Jewelry Cleaning- From dirt to dazzle!
All that glitters is not gold and some things that don’t glitter may be gold but, unclean. Hence, cleaning your jewellery should be a regular practice to maintain the luster and sparkling shine of your precious collection. Some basic precautions and keeping a few things handy is all you need to take proper care of your jewelry – be it costume jewelry or that pricey platinum and diamond set.Store your jewellery in well cushioned separate boxes to avoid getting tangled thus damaging each other.
Diamonds and gems are hard stones but can get chipped or broken with impact so keep them carefully. Take off your jewellery while washing or doing rough jobs. Keep them safe from water and never leave your ornaments wet. Avoid proximity with any kind of harsh chemicals, fumes, hairsprays, perfumes and elements like mercury which might cause significant damage to your treasured items. Remember to keep smooth items at a distance from sharp surfaces to not end up with scratches and dents.
For general cleaning, use soft cloths – preferably chamois, soft brush, mild soap solutions and warm water. Rinse them off with lots of cold water and dry them completely to avoid any corrosion. Never use rough cloth or harsh jewellery cleaners on your costume jewellery as they may damage the luster and the colour of the items. Now, for specific and more intensive cleaning you may use a solution of salt and baking soda in hot water and dunk your Silver jewellery in a cup or plate wrapped with aluminum foil containing this solution. Remove dirt with a soft brush and dry with a soft lint free cloth. For Gold ornaments you may make a solution of warm water with a dash of mild detergent and scrub them gently with a soft bristled brush. White vinegar and warm antacid solutions are also great for a quick yet thorough cleaning.
For diamonds, you can use the detergent solution mentioned above or you may mix warm water and household ammonia proportionately, scrub with a soft brush and pat dry using a lint free cloth. Stones like amethysts, rubies, sapphire can also be cleaned with a soap solution and then dipped in surgical spirit to remove residual soap and rubbed dry by gently buffing with chamois leather. However, pearls, emeralds and turquoise are porous stones and you should never wash them in water; polishing them with chamois leather is good enough.