If you are a jewelry lover, then you probably have a sizeable jewelry box (or boxes) filled with everything from fine to fashion jewelry, styles from antique to organic, metals from platinum to plated. Even if you don’t consider your own collection to be a large one, at some point anyone who owns jewelry asks the question: How do I keep this clean? The answers differ greatly depending upon the metals, materials, and method of construction used to craft a particular piece of jewelry.
Right off, it is important to know that there is no one-size-fits-all jewelry cleaner, and you can destroy a cherished piece of jewelry by using the wrong cleaning product or method. There are some cleaning products that are better for certain types of metal, others safe for gems, and none that I would recommend for cleaning pearls or other jewelry made of organic matter. Beware of any jewelry cleaner that would claim to be safe for everything. While it’s true that gemstones are, in essence, rocks that were dug up from the ground, that doesn’t mean they are impervious to chemical reaction. While most widely available jewelry cleaners are not caustic, some are more harsh than others, for example, those that contain ammonia. However, even soaking some gems or metals in liquid for any period can cause damage to your jewelry.
One reason for this is that the vast majority of gemstones sold commercially have been treated or altered in some way to enhance their appearance. Gemstones may have been colorized, heat treated, irradiated, injected with dyes or resin, or altered by way of some combination of these. What you don’t know can ruin your jewelry. That’s why an ethical jewelry reseller will disclose any treatments to which your gem has been subjected. Gemstones that have tiny cracks , chips, or inclusions may have been enhanced with fillers, and those fillers can disintegrate when exposed to a jewelry cleaner. Also, a gem color may fade with prolonged or repeated use of jewelry cleaners. Additionally, exposure to liquid can damage plated jewelry, as moisture can seep between the layers and hasten the deterioration of the plating, revealing the unsightly base metal.
Gemstones that are porous should not be exposed to jewelry cleaners, no matter how gentle. Turquoise, pearls, shell, wood, and even some man-made products such as rhinestones or CZ should not be cleaned with most jewelry cleaning products. The gem can absorb some of the solution, and staining or discoloring can occur. Also, semi-precious and natural materials are often strung on silk cord, leather, wax coated cotton, filament, or other stringing materials that may not hold up well to soaking or exposure to liquid. The string can expand, shrink, discolor, stretch, or fray over time. If the stringing material falls apart, your beads, shells, or pearls could be lost.
Most commercial jewelry cleaning kits are gentle, and usually safe and effective at removing tarnish, surface dirt and oil, and bringing back the sparkle and shine of your jewelry. However, be sure to read the instructions carefully, and look for the warnings about what substances should not be cleaned with the product. In some cases, it might be better to simply use of soft cloth to wipe down your jewelry before storage. Or, depending upon how elaborate the jewelry design, a small amount of metal polish, tapped onto the safe surfaces and wiped off with a lint-free cloth is a better option than dipping the jewelry into a cleaning bath. Although ultrasonic cleaning devices are marketed as safe and effective for cleaning your precious jewelry, it is not recommended for certain stones and metal surface treatments. The vibration of the device can dislodge a gem from the setting, or it can harm a chemical patina or remove applied enamel or oxidation. This type of jewelry cleaner should only be used in cases where extreme steps are needed to remove deeply embedded particles, lotion, or other debris.
Great caution should be taken when attempting to clean your jewelry with any of the myriad DIY jewelry cleaning “recipes” you may have seen online. While the combination of baking soda and vinegar may sound harmless, the texture of the paste may be too abrasive, and you may find that your jewelry is clean, but covered in micro scratches that have dulled the shine. Before committing an entire piece of jewelry to a full-on dunking in any cleaner, test a small area first, let it dry, then examine the area carefully to be sure there is no fading, scratching, dulling, pitting, or other surface damage. Also, the substance you use to clean your jewelry one time may react poorly with a different substance you may use another time. There are reactions that occur with metals exposed to chemicals that may not show up until the next time you go to wear your jewelry, at which time you may notice your piece has turned a spotted, sickly green. Metals that are non-corrosive, such as gold, titanium, and stainless steel will fare better with just about any jewelry cleaner, but when in doubt, take your jewelry to a local store to have it professionally cleaned. Many mom-and-pop retail jewelry stores will clean a piece or two for you at no cost, as a gesture of their excellent customer service.
In future posts, I’ll share some tips on removing tarnish, safely cleaning and storing your precious jewelry collection, and about some of the products we use at Elegant Insights to keep our metals shining. Sparkle on!
Laura