A Curated Online Jewelry Boutique

The other day I went through my closet to pull out and oldie but goodie.  Not a song, but a piece of jewelry that I haven't  worn in a long time.  I have trouble letting go of jewelry.  I have quite a collection of old pieces I don't wear anymore and know that I should give them away.  The truth is I have a fear.  What if I give a piece away and next week I see the trend in the fashion magazines.  Fashion jewelry is tough because its a moving target that changes weekly. What is cool today is dated tomorrow.  I always try to find timeless pieces but whats the fun in that.   Some pieces are amazing for the time but are dated quickly.

So as I went back into my closet to get this specific piece, I realized it had been neglected.  Back in the corner of a drawer was my sad lonely silver necklace.  When I pulled it out I wasn't sure it actually was silver.  It didn't really look silver anymore.  I have been wearing my smaller gold jewelry so much that I had neglected a piece that had such history.  I was a little upset that I had left him so long with no care.  I pulled out my trusted silver cleaning cloth and whipped him right back into shape.  But as I started to clean him I thought I really should be sharing some cleaning tricks with everyone at Love & Pieces.  You may not have a drawer of neglected jewelry but you certainly could use some tricks to cleaning your jewelry.

Our 8 Tricks To Cleaning Your Jewelry!

So without boring you more with my back story I present to you 8 tricks to cleaning your jewelry.  I tried to mix it up a little and not focus all on one type of jewelry.  I have broken down a cross section of different types of jewelry cleaning tricks that should help.

Gold Jewelry Cleaning Tricks

While this doesn't sound like the sexiest most amazing secret jewelry cleaning trick, cleaning gold jewelry is actually best done with some simple dish soap.  Take a few drops of standard dish detergent and empty them into a bowl of warm water.  Note warm water and not hot water.  Hot water can be dangerous to gold jewelry that has precious stones in them.  Delicate stones like opal can actually crack with the sudden change in temperature from the hot water. 

Once you have soaked the jewelry for about 15 minutes you can pull it out and scrub it with a small bristled brush.  A toothbrush is actually perfect for this and once the warm soapy water has had a chance to soak into all the cracks and nooks, the bristles should easily wipe away the dirt and grime.  When finished scrubbing the piece you can rinse it under warm water.  Hold tight and make sure not to drop your small jewelry down the drain. 

When you are done, you can pull your gold jewelry from the water and use a cloth or towel to dry the jewelry pieces. 

As we mentioned hot water can damage some natural stones. Lots of fashion jewelry actually have stones glued in place or attached to the gold rings with glue.  This is another reason not to use hot water.  Submerged Gold pieces that have stones may actually loosen up as the jewelry gets hot and the glue melts.

For this Gold Jewelry cleaning trick you are going to make the same soapy mix like we discussed in our first jewelry cleaning trick.  Once you have a small bowl or cup of the formula you are going to dip a corner of a cloth napkin in and gently rub the gold portions of the jewelry.   You can also use a bristle brush gently avoiding the stones so as to not loosen them or risk removing any of the glue that may be holding the stones in. 

Gold Tricks to Cleaning Your Jewelry

• Use Warm Water
• Clean With Simple Dish Cleaning Detergent
• Swap Detergent for Club Soda if you need an extra kick.
• Use a toothbrush to get the funk out
• Close the drain or use a pasta strainer to prevent your jewelry from going down the drain. Don't soak Fashion Jewelry that may have stones attached with glue

Pearl Jewelry Cleaning Tricks

The first step to cleaning pearls is to understand whether or not your pearls are real.  Real pearls and pearl variations are completely different creatures and can be cleaned in different ways.  Real pearls are actually highly delicate and should be cleaned lightly with a soft lint free cloth after every wearing before putting them away.  The oils, body creams, and perfume can all be harmful to your pearls. 

Our first trick is to clean your pearls with a a similar mild soap formula as we did with the gold. Your formula should not include any ammonia or harsh detergents.  Ideally ivory flakes or another mild soap.  Do not soak you pearls but rather gently rub the pearls with a non abrasive cloth.  Pearls are very delicate and using an abrasive cloth can wear away the natural layers and the luster of the pearl.

