Fine Jewelry Care

Now that you've purchased your desired jewelry item, you want to make sure that it retains its original brilliance and shine. Learn how to keep your jewelry looking brand new with our extensive jewelry care guide.

How to Care for Your Jewelry

When cleaning your jewelry, you should use a clean 100% cotton cloth or a jeweler's cloth and gently wipe the surface of your jewelry to remove any dirt and skin oils.

To gently remove any fingerprints on your jewelry, as well as grease or dirt, add a small amount of mild liquid soap to a cup containing warm water. Allow the jewelry to soak for two to three minutes and then rinse it thoroughly afterwards with clean water. Pat it dry before storing it. Avoid soaking jewelry containing certain soft stones such as amber, lapis lazuli, or turquoise because extended soaking might harm the polish of the stone.

You can also have your jewelry professionally cleaned with a steamer and ultrasonic. An ultrasonic is a machine that shakes dirt loose with a vibrating detergent solution using high-frequency sound waves. To have jewelry professionally cleaned it may take a couple of hours to be cleaned effectively. In some cases, the ultrasonic and the steamer can't remove the dirt and metal residue.

Ultrasonics and steamers shouldn't be used to clean jewelry containing gemstones such as opals, emeralds, pearls, coral, turquoise, malachite, tanzanite, moonstone, and lapis lazuli.

If your jewelry has excessive tarnish, you can polish it with a 100% cotton cloth or a jeweler's cloth and a nonabrasive metal cleaner.

If you're cleaning your jewelry with a cleaning solution, make sure that you avoid using solutions that contain chlorine because this chemical can pit and dissolve the gold alloys.

If you're using bleach, make sure that you remove your jewelry because bleach can cause gold and other metal alloys to breakdown. You should also avoid using chemicals such as denatured alcohol, turpentine, acetone, and ammonia because these chemicals can harm the polish of the ring as well as dull or pit the surface of softer gemstones.

Avoid using toothpaste to clean your jewelry. The abrasives found in toothpaste can tarnish the jewelry's metal. It can also damage the surfaces of amber, lapis, turquoise, and other soft stones.

Cleaning Tips

• It's always best to clean your jewelry on a regular basis to avoid lengthy, risky cleaning procedures down the line.
• If you wear your jewelry daily, you should try to clean it at least once per week.
• Always consult with your jeweler to find out which cleaning solution is best for your type of jewelry.