Your Jewelry Care Hack Tutorial

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Your Jewelry Care Hack Tutorial: Cleaning Gold, Silver, and Diamond Jewelry at Home 

For many, collecting fine jewelry is an expensive hobby, while for others it’s merely bling to compliment their wardrobe. Jewelry is also used to make a statement, denote social status, and, in many cases, used as a form of spiritual symbolism. For these reasons, it’s important to keep fine jewelry clean and in good shape. And since jewelers charge more than they should for cleaning, it’s a good idea to learn how to do it yourself.  

How To Properly Clean Gold Jewelry   

Pure gold is one of the few metals that never tarnish under normal circumstances. Gold is one of the least reactive elements on earth and thus does not react at all to oxygen. However, when making jewelry, gold must be strengthened using various kinds of alloys, such as silver and copper. It’s uncommon to find jewelry that is 100 percent pure since pure gold is very malleable. When jewelers wish to relate to consumers how much gold is mixed with an alloy or alloys, they will give that jewelry a karat number. The lower the karat number, the least gold comprises a piece of jewelry. On the flip side, the higher the karat number, the higher the content of gold. While pure gold is 24 karats, most golden jewelry is 75 percent pure and 25 percent alloy. Nevertheless, jewelry that is comprised of 14 to 10 karats of gold is most commonly purchased by consumers.  

How to Clean Gold Jewelry of Various Karats 

For those who want to clean their gold jewelry properly, you’ll need to make a mixture of dish soap, ammonia, and water.  

• Add a few drops of basic blue Dawn dishwashing liquid into a bowl of warm water. Next, add a few drops of pure ammonia to the water as well. 
• Mix this solution thoroughly.  

• Dip a soft-bristled toddler’s toothbrush into the mixture and use it to brush your gold jewelry clean.  
• Due to how soft gold is as a precious metal, it is recommended that you use a gentle, persistent pressure to avoid causing small scratches on your jewelry.  
• Even if it’s 14 or 10 karats, it’s best to avoid using too much pressure.    
• Rinse the jewelry in warm water and dry with a soft cloth. 

Maintain the cleanliness and shine of your gold jewelry by not wearing it while you bathe, shower, or wash your hands. Also, try to avoid wearing your jewelry while you sleep due to how much oil and skin your jewelry will be exposed to during your slumber. But of course, if taking something like a ring off and on constantly isn’t practical, at least you know how to clean it when needed. Lastly, never use any other soap to clean your jewelry other than the basic Dawn dishwashing liquid. 

How To Properly Clean Silver Jewelry  

Although gold has been a highly coveted natural commodity throughout history, you cannot discount the value and attraction of a brilliant precious metal like silver. According to Bussiness Insider, silver is far more trendy than gold. A few years back, Tiffany & Company, the major jewelry company, announced that it would be focusing a lot more on producing silver jewelry to keep up with demand, the article explained. Silver, unlike gold, doesn’t maintain its luster and brilliance throughout the years without a little bit of love and care. As a matter of fact, silver needs to be cleaned and polished at least once a year, if not more under extreme circumstances.   

For the silver jewelry that you love and treasure, you can use a very simple and non-abrasive mixture of household products to clean the film and tarnish from your silver jewelry.   

• First, create a paste from a mixture of baking soda and warm water.  
• The ratio should be three parts baking soda to one part water.  
• Use a soft cloth to rub this mixture over your jewelry.  
• After the paste has been spread over the jewelry to clean every little cranny, rinse it off in warm water.  

• Using a paper towel or other abrasive cloth materials should be avoided.  
• Remember: Silver can be scratched easily, so cleaning cloths made of firm or scratchy materials will damage it and should not be used.  

How To Properly Clean Diamond-Studded Jewelry  

Cleaning jewelry made of precious metals becomes a little more complicated when you factor in gemstones, like diamonds.Gemstones and precious metals are made of different minerals and elements, so it’s reasonable to conclude that they’d need to be cleaned with different compounds and in different ways. There are simple solutions you can utilize that will clean both the precious metals and the gemstones on your jewelry.   

• Start off by cleaning your diamond jewelry using a gentle combination of dishwashing liquid and very warm water.  
• As before, add in a few drops of the basic Dawn dishwashing liquid.  
• Stir the mixture to ensure uniform saturation.  
• Drop the diamond jewelry into the water and Dawn mixture, letting it sit for 20 to 30 minutes.  
• After this time frame has elapsed, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently clean and buff any film or lingering dirt from the jewelry. 

• Rinse the jewelry off in warm water and dry with a soft cloth. 

Your jewelry can become dirty while sitting in your jewelry box as well as while you wear it. Because of this, it might be better to store jewelry in cloth satchels while they sit in your jewelry box as a means of somewhat preventing tarnish and, most importantly of all, protect it from getting scratched by other jewelry as you’re searching for a piece you want to wear.