Guide To Caring For Your Scottsdale Jewelry

Jewelry pieces are long-lasting, beautiful investments. These pieces retain their value by caring for them properly and keeping them clean and tarnish free. Below, we will discuss some tips for cleaning different types of jewelry.

How to Clean Gold Jewelry:

Gold jewelry does not tarnish; however, it can still become smudged or covered in dirt or grime. Just everyday wearing can coat your jewelry in lotions, soaps, natural skin oils or powders and reduce its natural luster. Cleaning your jewelry can remove these residues and restore your gold jewelry’s original shine.

Although there are many available commercial products designed to clean gold jewelry, all that is needed is a basic solution of detergent and water and a soft brush to help gently dislodge any grime from between intricate filigree designs or gemstone settings. To remove more serious residue a one minute soak in a solution of one part ammonia and six parts water should render your jewelry residue free. After soaking your gold jewelry, it is important to remember to dry and polish it with a soft cloth or chamois.

For regular maintenance, polishing your jewelry with professional jewelry polishing cloths will keep your jewelry shining brightly. These cloths, made of treated cotton, are designed to remove tarnish and buff jewelry so it shines.

To prevent your gold jewelry from becoming discolored, never wear it while swimming in a chlorinated pool or while doing chores involving household chemicals. Although gold is supposedly a non-reactive, stable metal, often times contact with chemicals like chlorine or bleach will cause the metal to get discolored and can even damage gold jewelry settings.

When cleaning jewelry that contains stone settings, be sure to check that the settings are intact and that there is no damage to either the bezels or the prongs which secure the stone. Jewelry with pave set stones (glued in stones), should never be soaked in water because these glues may not be waterproof.

Gem Cleaning:

Relatively hard stones like diamonds, sapphires and rubies are difficult to damage, although sapphires and rubies can be scratched. If these stones appear to be cloudy, they can be cleaned by immersing them in rubbing alcohol for a few seconds. Other stones, like pearls, emeralds and opals, are more fragile and need to be handled with more care. These stones can dry out, so regular application of cod liver oil is recommended.

For pearls, frequent wearing will expose them to natural skin oils and keep them from cracking. However, do not clean them with alcohol or detergents; rather use a soft damp cloth.

Silver Cleaner:

Although there are many silver polishes for sale in stores, one of the best ways to clean silver jewelry is to place it on a flat surface and pour a mixture of four cups of hot water and four tablespoons of baking soda over it. Leave this mixture on the jewelry for a couple minutes, until the tarnish dissolves, then rinse with water and polish with a soft cloth.

Proper Storage:

When jewelry is not being worn, keeping it clean and scratch free is essential. Overcrowded jewelry boxes cause jewelry pieces to tumble into one another, which may cause scratching. Jewelry should be stored in a fabric lined jewelry box, or even a box with numerous compartments so that each piece of jewelry can have its own space. In damp climates, it is a good idea to store jewelry, particularly silver, in airtight plastic bags to help keep your jewelry clean and shiny.

For more information about caring for your jewelry, contact the expert Scottsdale pawn brokers at Private Pawn today!

Published By:

Private Pawn – Robert Johnson