Proper care helps keep your jewelry in sparkling condition for a long time. There is a lot of information available for jewelry cleaning on the internet. This article puts together a list of tips to help you achieve this task without much hustle.
You can seek expert advice if you want to know about the specifics of a rare gemstone, like blue diamonds. Getting your queries answered by the experts will help you understand your gemstones and take the necessary steps for their care and handling later.
1. Checking the Jewelry
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People often miss jewelry cleaning requirements due to regular usage or lack of time to check them. Compare it with a new piece of jewelry to make out its dullness or lack of luster. However, most jewelry cleaning is easy.
2. Giving It a Wash
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The simplest form of cleaning that you can opt for most jewelry is to wash them. It is particularly applicable for any fashion jewelry or solid gold jewelry. While washing, you can choose a non-fragrant and colorless liquid soap and apply it with warm water.
Any other chemical-free soaps can be equally handy, and it is advisable to avoid soaps with moisturizers. Using a soft-bristled brush or a soft cloth can help remove the dirt from all the crevices. A critical aspect to note here is that soft gemstones like pearls or opals should not remain in the water for a long time.
3. Opting for an Ultrasonic Cleaner
We often have intricate jewelry pieces that accumulate dust. Cleaning them via regular methods will not give you the required results. For such jewelry, you can seek the help of professional ultrasonic cleaners. Such cleaning will not impact the jewelry and will only help clean the dirt out of it.
There are a few exceptions that you should keep in mind while opting for an ultrasonic cleaner. You should avoid using it for turquoise, opals, pearls, lapis lazuli, or blackened silver jewelry. Use it with caution for soft gemstones and a few intricate finishes.
4. Removing Tarnish
Tarnishing is a normal process that your jewelry undergoes over some time. However, removing precious metal tarnishing is easy, and you can clean it off with quality polishing cloths. After you are through with cleaning, you can give the clothes a proper rinse to get back to a clean state.
5. Using a Silver Dip Tarnish Remover
A quick tarnish removal is possible for sterling silver using a silver tip. This method is beneficial for cleaning silver chains when a polishing cloth does not give results. Silver dip is available in the market, and you can find it in your local hardware, pharmacy, or jeweler’s shop.
It is advisable to follow the instructions carefully and rinse well once you are happy with the cleaning. There are a few exceptions that you should keep in mind, similar to ultrasonic cleaners. You should avoid using it for turquoise, opals, pearls, lapis lazuli, or blackened silver jewelry.
6. Avoiding Severe Cleaning
Most people use baking soda paste or toothpaste to clean their metal jewelry. Such methods can have a detrimental effect on your jewelry. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid these processes, particularly for gold-filled, gold vermeil, or plated jewelry.
You can do more research to understand the impact on various jewelry. Caution is also advisable when taking care of your jewelry using a polishing cloth or brush that rubs against the metal.
7. Storing the Jewelry
So, you are now aware of ways to clean your jewelry and take care of tarnishing. The next critical step is to store the jewelry properly to avoid any dirt or grime accumulation. It will lead to cleaning the jewelry sooner than needed.
Storing the jewelry in proper condition and avoiding humidity can help slow down tarnishing. If you are in a humid area, you can ensure the requisite mechanisms to counter humidity. Free-flowing air is also not ideal for your jewelry. You can use a jewelry box or pouch to store your jewelry.
Once you have proper storage conditions in place, you can rest assured that your jewelry will have a sparkling luster for a long time. However, while storing the jewelry in boxes or pouches, it is critical to ensure no chance of any metal pieces rubbing against each other.
Scratching metal can impact your intricate designs, and any hard surface or gemstone will get permanent scratches. It is advisable to store them individually to avoid such a condition.
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