Information

Cleaning Your Jewelry

Important: Remove your jewelry before showering or housecleaning — soap and harsh cleaning supplies can damage jewelry, causing it to become dull and dingy.

  1. When self-cleaning your jewelry, make a visual checklist before you begin — see if there are any loose or damaged gemstones, cracked or broken metal pieces, bent or warped prongs or tips or discoloration.
  2. Never clean jewelry that is badly damaged, abrasive, cracked or broken, as you might worsen the damage.
  3. Have a jeweler inspect your piece for any possible problems or concerns with cleaning.
  4. Be careful when cleaning or polishing hollow or tubular jewelry, as they are very thin and can be unstable for polishing.

To clean —

  1. Soak the jewelry for as long as possible in a commercial cleaner (available at jewelry stores) and make sure you read the instructions on the products before you begin.
  2. Always use warm (not hot) water — cleaning agents can potentially react to hot water, causing jewelry to discolor. A buffing machine or jewelry tarnish remover can bring it back to its natural color.
  3. Ultrasonic vibration cleaning is available for certain jewelry. Note: Never clean different metals together when using an ultrasonic cleaner — for example, silver can tarnish gold if cleaned together. Also be aware that ultrasonic methods can loosen or damage precious gemstones during the cleaning process.
  4. For removing grease, grime, paint or similar substances, first consider soaking your jewelry in rubbing alcohol and then proceed according to the directions on the commercial cleaner.
  5. Never use bleach to clean jewelry as it will cause your pieces to become brittle.
  6. Polish silver and gold using professional polishing cloths, as the fibers in paper tissues or paper towels will scratch the metals.
  7. When using a polishing cloth, avoid touching the gemstones unless they are rubies, diamonds or sapphires — some stones can have their edges polished off or rubbed out.
  8. An old, soft-bristle toothbrush makes a great cleaning tool. Apply the cleaning solution frequently to the brush, as you clean the jewelry, but be careful not to use the brush to remove caked-in dirt as it may be holding the gem in place.
  9. Costume, fake or vermeil jewelry is very sensitive to any cleaning solutions. These pieces are a base metal with a gold layer applied over or absorbed into it and do not handle abrasive cleaning well.