Does your jewelry need a little spring refresh? Spring cleaning isn’t only for cluttered closets. Regular cleaning will make your jewelry dazzle and prevent leaving metals tarnished and gemstones looking dull.
Giving some TLC to your everyday favorites can be fairly simple! Let’s take a look at a few expert-endorsed jewelry care techniques to keep your jewelry looking its best.
Cleaning Jewelry at Home:
Gemstones have an affinity for holding onto film from soaps, lotions, and oils. While most gemstones won’t be harmed by exposure to these chemicals, it’s still best to prevent the film from building up too much. Most jewelry can be cleaned with an at-home jewelry cleaner from your local jewelry store, or even a small amount of Dawn dish soap mixed in warm water.
If your jewelry has solid gold and/or hard gemstones, such as Diamonds, Sapphires, and Rubies, allow your jewelry to sit in your choice of cleanser for several minutes before gently scrubbing with a soft-bristle toothbrush. This allows the flexible bristles to get under and around any crevices or prongs, which is where lotions and other oils especially like to collect.
If you have any other gemstone, however, do not submerge the piece. Simply brush the piece with a little of the solution on the toothbrush, and then dry thoroughly with a microfiber cloth.
Pearl Care:
Pearls are particularly fragile due to their organic composition and delicate surface. They rank a 3-4 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, which means they require careful handling and should be stored in a soft case where the Pearls aren’t touching other jewelry.
The outer surface, or nacre, can be damaged by acids, perfumes, and other chemicals, so be sure to put on your Pearls last before heading out for the day and remove them first at night.
Pearls shouldn’t be exposed to your general jewelry cleaner solution – just a damp microfiber cloth will do. You don't want to completely submerge your Pearls in anything, even just water, because doing so can deteriorate the silk string used to string them together.
Storing Jewelry:
We’ve all been there when our jewelry boxes get cluttered and necklaces intertwine. We recommend keeping your jewelry separated by using a sectioned organizer. For necklaces, storing them in a small, jewelry-sized sealed bag with a small amount of the clasp end hanging out is helpful in keeping it tangle-free!
For sterling silver and gold plated pieces, you’ll want to keep humidity at bay by storing these pieces in a sealed bag. Yes, gold plated pieces may tarnish because the metals underneath still react to moisture exposure. Keeping the pieces sealed will prevent them from quickly tarnishing, though a sterling silver polish cloth will return the shine in no time.
When to See a Professional Jeweler:
When you need a good clean and check — even though you’ve been regularly cleaning your pieces, there’s just no substitute for the professional cleaning your pieces will receive at a local jewelry store. Bonus tip: ask for an inspection of any prongs or setting work, which is good to do once every six months (at Colonial Jewelers, we do this regularly as part of our free lifetime warranty). Think of it as regular maintenance for your car: just as a multi-point inspection catches any major problems before they happen, so can a regular jewelry inspection. This service is complimentary at Colonial Jewelers — even if the piece is not from us!
When you’ve inherited a well-loved piece of jewelry — before wearing your family heirloom out and about, let’s make sure it’s up to the challenge of daily wear. We suggest bringing it in for an estimate from our master jeweler, so that he can carefully inspect the setting work and recommend any repairs. This will prevent the risk of losing stones or opening up unexpectedly while you’re wearing it.
When your piece is broken — we know it can be difficult to part with your jewelry, but it is most ideal for your jewelry to be repaired by a master jeweler. Bending metal back or gluing stones on your own is not only risky for the piece, but it further compromises the integrity of the entire setting or harms the gemstones. Bring your jewelry in so we can take a look, let you know what work needs to be done, and give you an estimate for the repairs. We do all of this in-house, so your special pieces are in safe hands the entire time.
Questions? Stop by our showroom to have your pieces inspected and cleaned at no charge. It’s our goal to make it fun and easy to enjoy your jewelry for years to come.