How to Clean Gold Jewelry
It's easy to restore the shine to gold jewelry with things you already have at home. If your gold jewelry has precious or semi-precious stones, like diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires, follow the same steps below, but use seltzer water instead of plain water. In our Lab tests, we found that the carbonation from seltzer water helped to loosen soil and remove debris trapped in the settings and on the facets. To clean rings and other jewelry with set stones while on the go (or more easily at home), tuck a jewelry cleaning wand, like those from Connoisseurs or Baublerella, in your purse.
What You'll Need:
- Dish soap
- Small strainer
- Soft microfiber cloths
- Soft toothbrush
- Prepare a solution of warm water and dish soap. Mix together about one cup of warm water with just a few drops of dish soap.
- Soak gold jewelry for up to five minutes. Put small jewelry pieces into a strainer before placing in the solution. Swish the items around to dislodge dirt.
- Remove any stuck on grime with a soft toothbrush. Take the jewelry out of the soapy water and lay them on a soft cloth for easier brushing.
- Rinse gold jewelry with running water. Return small pieces to the strainer and rinse everything under running water. Buff dry with a soft cloth.
How to Clean Jewelry with Pearls
Because they're porous, pearls hold on to dust and dirt and easily lose their luster. Whether real, cultured or faux, you must clean them with care. Rule number one: Never soak pearls as doing so can cause the string to weaken and break. This no-soak treatment also works well for turquoise and opals (which are also porous stones). Special pearl care cleaning kits, like the one below from Town Talk, include tissue sachets of cleaner and a polishing cloth to make cleaning strands of pearls easier and less tedious.
What You'll Need:
- Small makeup brush
- Mild shampoo
- Clean microfiber cloth
- Lay the strand of pearls on a soft cloth.
- Mix together a cup of warm water with a light squeeze of mild shampoo. Dip a clean makeup bush into the mixture and shake off the excess, then go over all sides of each pearl. Apply minimal pressure and use gentle movements to avoid causing any damage.
- Rinse the pearls. Use a well-wrung damp cloth to rinse the pearls well then allow to air dry flat to prevent the string from stretching.
Expert Tips to Keep Jewelry Clean and in Tip-Top Condition
- Remove rings when washing your hands, applying beauty products, cleaning the house or applying lotions to keep the settings grime-free. Apply perfume before putting on necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
- Wipe pearls with a soft cloth after each wear to remove body oils and perfume that can yellow them.
- Take off all jewelry before swimming — chlorine and saltwater can damage it.
- Silver becomes shinier the more it's worn (the friction slows down tarnishing), so don't let it sit in your jewelry box for long. When you’re not wearing it, store pieces in an anti-tarnish bag.
- Get valuable jewelry checked regularly by a reputable jeweler to make sure the stones are in good shape and the settings are secure.
