Whether you prize your jewelry because of its monetary value or its sentimental value, it’s worth dedicating a bit of time and effort towards keeping them clean and sparkly! After all, jewelry is regularly exposed to dust, pollutants, sweat, perfume, hairspray, and other contaminants on a regular basis. All of them can build up on the surface of your jewelry, dulling its appearance over time.
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I personally love wearing jewelry, but in the past I’ve been nervous about cleaning it myself for fear of accidentally ruining my favorite rings, necklaces, and bracelets. So I decided to do some research to try and find safe, effective, and affordable ways to clean jewelry. And that’s what I’ll be sharing with you today! At the end of this post, you’ll be armed with all the information you need to clean, buff, and shine all of your jewelry to sparkling perfection. :-)
How To Clean Jewelry Safely & Effectively
How To Clean Gold
Fill a small dish with club soda and add a drop of Dawn dish soap. Drop your gold jewelry into the soda mixture and swish it around. You can use a soft-bristled brush if necessary to dislodge the more stubborn gunk. Then rinse with cool water and dry completely.
How To Clean Silver
There are a few different methods you can use to clean silver jewelry. The first and most convenient method is to use silver wipes. The remove tarnish and restore shine at the same time, and you can also use them to clean gold, brass, and copper.
Another method you can use to clean silver is with a baking soda paste. Just add small amounts of water to some baking soda until it forms a paste. Use it to scrub your silver jewelry, then rinse the jewelry well and dry it completely.
Finally, if your silver is really tarnished, you can use tin foil to help remove it. Line a small bowl with a piece of tin foil, then sprinkle some baking soda onto the foil. Place the jewelry in the bowl, and pour a cup or two of hot water over the jewelry and baking soda. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, then give the jewelry a scrub with a soft toothbrush. Make sure to then rinse the clean jewelry well and dry it completely.
How To Clean Diamonds, Gemstones, & Platinum
Diamonds and other precious gems require special care to keep them looking sparkly without causing damage. I recently got this Diamond Dazzle Stik on Amazon and have been thrilled with the results!
The small brush dispenses a special cleanser that leaves stones looking marvelous, and it’s easy to get into even the tiniest nooks and crannies. Plus, it’s small enough to keep in my purse, so I can touch up my wedding ring even on the go!
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How To Clean Pearls
Use a gentle shampoo to keep your pearls shiny and iridescent. Just add a few drops of shampoo to a small dish of water. Use a small, soft brush (like a clean makeup brush) to gently apply the solution to your pearls. Dry the clean jewelry completely with a soft cloth.
Bonus Tips For Caring For Jewelry
- Brush it clean. A soft-bristled toothbrush makes a great tool for scrubbing gunk off of jewelry!
- Dry it completely. Keeping your jewelry dry is very important. Use an absorbent microfiber cloth to ensure that you’re removing all the moisture from your jewelry.
- Put jewelry on after you get ready. Hairspray, perfumes, and lotions can easily dull the sparkle of your jewelry. To keep jewelry cleaner, wait to put it on until after you’re finished getting ready for the day.
- Keep it safe during travel. Protect your jewelry while you’re traveling by keeping it in a lined or padded box. You can keep your necklaced free from tangles by threading them through a drinking straw. You can also protect items from getting tarnished with a special anti-tarnish bag.
- Take it off before housework. It’s best to remove your jewelry before handling chemicals or working outside to keep them clean and undamaged. (Just make sure to put them in a safe place!)
What is your most precious piece of jewelry, and why?
My jeweler told me to never use any jewelry cleaning solutions or wipes containing solutions – they apparently remove some of the metal from the surface of the jewelry. Instead, for DIY cleaning, use jewelry polishing cloths, and for built-up soap, etc. use a mild solution of detergent and water – it will dissolve the typical build-up, but not damage the jewelry. Dry and follow with a polishing cloth. I get excellent results with both gold and silver.
Jillie,
You are very extremely intelligent. I would love to print your ebooks ASAP. A very creative way to save money, time, your creative ideas. You are really amazing. Please give me time for I have to organize my computer room and will have more room for my file cabinets. Please keep up your marvelous work!
Di
Is there a way to clean the fabric lining and padding of a jewelry box? Mine is green with tarnish, and I can’t find anything on the internet as a way to clean it. Do I just have to get a new jewelry box
I would actually try wiping the lining with the silver wipes mentioned in this post. I haven’t tried them on fabric before, but I have a good feeling it would work! It’s worth a try, especially if you’re considering a new jewelry box. Best of luck, let me know how it turns out!
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My most precious piece of jewelry is a silver and turquoise ring that my grandmother gave me when I was about twelve. It had belonged to her sister, who died in 1946, the year I was born.
When I travel with necklaces I just roll the chain in a tissue . That way you can bend it roll it or whatever so it can travel in the same container as your other jewelry. Plus its easy. Tissue is easy to come by. No worries about losing or breaking it and will fit anywhere.
threading necklaces through a straw… genius. thanks for tips. Wondering if you have any for costume jewelry. I have some gold necklaces and thicker chains that have lost their luster. I read something somewhere sometime about using a spray paint with 14K in it to refresh costume jewelry.
Connoisseurs UltraSoft Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloth lasts for years & years. It works great! It has a cleaning side & a polishing side. It cleans all our silver jewelry in a snap. You can find them at places like Walmart or Target in the jewelry area. Usually they’re near the register. A local jeweler once told us the best way to clean diamonds was with a toothbrush & a dab of toothpaste. We soak our gold jewelry in a little dish of Windex for a few minutes before rinsing & letting it air dry on a towel.
I’ve purchased diamond jewelry in the diamond district in New York City. One merchant gave me a tip for cleaning diamonds…add a little Tide detergent to water to clean diamonds. I keep a solution of Tide and water in a plastic jar. Add jewelry and shake. Remove jewelry, rinse under water. The sparkle is amazing.