Our next pearl jewelry cleaning trick is ridiculous and we understand.  The best way actually to clean your pearl jewelry is to merely take a dry soft, lint free cotton cloth and gently rub each pearl.  This is actually the safest and best way to clean your pearl jewelry.  Real pearls are extremely delicate and unless they are extremely dirty, this trick should suffice for most cases.

Pearl Tricks To Cleaning Your Jewelry 

• Use Warm Water
• Use a non abrasive cloth
• Do not use any ammonia based cleaning materials
• Do not put your pearls in an ultrasonic cleaner
• Do not soak your pearls
• Don't hang pearls dry as the strand can stretch

Silver Jewelry Cleaning Tricks

Cleaning your silver jewelry is actually a little different than some of the other methods.  Your first step is to take a small bowl and fill it with about an inch of hot water.  Once you have your hot water you are going to stir a tablespoon of salt into the water until it dissolves.

Once the salt water dissolves you are going take a small piece about 6 inches of aluminum foil.  You will make 4 tiny strips about 4 inches long of aluminum foil and you will submerge the strips to the bottom of the bowl.  Let it set for a couple of minutes

Now that it has settled you will submerge your silver jewelry an leave it in this solution for approximately 5 minutes.  This solution works to remove the sulfur sulfide that forms on silver creating the black like film.  Once you remove the silver jewelry from the solution you will rinse it under cold water and gently rub with a cloth to dry.

Our next trick to cleaning your silver jewelry isn't much of a trick but more acknowledgment that good products are sometimes easier than reinventing the wheel.  A company by the name Simple Shine is actually a producers of jewelry cleaning products. They offer a slew of different Silver Jewelry Cleaning solutions and pastes but our favorite is the cloth.

Simple Shine actually makes a silver cleaning cloth that comes pretreated with the cream.  There are two cloths included and the first one works to apply the cleaning material and loosen it up.  The second cloth actually buffs out the dirt and polishes your silver like its brand new.  Trust me when I tell you its worth the investment to do it right.

Silver Tricks To Cleaning Your Jewelry

• Use Hot Water
• Use Salt and Aluminum Foil
• You may need to repeat the process multiple times
• You can use baking soda instead of salt if you don't have salt
• Try not to recreate the wheel and get Simple Shine Cloths

Diamond Jewelry Cleaning Tricks

Now we get to look at a girls best friend.  If you are married or engaged hopefully you are wearing a nice diamond ring.  As you know sometimes they get dirty and grimy and need a clean.  There are actually a number of different techniques that people have for cleaning their jewelry and specifically their diamonds.  One that I have found works the best is actually Alka-Seltzer.  Take a glass and fill it up about half way.  Place your ring at the bottom of the cup and then drop in an Alka-Seltzer.  After a couple of minutes and the Alka-Seltzer has dissolved the fizzing will clean the stone and remove the funk from the surface.  You should be left with a beautifully sparkling diamond.  Surprisingly you can also set your ring in a tiny cap of windex overnight and you will also get a sparkly diamond as an alternative to Alka-Seltzer.

Lastly we are going to end with something that may not be a surprise or such a trick but quite frankly it works.  I bought this little machine a couple of years ago and am absolutely amazed at how well it works.  This is an Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner which basically is a fancy name for a jewelry cleaning machine.  It costs around $30 and you can place your jewelry in this machine and turn it on.  Its a small machine that sits in the bathroom.  Don't be fooled by its size though.  This little guy uses simple tap water and makes your diamonds sparkle and shine.  You will be amazed at the results you get.  I'm not actually sure what magic happens in there but its awesome. 

• Don't be afraid to have your diamonds sit over night
• Use an Alka-Seltzer or even Windex to soak it in
• Ultrasonic cleaners are amazing for Diamonds
• Check once cleaned to ensure the stones aren't loose
• Try and remove diamonds before working out, or showering

Enjoy Your Tricks To Cleaning Your Jewelry!

So maybe you have learned something or maybe not but these are 8 interesting jewelry cleaning tricks that I thought were helpful.  We gave you two tips from four different jewelry types.  Do you have any unmentioned tips that must be shared.  Comment below to tell us.  We want to hear.  Either way we hope this keeps you looking sparkly and shiny.  If you don't feel like you have anything worth cleaning then its time to invest in something that makes you feel beautiful.  Take a look at the newest jewelry pieces we just go in stock here and treat yourself to something.  You deserve it.