Have you ever seen anything that was dirty and elegant at the same time? Probably not. Fanciness can’t happen without cleanliness, so you’ve got to keep your fancy jewelry clean for it to stand out. Use caution though; gems require special care when it comes to cleaning. Here are our tips on how to clean jewelry.
Silver
Silver is often the victim of tarnish. Luckily this is an easy blemish to remove. There are lots of solutions, including ketchup (the acid in tomatoes eats away the tarnish), toothpaste (it’s a mild abrasive), and vinegar (again, acid). Just rub your cleaner of choice on the silver and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping away. You can also get a special silver-cleaning cloth specially designed to rub away tarnish. We cover how to clean silver more fully in a different article.
Pearls
No matter what kind of pearl you have—real, cultured, or imitation— this cleaning tip will clean them all safely. In a bowl add warm water, shampoo, and your pearl jewelry. Use a makeup brush or something similarly soft to gently scrub the pearl in the water. Rinse and let dry on a clean cloth. “Clean jewelry” accounts for all jewelry, original or imitation.
Gold
Add club soda and warm soapy water to a container. Place the gold jewelry inside and let it soak for 10 minutes. Remove the jewelry and scrub with a toothbrush. Rinse and pat dry.
Diamonds
Regular cleanings for diamonds are essential to maintain their beauty. Soak the diamond in a degreasing solution. Remove the diamond from the solution and scrub gently with a toothbrush. Rinse the diamond and dry with a clean cloth.
Crystals
Crystals can be made of different minerals and substances, so how you clean them might depend on their composition. Check with your retailer, but a general method is to clean with soapy water and a toothbrush. You can also clean them by gently rubbing the crystals with a soft cloth.
Clean Jewelry Maintenance
Now that your jewelry is clean, here are some practices to keep it that way:
- Store in a soft, safe place
- Remove jewelry before swimming, washing hands, applying personal care products, etc.
- Avoid hard contact as this can chip your jewels
These good habits and regular, gentle cleaning will keep your gems looking timeless. You’ll look even more stunning in jewelry that’s literally sparkling clean.
We recommend using microfiber rags for cleaning jewelry.