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How to Clean and Keep Your Jewelry Looking
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.
You probably own a piece of jewelry made of gold.
This metal can be easily damaged if the wrong type
of cleaning agent is used. For instance, certain
chemicals can ruin the gold, making it appear dull
and tarnished. The safest and easiest way to clean
gold is to use a simple solution you can make at
home. Simply use a gentle dish soap and some
water. Allow the gold jewelry to sit in the solution
for approximately 30 minutes. Then carefully and
gently scrub the gold using a soft toothbrush. Then
rinse and dry. Your gold jewelry will look as good
as new! To keep it looking it is best to avoid
wearing in the shower or chlorinated water such as
a swimming pool.
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 also need to be treated with care. They can
easily scratch so you should avoid any type of
brush. You also should avoid soaking your pearls
since this can weaken the string and lead to
breakage. Take extra care when wearing pearls if
you use perfume or hairspray. Both of these can
discolor your pearls over time.
Most precious stones such as diamonds, emeralds,
rubies, and sapphires should also be cleaned using a
gentle dish soap and water solution. Never use
anything abrasive or harsh on your jewelry since the
risk of scratching is great. Always remember to be
gentle with your jewelry.
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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