They may sparkle and glisten sitting under specialized lighting in a store display case but it doesn’t take long for both jewelry and sterling silver to lose that just-bought gleam. Thankfully, cleaning your treasures and restoring their brand-new shine isn’t complicated and with a little care, minimal effort and a lot of TLC, you can keep your stuff looking fabulous.
Diamond Jewelry
They may be the hardest natural substance known to man, but diamonds are grease magnets that require frequent cleaning to keep them looking their best – just touching a diamond will transfer the natural oils on your skin onto the stone which can affect its sparkle. The Gemological Institute of America recommends soaking diamond jewelry overnight in an ammonia-based household cleaner (think Windex or the like) as often as twice a week. Brush the stones with a soft bristled, clean toothbrush that isn’t used for any other purpose, and dry with a soft lint-free cloth. If we are talking diamond rings, be sure to brush the underside as well since that is where most of the oils and dirt collect. It goes without saying that you want to brush your diamond very gently, especially if it is in a delicate setting.
Gold Jewelry
You use it every day to clean your plates and cutlery, but dish detergent also makes a great cleaner for gold jewelry. Put a few drops into a small bowl of water (the Good Housekeeping Institute recommends soaking gold jewelry in sodium-free seltzer so that the carbonation can help remove dirt and debris) and let everything soak for a short while. Take your jewelry out and brush carefully with a soft toothbrush, making sure once again to clean the underside of your jewelry, generally the grimiest part. Rinse the items under running water to remove any soap residue and dry with a soft cloth.
Colored Stone Jewelry
Most colored stone jewelry items can be cleaned using the same soap and water technique or by placing them in an ultrasonic cleaner. Avoid placing more delicate colored stones including opals, coral, emeralds, tanzanite, tourmaline, turquoise and lapis lazuli in an ultrasonic cleaner; instead, give them a little extra love by cleaning and brushing them very gently using the dishwashing soap and toothbrush method outlined above. Be careful to avoid getting hairspray, make-up or perfume on any of these stones and store them individually in a cloth-lined box, case or pouch to prevent them from being scratched or bruised by other jewelry items.
Pearls
It might seems as if dishwashing soap and water are the go-to method for all types of jewelry, but when it comes to pearls, nothing could be further than the truth. Not only are pearls soft, but they are easily damaged by chemicals (including hairspray, cosmetics and perfume) as well as dry air and heat. Ultrasonic cleaning, steam-cleaning, dish detergents, ammonia-based cleaners, toothbrushes and abrasives are all no-no’s when it comes to pearls and many experts recommend that pearls be the last thing you put on when getting dressed and the first item removed when you come home. Wipe them down gently with a soft cloth and store them away from other jewelry in a cloth pouch, folder or other padded holder to keep them from being scratched, nicked or otherwise damaged.
Other Ideas?
The Readers Digest lists several unconventional jewelry cleaning techniques, and while I have yet to try any of them, they do sound interesting. Apparently vodka, Alka Seltzer and denture cleaner are all effective at cleaning hard glassy stones like diamonds and emeralds. Leftover beer (for those of you who actually have unfinished beer) can be repurposed as a cleaner for solid gold gemstone-less jewelry by pouring a few drops of beer onto a soft cloth and rubbing the item before buffing with a clean cloth. Non-alcoholic beverages can be equally useful, with diamonds, rubies and emeralds all benefiting from a soaking in club soda.
Silver
Whether we are talking jewelry or candlesticks, getting tarnish off your silver doesn’t have to be complicated. While there are dozens of silver polishes on the market as well as special polishing gloves and sprays, my personal favorite is Wright’s Silver Cream, which comes packed with a convenient applicator, goes on easily and leaves my silver looking great.
Don’t have silver polish? A cornstarch and water paste, or even a thick mixture of cream of tartar and water, is a great way of restoring the luster to your silver. Other emergency methods include soaking your silver in lemon lime soda, or using ketchup, non-gel toothpaste or hand sanitizer in lieu of a conventional polish.
There is no denying that there are moments when you wish there was another way to get your silver tarnish-free with minimal (or even zero) effort.
Thankfully there are.
Try lining a baking pan with a sheet of aluminum foil and then adding a quart of boiling water and a tablespoon of baking soda. Drop in your silver items and let them stay submerged for 10 seconds, before removing them carefully with tongs. It may seem too good to be true, but thanks to the magic of chemistry, your silver should be back to its original shine, with barely any work required on your part.
Of course the best way to keep your silver looking great is to prevent it from tarnishing in the first place. Does rubbing your silver lightly with hair conditioner or keeping chalk with your silver prevent tarnish? Supposedly they do, but I haven’t tried either idea. Try wrapping your silver in flannel bags, plastic wrap, Ziploc bags or even plastic shopping bags in order to keep air-inducing tarnish at bay. Other possibilities you might want to consider are Pacific Cloth, a silver tarnish cloth embedded with tiny silver particles that is said to prevent tarnish or paper anti-tarnish strips that absorb pollutants in the air that cause tarnish.
No matter what methods you choose to keep your treasures clean, be sure to take them out and wear or use them often. After all, is there any point in having beautiful things if you aren’t going to enjoy them?