Clean Jewelry

Regular use may make your favorite jewelry appear dull and unattractive. Then you may wonder how to clean your precious ornaments in order to restore their former glory. You will be amazed to know that by following some simple tips you can bring dull and dirty jewelry back to life. Just read on to find more about some great ideas on how to clean jewelry.

The thing you need to do before starting out is to be able to identify the nature of the jewelry and its composition. So you must be able to tell turquoise from emerald and ruby from sapphire. This is because different metals and gemstones used in jewelry require different modes of cleansing.

• Gold jewelry can be cleaned by soaking them for a little while in a solution of warm water and a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid. Then you can scrub them with a soft-bristle brush and dry with a soft cloth.

• Diamonds should be soaked for about half an hour in a mixture of warm water and ammonia. This can be followed by gentle scrubbing with a brush to take the dirt out of the places where the stone meets the setting. Follow this up by rinsing in warm water and laying out on a tissue paper to dry. Even if the diamonds are set in their most common platinum setting, this method can work just fine.

• Pearls can regain their luster if you wipe them gently with a clean cloth (preferably muslin) dipped in a mixture of warm water and any mild dishwashing liquid. Do not soak any string of pearls as it may get stretched. Then just let it air-dry for some hours.

• Silver jewelry is very commonly worn and as you may have experienced it becomes tarnished very fast too. You may want to use some silver cleaning liquids that are commercially available. For intricate designs you may want to use a cleansing paste which can reach the small crevices and take the dirt out. Finish off by wiping with a clean piece of cloth. Although some people use toothpaste for cleaning silver, you may be well advised to know that toothpaste can be abrasive and so best avoided.

• If you want to know how to clean jewelry that is costume or oxidized, then the safest bet is to just wipe with a clean cloth. Hot water, artificial cleaners and other forms of heat are best avoided for these makes of ornaments.

• Turquoise can be dipped in warm water, followed by scrubbing and subsequent rinsing in warm water. You can then air-dry this gemstone to help it regain its original sheen.

• Finally, the entire question of how to clean jewelry can be avoided or to be more realistic, delayed, if you are careful in using your ornaments. So you can look to avoid wearing any jewelry while cooking, gardening or doing any work which can expose the jewelry to heat, dust or grease. Also wearing jewelry while swimming can cause discoloration due to the effect of chlorine. While storing jewelry, it is best if you can make sure that they do not get tangled with one another. This may cause scratches as well as chemical reactions.