Whether it’s a ring, necklace or bracelet, gold jewelry lends class and sophistication to your outfit. Gold keeps its beauty and luster for years without tarnishing, but silver needs special care and all jewelry worn regularly gets dirty. It’s important to know how to clean your jewelry safely. The number one tip for all jewelry: Never soak jewelry set with glued gemstones because the hot water might loosen the stones. Instead, clean the jewelry with a soft cloth soaked in soapy water. Rinse and let the jewelry dry upside down to prevent water from soaking into the gem setting. How to Safely Care for Your Jewelry
GOLD
SILVER Sterling silver is often best worn alone, without other metals to scratch or warp the soft silver surface. Silver will turn black when exposed to an alkali. Remove all silver jewelry when you are swimming or doing dishes, because anything chlorine or bleach-based can damage the tender silver. Silver will turn black over time from oxidization. When not wearing your silver jewelry (your skin’s oils naturally protect the metal), bag your silver pieces so the air can’t get to them and tarnish them. This explains why silver jewelry seems to hold its integrity of color longer than silverware. Water makes silver dull, so wipe off your silver fully after cleaning. Avoid all hair products, including hair spray, bleach, and hair dye, (and perfumes) as these chemicals can also make your silver tarnish and turn black. When cleaning silver, wipe with a cotton cloth and only use a cleaning solution designed for silver and precious metals. Silver can be easily damaged and worn. Do not use household cleaning agents like dish soap or hand soap to regularly clean your silver, as it will tarnish. Silver can have a natural sunny looking hue. Depending on the age and thickness of your silver piece, it can appear more gold than silver or even a pinkish color. This is fine and acceptable. If you have silver jewelry that requires a deep cleaning, or a professional polish to make it sparkle like new, don’t hesitate to bring it by. Our jewelry professionals can restore the showroom shine of your precious silver pieces and provide you with the correct solutions to maintain that luster longer.
DIAMONDS While diamonds are the hardest of
Boiling Water
Perhaps the easiest way to clean gold jewelry is to boil a pot of water and submerge your jewelry for no longer than one minute. Hot water is a great way to loosen oil, grease, and grime. When the water has sufficiently cooled, carefully remove the jewelry, gently brush the items and then rinse. Do not attempt this on porous stones. Only use this method on diamonds, gold, and platinum.
gemstones, they are not indestructible and still require care. Engagement and wedding rings are most vulnerable to being lost or damaged because of their daily use. Though the diamond is lauded as being hardy, this can make people less careful with their diamond rings even when they are often the pieces of jewelry with the most sentimental value and are, therefore, the most precious. The upkeep of your diamond ring will help ensure its value and integrity are preserved. Over the course of time, your diamond can be dulled by exposure to everyday substances. To prevent this, don’t allow the buildup to become too severe. When cleaning your diamond ring, avoid chemicals or harmful solutions, as they can damage the metals and weaken the structure of your ring. Use warm, soapy water with liquid soap. For a more intense clean, find a soft toothbrush, or a child’s toothbrush, and gently work around the stone and setting. Don’t be too rough with the cleaning, and dry with a lint-free cloth. For special occasions you can have your diamond ring professionally cleaned for that added glint. Over time, your diamond ring will be bumped, smacked and hit in your everyday movements. Though your ring should be able to withstand most of those sorts of experiences, you should schedule regular checkups with us. Prongs are especially vulnerable, and when they become loose, you are in danger of losing your stone. At your checkup, our jeweler can ascertain the strength of the setting and tighten it up for better security when necessary. This is a highly advised preventative measure to keep your diamond ring intact.
Soap and Water
Use warm water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Drop the jewelry in the bowl and let it soak for half an hour. Gently loosen any remaining dirt with a soft bristled toothbrush. Use a light hand to prevent scratching the gold. Rinse.
Toothpaste
To clean your gold jewelry with toothpaste, squirt some of the paste onto a soft bristled toothbrush. Be sure to use a non-abrasive toothpaste, as those small beads can scratch jewelry while scrubbing. Using a circular motion, gently brush the metal to remove skin oil and grime.
Alcohol
Alcohol is also an effective way of cleaning jewelry, but if there are any precious or semi-precious stones, you must pay attention to how they are set. If the stones are set in glue, don’t use alcohol as it will dissolve the glue.
Cleaning Cloth
If you don’t want to use water or any chemicals, gold jewelry can be cleaned with a special gold cleaning cloth. The cloth can also be used to clean silver, brass, and other metals. This method requires quite a bit of effort, but it delivers excellent results. One tip: don’t wash the cloth when it gets dirty. The dirtier the cloth, the better it works.
19 • DIAMONDS DIRECT
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