Keep Your Jewlery Sparkling Clean

It's a shame when we let our beautiful ruby's and diamonds clump with dirt and grime! Okay, maybe not real ruby's and diamonds, but it's a nice thought. No matter what's sitting in your jewelry box, you can give it that clean dazzle once again. Getting jewelry professionally cleaned can be very costly and is not always an option. There are plenty of tricks you can use at home to get your jewelry sparkling new.

Things to watch out for:

• When it comes to keeping the shine in your silver avoid tarnishing substances such as chlorine or certain kitchen and bathroom cleaners. Remember, before you go for a dip in the pool or soak in the hot tub, removing all silver jewelry is a must. The chlorine can cause your silver to react and tarnish creating a green discoloration, which is very hard to clean.
• Never wear your jewelry in the shower, although soap cleans your body, it doesn't always clean your jewelry. Soap can be damaging to most jewelery and dull its appearance through time.
• Classy pearls are an absolute have! They are also very delicate, so it is important to keep them away from substances like hairspray and perfume which can damage the surface of the pearl. Because pearls are usually found in oysters and calms among the cold ocean waters, it is important to keep them away from heat. Heat can turn pearls brown and dry them out.

Techniques to cleaning your jewelry at home:

Pearls

1. Mix a small amount of liquid dish soap with warm water. Dampen a paper towel into the soapy water and rub the pearl clean.
2. You can also polish your pearl with a drop of olive oil to give it more of a luster. Afterward make sure to rinse the pearl with water and rub completely dry.
   

Diamonds

1. Diamonds are a girls best friend, so its very important to take good care of them! Diamonds are easy to clean, soak them in a bowl of warm water with a little ammonia. Set aside a toothbrush to use as your diamond duster and rub the toothbrush over the entire surface. Don't forget to clean in tight spaces and cracks! Your diamond will sparkle like brand new and you'll be saying "I do!".
2. Glass Cleaner also does wonders for a diamond. Spray the glass cleaner onto the diamond and rub away with a soft paper towel or cloth. Rinse the diamond under warm water and then dry with a soft cloth.

Visit the Diamond Education Center to find out the do's and dont's of diamonds.

Gold

1. Dunk your gold jewels into one part Joy liquid dish detergent and one part ammonia. Soak for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from liquid, rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth. Don't jump if you see your reflection in your jewelry! It just means it's clean!
2. Soak your gold in a cup of Gin for at least three hours. Remove gold and wipe jewelry clean with a cotton cloth. Don't forget to make yourself a delicious cocktail as your jewelry soaks! 

Silver

1. Cleaning your silver at home is easy. Use a piece of soft felt or a soft cotton cloth and rub the cloth against the silver continuously until it shines. If your silver is very dirty or tarnished try running it under luke warm water first. 
   

Lee Silver Company provides other ways to clean your jewelry using commercial products.


For a little added fun, discover your birthstone by clicking here!