stones and your jewelry lustrous and beautiful for many years.
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