Custom Search

Jewelry: Cleaning the Family Jewels

Jewelry Care and Cleaning: The Family Jewels.

A diamond is forever - if you take good care of it. Good gems warrant good care.

Here's how to keep your precious pieces sparkling.

1. Take it off nightly.

No baubles - not even a wedding ring - should be worn all the time. All stones (including diamonds and sapphires) can chip. Gold, silver and platinum are easily scratched. And harsh chemicals can damage both stones and metals.

Take it off when you do hard work or work out hard. (If you lose a stone, you'll never find it.) Or, when you clean the house or garden.

Household cleaners can damage stones and settings, and you run the risk of catching it on something.

You'll also want to shed the family jewels when you bathe, swim, or soak in the hot tub (chlorine can damage stones and metals) and when you go to the beach. (Salt is also hard on jewelry.)

People usually don't take off jewelry for fear of losing it. Consider where you normally would take off your rings and place a container there for that purpose.

Then the rings don't go down the drain, and you always know where you put them.

2. Cleaning routine.

All your pieces need an occasional cleaning to remove grunge around settings and to remove oily buildup that dulls the sheen.

Most pieces can be cleaned by soaking for a few minutes in a bowl of lukewarm water with a little dish-washing detergent and scrubbing gently with a toothbrush. (Never use toothpaste - it's too abrasive.)

Ultrasonic cleaners should only be used for all-metal stones or diamonds. It can damage other stones. Ditto for ammonia.

• Silver: If you use silver polish, be careful not to get it on the stones. Polish with a soft all-cotton cloth as paper can scratch silver.

• Gold or silver chains: Let soak in soapy water. If they get tangled or knotted, apply a drop of baby oil and unravel with needles.

• Diamonds: A little ammonia in water will remove any oily film.

• Crystals (rubies, sapphires, etc.): Soak for just a few minutes in a warm solution of dish detergent and water and scrub gently with a toothbrush. Polish dry with a clean cotton cloth.

• Opaque stones (turquoise, malachite, onyx, lapis, etc.): These are rocks, not crystals, so they are absorbent. Do not soak or expose them to ammonia or any other chemicals. Just polish them with a soft dry cloth.

• Opals: Clean these fragile stones with soapy water and quickly wipe dry. Do not clean in an ultrasonic cleaner and do not expose to ammonia.

• Pearls: Do not soak: Wipe clean with a moist cloth. Pearls get better and more lustrous with exposure to the skin's natural oils. Do not wear these absorbent baubles in the shower or while cooking. Restring once a year.

• Emeralds: Clean these soft stones using just a lint-free cotton cloth.

3. Safe-keeping.

Resist the urge to toss jewelry into the bottom of a jewelry box.

Not only do chains get tangled, but the gems can be damaged. Diamonds and sapphires can scratch metals and other gems.

Here's how to store your good stuff:

• Store individually in soft fabric bags in a cool, dark place.

• Light causes silver to tarnish, so store these pieces individually in tarnish-preventing bags.

• Store gold pieces in chamois to protect its luster.

• Store bead necklaces flat because the silk string will stretch over time.

• Do not store pearls in plastic bags; chamois is best.

• Store opals in a cool, dark place; they will dry out if exposed to light.

More Stories

How Long Makeup Lasts

How to Clean Combs and Brushes

Mastering the Medicine Cabinet

How to Remove a Nail Polish Spill on Upholstery

From Jewelry: Return to Coming Clean

Return to Home Page

About the Author

Tara Aronson is a native Californian. Having grown up in San Diego, she studied journalism and Spanish to pursue a career in newspaper writing. Tara, whose three children - Chris, Lyndsay, and Payne - are the light of her life, now lives and writes in Los Angeles. She also regularly appears on television news programs throughout the U.S.