I often get asked the best way to clean jewellery and what chemicals can be used on jewellery without damaging it. In this article, I will explain the best ways to clean and take care of your jewels however old they may be!
The simplest way to clean your gold jewellery at home is warm soapy water and a toothbrush. Grab a bowl, fill it 1/3 with cold water and the rest boiling water. You want it to be hot to the touch but not enough to burn yourself! Squirt in a generous amount of fairy liquid (dish soap) and let your jewellery sit for about 20-30 mins. This allows time for any dirt trapped inside the jewellery to soften; this is where you grab the toothbrush and gently brush away at any gaps where dirt can collect. If there is still dirt in the piece, allow it to sit a bit longer in the warm water. Repeat this process as many times as needed. If your jewellery contains stones which may be glued in such as seed pearl, don't leave the jewellery to soak too long as this will loosen the glue and you may find stones fall out.
If you own a large collection of jewellery , I would recommend getting an ultrasonic jewellery cleaner. You can find these on Amazon or similar at about £30-50 and do an excellent job at shaking loose any dirt in your jewellery. You simply fill them with boiling water, fairy liquid and press the on button! Ultrasonic cleaners are excellent for solid silver/gold jewellery and jewellery with certain stones however , the vibrations can be too much for some stones to handle so please do your research before putting in your precious gems!
Some stones which can go in an ultrasonic cleaner: Diamond, Sapphire, Ruby, Amethyst, Citrine (there are others too just do your research)
Stones that definitely should NOT go in an ultrasonic: Emerald, Opal , Pearl, Coral, Amber (again there are others so make sure to do your research) .
Once your jewellery has been cleaned, lay down paper towels or a soft tea-towel and simply lay your jewellery out to air dry. Once your jewellery is fully dry, the best way to bring the shine back to it is with a gold polishing cloth. These are available to purchase on my website HERE
I hope this article has helped and if you have any questions, feel free to drop me a message on the website or through instagram!
