Tips for Cleaning Gold and Silver Jewelry

Having clean jewelry means that it looks just like new.

Yet, do you know right way to clean your diamond ring?

Jewelry such as rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces build up a fine layer of grime when worn frequently. This grime consists of skin and body oils combined with dirt and various other substances the jewelery has come in contact with. The grime needs to be cleaned regularly because it dull the beautiful shine and sparkle.

Cleaning your gold, silver and diamond jewelry correctly with the right cleaning tools and techniques will keep your jewelry looking beautiful for years.

And we all need shiny and sparkly jewelry, don’t we!

An Important Note:

Most jewelry can be cleaned without a problem, some delicate or antique pieces take special care to clean. If you are unsure of the piece’s delicate state, it is important to talk with a jeweler before using any home made cleaning solution on them.

In most cases, they can be cleaned easily at home. But in older pieces the tips, settings and prongs are worn down and might break without the right care.

Take the time to check the setting, the prongs, tips and the clasps that fasten the pieces together to insure they are strong enough to be cleaned.

How To Clean Jewelry At Home

Here is a simple but very effective home remedy method for cleaning jewelry.

• If cleaning gold and gemstones, first soak in a isopropyl alcohol for several hours.
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Make a cleaning solution consisting of a 1/2 cup ammonia and 2 cups of water.
• Use a soft bristled toothbrush, gently brush the cleaning solution on the gems, gold and silver.
• Make sure to turn the jewelry and scrub in all directions to get into all grooves, cracks and crevasses of the gold or silver.
• If you don’t have an old toothbrush, you can also use any other small sized soft brush, such as a nail brush.
• Do not use anything abrasive to clean it as some gemstones and gold and silver can be scratched.
• Rinse the jewelry thoroughly in warm to cool water.
• Allow to air dry.
• Polish it with a clean microfiber, chamois or terry cloth for a bit more shine.

Cleaning Delicate Jewelry:

When it comes to cleaning delicate jewelry, one thing that you should keep in mind is the type of metal and type of gemstone that you have to clean.

Just as much as you love to have a different precious metals, each of these metals has their own specific properties that you should keep in mind.

Certain gemstones like opals and pearls cannot be cleaned with ammonia. Other gems like tanzanite are softer and don’t hold up well to scrubbing. Delicate filigree will not hold up to scrubbing. Most delicate pieces will hold up fine if gently cleaned using an old toothbrush with a little dish soap.

Cleaning Silver Jewelry:

You can clean silver jewelry just as you would gold. You should take care to avoid putting silver into chlorine. The chlorine that is in swimming pools or even in your hot tub can cause the silver to react. This will cause a greenish discoloration on the metals making them very hard to clean.

Silver can also be damaged if cleaned with high concentrations of ammonia. So make sure you have the recipe proportions correct.

You can remove silver tarnish using this solution:

• two teaspoons of liquid dish washing soap
• one teaspoon of household ammonia
• 1/4 cup of water

Mix the solution well. Use a cotton swab to dip and gently scrub until the silver tarnish has been removed.

You can soak the jewelry for 30 minutes if the tarnish is stubborn and hard to remove. Rinse the piece immediately after soaking and before scrubbing, rubbing or buffing to remove the tarnish. The tarnish should come off easily.

Cleaning Pearls

Pearls are extremely delicate and need extra care. Cleaning pearls is easy if you remember you can’t use a darn thing to clean them. Don’t use any cleaning agent on pearls, period. Even hairspray and perfume can damage their delicate surface.

Never use detergent, ammonia, alcohol, or any jewelry cleaner that is not specifically made for pearls because it will damage them.

If your pearls become dirty, just wipe them with a damp cloth. Polish your pearls with a little drop of vegetable or olive oil to keep their luster.

Rinse them well and dry.

If your pearls need a more serious cleaning, take them to a professional jeweler.

Having a few good jewelry cleaning tips to keep by your side can help you to have the best looking jewelry out there.