How to Clean Your Jewelry Safely
by Harland Gettig
http://www.rittyjewelry.com
Taking care of your jewelry will help to ensure that
it looks great now and years from now. Even
jewelry heirlooms can look stunning and brand new
if they are properly cleaning and taken care of.
Never use harsh chemicals on your jewelry unless it
is specifically made for it. Maintenance is also vital
since it will mean you need to clean much less
often. Keep in mind that each piece of jewelry is
unique due to its metals and gems, and therefore
needs unique care.
Gold is one of the most common types of metal in
jewelry. The easiest way to clean gold jewelry is to
soak in a solution of water and dish soap for about
30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes is up gently scrub
the gold with a toothbrush. If your gold jewelry
also contains other metals or stones, be careful not
to scratch them with the toothbrush. Also be aware
that gold can be harmed when subjected to
chlorinated water, so be sure to take all jewelry off.
Silver is another common metal in jewelry, and as
with gold it should be kept out of chlorinated water.
If your silver is in good condition, you can easily
clean it by running it under warm water and then
drying. However, if your silver is tarnished, you
will need a special cleaner that can be purchased at
any grocery or jewelry store. Tarnish cleaner
comes in either a liquid solution or a paste. When
using the paste, only use a cloth to clean the silver
since a brush of any sort can scratch the surface of
the silver.
Pearls will need to be cleaned very gently so that
they aren~t scratched. Use a soft cloth that has been
dipped into a mild solution of dish soap and water.
Make sure that you never soak your pearls in any
solution since this can cause the string that is
keeping the pearls together to become stretched and
weak. When you~re wearing your pearls make sure
that any hairspray or makeup that you apply doesn~t
touch the pearls since they can become discolored.
There are other types of jewelry, such as diamonds,
emeralds, rubies, and sapphires that each requires
gentle cleaning using a mild solution of dish soap
and water. The most important thing that you need
to remember is be gentle when you~re cleaning any
jewelry and that you avoid the use of abrasive
cleansers.
If you do have some pieces of jewelry that are
particularly hard to clean, this is the time to head to
the jewelers. They may charge you a nominal fee,
but it will be worth it to have your jewelry look as
fabulous as the day you bought it.
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