Guide to clean your jewelry at home like a pro.

Jewels go with us almost everywhere, embellishing every day of our lives, but, how often do we clean them?

Our accessories also need a little bit of attention from us. Over time they tend to appear dull and lifeless due to the dust, tarnish, and other things that tend to accumulate in their settings. However, we do not always have the time to take them polish by a professional. This is why we want to guide you so you’ll have excellent results cleaning them by yourself, at home with simple and common ingredients. 

Before we begin, it’s important that you know that not all the techniques work for all metals and stones, so we recommend that if you don’t know for sure the materials from which your piece of jewelry was made, be patient and instead of clean it yourself, take it to a professional polisher.

Below, we list the most effective approach by material so you can bring your most precious jewelry back to life.

Silver

Silver tends to tarnish and become dull more often than other metals, so its cleaning must be done frequently. An effective way to keep your silver jewelry polished is: wearing it! Oddly enough, the friction from wearing it keeps them in good condition for longer periods of time. For those pieces that need a good polish, you can use this simple and quick cleaning method:

Baking Soda

You’ll need:

• Baking soda.

• A bowl.

• Aluminum foil.

• Water.

First, cover the inside of the bowl with the aluminum foil. Put your silver jewelry inside and add a tablespoon of baking soda. Stir. Let them soak for 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water and dry them with a soft cloth. 

Baking soda reacts with aluminum foil, removing impurities and tarnish from silver thanks to a chemical process called ion exchange.

Gold

Gold, white gold, and rose gold jewelry maintain their luster over time and don’t usually tarnish, so they don’t require frequent cleaning. If you start to notice your jewelry turning lifeless, it's time to give them a little attention.

Dish Soap

You’ll need:

• Dish soap.

• A bowl.

• Water.

• A soft toothbrush.

This method should only be used on pieces that don't have porous stones such as opals, coral, emeralds, and pearls.

Mix in the bowl a teaspoon of dish soap with warm water. Place your jewels in it and let them soak for about 5 minutes. Take them out and clean pieces like necklaces, that might have dirt clogs in the crevices and chain links, with the toothbrush. Rinse with warm water and dry with a soft lint-free cloth.

The dish soap, which is used to remove grease, will clean traces of lotions and sweat trapped in the jewelry, restoring its shine.

Gemstones

Each gem has features that require different care. Crystalline and hard gems such as diamonds or rubies can be clean with almost any method. This is not the case for porous stones such as opals and pearls, which should not be immersed in water or cleaned with abrasive products.

Seltzer Water

You’ll need: 

• Seltzer water or club soda.

• Dish soap.

• A bowl.

• A soft toothbrush.

Mix the seltzer water (should be room temperature) in the bowl with the dish soap. Hard stones can be left submerged in water for 5 minutes. Pass this time, gently clean the pieces with the brush, rinse with water and dry with a soft cloth.

The carbonation of the water helps loosen the dirt between the stones and their facets, bringing their sparkle back.

To give your more delicate gems a gentle clean, use the method below:

Shampoo

Use on: Porous stones such as pearls, coral, turquoise, emeralds, opals, among others.

You’ll need:

• A cotton swab.

• Shampoo.

• A cup of water.

• A bowl.

Put a cup of warm water with a tablespoon of shampoo in the bowl and stir. Then moisten the swab and carefully clean the gems one by one. Rinse with warm water and dry immediately with a soft cloth. Make sure they are completely dry before storing to prevent moisture damage.

The shampoo removes dirt without being abrasive so it doesn’t weaken porous gems.

Engagement rings

Engagement rings generally have gold and diamond settings. They are used a little more frequently and because we carry them in our hands they are also more exposed to getting dirty easily, so their cleaning should be done regularly. Although platinum rings never tarnish or lose their luster, they should also be often cleaned.

Alka Seltzer

You’ll need:

• A glass.

• Alka Seltzer.

• Warm water.

Put the ring in the glass with warm water and add the Alka Seltzer. Wait for the effervescent effect to be over and then take the ring out and rinse it with clear water. Dry it with a soft cloth.

The chemical components of the tablet help remove impurities in the ring and the effervescent effect allows it to reach all the difficult spots.

Window Cleaner

Use only on: platinum and gold rings with crystalline stones such as diamonds.

You’ll need:

• Ammonia free window cleaner.

• A cotton swab or a soft toothbrush.

Spray some window cleaner onto the ring. Gently clean with a brush or cotton swab, rinse with clear water and dry with a soft cloth.

The chemicals in the windows cleaner will remove any dirt and stains.

Final Tips

Follow these recommendations to keep your jewelry looking fresh for longer:

• Store your jewelry in soft cloth bags, in a cold dry place and away from the sunlight.

• Don't wear your jewelry when exercising; sweat can dirty and tarnish some metals and stones over time.

• Avoid wearing your rings when cleaning. Cleaning products may contain chemicals that deteriorate the piece.

• Wait a while before putting on your jewelry after applying lotions and perfume to avoid tarnish.

• Don’t wear your jewelry when bathing in the pool or the sea. Both chlorine and seawater can cause damage.

Finally, take your most precious jewelry regularly with a jeweler to verify that the gems are secure in the piece and in good shape. 

You can now enjoy the sparkle of your renewed jewelry!