Quick Jewelry Cleaning & Care

May 1, 2010

jewelry cleaning
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    With these quick and easy jewelry cleaning and care tips, your treasured pieces and costume jewels will look their best and always be ready to wear.

With these quick and easy jewelry cleaning and care tips, your treasured pieces and costume jewels will look their best and always be ready to wear.
 
What to Use: For cleaning most jewelry, a soft bristled toothbrush and warm water is the perfect pair. Toothbrushes help you gently clean the surface of your jewelry, while also getting into nooks and crannies of a setting. Warm water helps break down the dirt faster.

Jewelry Cleaning Tips:

  • Gold: Soak gold for about 15 minutes in a simple solution of warm water and two drops of mild dish liquid. Gently clean using the toothbrush, rinse with warm water and dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
  • Silver: Rinse silver with warm water and clean with a soft cloth. If the silver is tarnished use silver polishing cloths or bottled silver cleaning fluid.
  • Diamonds: Soak diamond jewelry in a solution of one-cup warm water and 1/4 cup ammonia for 20 minutes or use the same solution you would for gold. Gently clean with a toothbrush, rinse with warm water and pat with a lint-free cloth.
  • Gem Stones: You can use the same solution used for diamonds for most precious gems except for soft, specially treated stones like emeralds or opals. For these stones, use a small amount of warm water and a soft, clean tissue or piece of silk to clean.
    • rub pearls
  • Pearls: Rub pearls individually with a soft cloth dampened with warm water and a few drops of mild dish liquid.
  • Costume Jewelry: Simply wipe costume jewelry down gently with soft, damp cotton cloth as needed. Don’t over clean, as you may damage the finish.

Tip: To keep inexpensive costume jewelry from tarnishing and rubbing off on your skin, brush clear nail polish on the backs of each piece and let dry before wearing.

Jewelry Care Tips:

  • Avoid exposing jewelry to chlorine, extreme temperature changes and chemicals.
  • Take costume rings off when washing your hands for longer-lasting finish. Always put your ring in your pocket or purse when taking it off to avoid leaving it behind.
  • Limit exposure to lotions, makeup, perfumes and hairspray, as this can cause discoloration, especially for costume jewelry and pearls.
  • Make jewelry the last thing you put on in the morning and the first thing you take off at night to limit damage and wear from normal chores and tasks.
  • Stay in the habit of putting jewelry back where it came from each night to keep it protected and organized. For plenty of places to store your jewels, read Creative Jewelry Storage.

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