Best ways to clean jewelry

Best Practices to keep your DIAMOND JEWELRY Hail and Hearty

All you need is warm water, a soft toothbrush, and mild soap. Do not use toothpaste to clean diamonds. Soak your diamonds in soapy water for a few minutes and gently clean them with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Along with the face of the diamond, also clean the back where dirt is easily accumulated.

HANDLE YOUR DIAMOND SPARINGLY:

Diamonds are natural magnets for grease, so they’re not easy to keep clean. When a diamond is handled, the oils from your fingers adhere to the diamond’s surface and affect its brilliance and fire.

CLEAN YOUR DIAMOND REGULARLY:

A simple plan to keep your diamond jewelry looking beautiful is to soak it in a gentle degreasing solution, such as water with a few drops of mild dish soap, once or twice a week. After you remove the diamond from the cleaning solution, use a soft, clean toothbrush to remove any remaining dirt. The toothbrush should be new and reserved exclusively for cleaning your jewelry. Use it to clean hard-to-reach places like the back of the diamond, which tends to collect the most oil and dirt.

USE A GENTLE TOUCH:

Fragile settings, like older prongs in antique jewelry or a tension setting where the diamond is held in place by pressure from the shank, shouldn’t be vigorously scrubbed, so be gentle with the toothbrush. Then, just rinse your diamond jewelry with water and dry it with a soft, lint-free cloth. If you’re working over a sink, make sure to close the drain.

WHAT SHOULD YOU NOT CLEAN DIAMONDS WITH?

Chlorine bleach or abrasives (such as household cleaners or toothpaste) should never be used when cleaning diamond jewelry. Chemicals like chlorine can damage some of the metals used to alloy gold for diamond settings and abrasives can scratch gold and other metals.

Click here to find easy steps to follow gold jewelry at home, and clean gold, and diamond ring at home.

Tips for all other types of jewelry:

BE CAREFUL WITH LIGHT AND HEAT:

Just as the sun’s harmful rays can damage our skin, light and heat can affect a colored gemstone’s durability and color. Over time, and in excess, they can also fade or damage some gemstones, such as amethyst, kunzite, topaz and shell cameos. Pearls will bleach under extreme exposure to light.

KEEP YOUR JEWELRY AWAY FROM CHEMICALS:

Exposure to chemicals can damage or discolor precious metals – gold, silver and platinum – and may harm some colored gems. Even everyday substances like hairspray, lotion, perfume or other cosmetics can contain chemicals that will permanently damage the surface of your pearls and other delicate or porous gems (like turquoise). Fine jewelry should be removed before diving into a chlorinated swimming pool or before using household cleaners. Many of these cleaners contain ammonia, which can be too harsh for delicate gems or vintage jewelry. Chlorine bleach, another common household solvent, can pit or damage gold alloys.

USE ULTRASONIC CLEANERS WITH CAUTION:

While you can purchase a professional ultrasonic cleaner for $150 or less, you should be aware that not all gems and jewelry can be safely cleaned in it.

• Gems that are susceptible to heat and temperature changes whether they are treated or not. Some of these gems include tanzanite, feldspar (sunstone and moonstone), fluorite, iolite, kunzite, lapis lazuli, malachite, opal, topaz, turquoise, zircon and others.

What’s more, the vibration generated by the machine can sometimes shake gems loose or chip gems that are set with their girdles touching.

THE SAFEST CLEANING METHODS ARE ALSO THE EASIEST:

Most colored gems can be cleaned with warm water, mild dish soap (no detergents) and a soft brush. A pulsed-water dental cleaning appliance and a soft, lint-free cloth can also be used. Be sure to rinse your jewelry in a glass of water to remove cleaning solutions since you risk losing loose stones – or even an entire piece of jewelry – if you rinse directly in the sink.

Soft gems, such as pearls, on the other hand, can easily scratch. Use a new, clean makeup brush and warm, soapy water to softly clean them. Lay a strand of pearls on a towel to dry. The wet silk thread can stretch − and attract dirt − so don’t touch your strand until it is completely dry. Pearls worn often should be restrung once a year.

SAFELY STORE YOUR JEWELRY:

Proper jewelry storage is often overlooked. Jewelry should never be tossed into a drawer or on top of a dresser − that’s asking for scratches and damaged gems.

Our jewelry pieces come in signature jewelery box or pouch from the store, which is a perfect place to keep them.