Cleaning How To Clean Jewellery

Date Published:

02/10/2008

If your butler is busy, follow these tips to bring up the shine on your jewels.

Always clean jewellery in a plastic bowl lined with a cloth. This will protect delicate items and run no risk of anything ending up down a plughole. For more advice, see How To Clean Precious Metals.

Amethysts, diamonds, rubies and sapphires can be cleaned in washing-up liquid and warm water – use a little paintbrush or make-up brush to gently scrub. Rinse in lukewarm water then dip into surgical spirit to remove any soap residue. Buff gently with chamois leather.

Emeralds can be cleaned as above but are softer so take extra care.

Pearls are porous and should not be washed in water. The oil on your skin is the best tonic for pearls, so wear them with abandon, although protect from hairspray, make-up and perfume. Polish pearls with chamois leather.

Turquoise and emeralds are also porous, so keep them out of the water. Polish with a chamois leather instead.

Clean your jewellery quickly by putting it into a glass of warm water with a tablet of Alka-Seltzer, which will bring it up nice and shiny. Not suitable for pearls or opals though.
Posted by clean-machine

Clean your gold jewellery on the cheap. The following applies to gold alone or with all stones but for opals, pearls, turquoise, mother-of-pearl, or any other delicate stone. Take out a coffee mug. Put one single drop of dishwashing liquid (for dishes by hand, not the dishwasher type) in the bottom and fill with LUKEWARM water. Carefully place the ring, bracelet or necklace you wish to clean on the bottom. Leave overnight. In the morning you will find a lot of dirt specks floating on top. Rinse jewellery gently with warm (never hot) water and dry thoroughly. Warning: Again, NOT for use with opals (which absorb water and are sensitive to extreme heat and cold) or turquoise or pearls, or any other stone which might absorb the water or be damaged by it or the chemicals in the dishwashing liquid.
Posted by LizzieinNYC

Keep your sterling "sterling" pristine, your gold, gold. Do not keep gold jewellery together in the same box as sterling or in the same box as costume jewellery. First, clean the gold and sterling; then keep them completely separate. You won't have to shine and polish as often as necessary.
Posted by LizzieinNYC

Always check manufacturer's instructions first. Always try a test patch first. If you are unsure as to whether the item you are cleaning is suitable for our instructions, take professional cleaning advice first.

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