How to clean Gold Jewelry
Put a few drops of mild, non-phosphate liquid dish detergent in a bowl of warm water. Mix gently. Soak your gold jewelry in the solution for a few minutes. Avoid chlorine and ammonia, as both can discolor the metal. Avoid using toothpaste and baking soda, which are much to abrasive. Remove and gently brush the jewelry with a soft-bristle toothbrush, jewelry brush or eyebrow brush to remove any remaining grime. Now carefully rinse the gold jewelry in warm water to remove the detergent solution. Next, thoroughly dry the gold jewelry with a cotton cloth, any remaining moisture will dull the shine of the gold.
How to clean Silver Jewelry
At home, you must remove the buildup of tarnish from your silver jewelry and silver jewelry containing gemstones differently. To clean jewelry that is solely silver, we are going to create an inexpensive silver dip solution. The silver dip works by creating a chemical reaction that removes tarnish. It is a great technique for cleaning silver chains, which are difficult to clean by hand. First, find a bowl or large cup and line the sides with aluminum foil. Next, place your jewelry inside the lined cup or bowl. Cover the jewelry with a small amount of baking soda, just enough so you can barely see the jewelry. Next pour hot water over the jewelry and wait for the bubbling to stop. After the solution has stopped bubbling, rinse and buff the silver jewelry dry with a cotton cloth. You may need to repeat the process up to 5-6 times for badly tarnished pieces. To clean silver jewelry containing gemstones, create a solution of mild detergent and warm water. Gently buff small sections of the jewelry taking care not to touch the gemstone. Rinse and dry to complete the process.
If the jewelry is heavily tarnished or still requires cleaning, you may require a specialized silver cleaning paste or even professional cleaning. Specially formulated silver polishes are your safest option for polishing heavily tarnished silver, especially if you are dealing with an antique or a piece that has intricate designs etched into it. Follow the manufacturer's directions carefully. Moisten a soft silver-polishing cloth or the sponge included with the silver polish and take a little bit of polish. Rub the silver only in straight-line, back-and-forth motions (not in circles). Avoid scrubbing; rather, let the polish do the job. Rinse the silver under running water. Dry the silver completely with a soft, clean cloth.
How to clean Diamonds
Over time diamonds begin to look cloudy and lose the natural sparkle and shine that makes them so attractive. The good news is that a quick clean on all but the dirtiest diamonds will restore the original shine and luster. Ammonia solutions are effective at cleaning diamonds but will eventually remove the color from most metals so unless your diamonds are not set in any metals we suggest you avoid cleaning in an Ammonia solution. Dip the diamonds jewelry in a warm solution of water and mild detergent for approximately 2-5 minutes. Then gently scrub the diamond with a soft toothbrush or jewelry brush if you have one. After scrubbing rinse the diamond in warm water to remove any remaining detergent. Buff the diamond dry with your cloth.
How to clean Opals
Opals are relatively soft, porous and usually quite thin and fragile. The following cleaning tips are only useful for removing small amounts of grime. If your opal has lost its original shine and luster you should definitely visit an opal specialist and have your opals professional cleaned. To remove light amounts of grim with a mild warm soap water solution gently scrub your opal with a soft brush. Rinse the opal and buff dry with your cloth.
How to clean Pearls
If you’re cleaning a pearl necklace please ensure the pearls are secure before cleaning. Create a warm solution of soapy water, use small amount of baby soap. Baby soap is gentle and more importantly PH neutral, abrasive soaps will easily damage your pearls. Place the peals in the solution for a minute or so and then rub the pearl dry with your cloth. When cleaning pearls you really need to avoid any form of abrasion. Use only soft cotton or jewelry cloth and gentle soaps.
How to clean Gemstones
The majority of gemstones are best cleaned using the same method as Pearls. You may also use a soft toothbrush on hard gemstones to gently scrub away additional grime. You should avoid soaking porous (softer opaque) gemstones instead just wet another cotton or jewelry cloth and clean the gemstone. It’s important to dry the gemstone completely to remove any remaining chemicals from the cleaning process. Ultrasonic cleaners will work well for harder gemstones but may cause cracking on softer gemstones, for this reason we suggest taking your jewelry to a professional for heavier cleaning.
Things to avoid when cleaning
Abrasive chemicals in certain cleaners can easily damage many metals and softer gemstones. This is why it is always best to start your cleaning with relatively gentle methods before tackling any remaining grime and tarnish.
Do not clean your jewelry over a sink or you may find yourself frantically sourcing a plumber.
Rough cloths may scratch metals and softer stones, use soft lint free cotton cloths only.
Do not under any circumstances use harsh chemicals on gemstones which are porous. Porous stones will absorb the chemicals and damage your stones. Porous gemstones are opaque gemstones like Pearls, Turquoise and Opals.
Cleaning expensive vintage jewelry is probably a job best left to the professionals.
Do not use pins, tweezers or other sharp objects to remove small particles of grime, you will only scratch the metal setting of your jewelry.
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