What to know before attempting to clean jewelry

Read on to find out how to make sure you take the steps that are right for your jewelry.

Your jewelry is important to you, and you want to keep it in the best condition you can, right? Before you jump into the latest trend showing you another cool jewelry cleaning hack and end up damaging your favorite ring or an expensive watch, there are a few things to consider. We’ve done the hard work for you and researched all the things you need to know before attempting to clean jewelry.

The first thing to work out before starting to clean your jewelry is what material it is made out of. Different metals react in different ways, and some of the softer metals are much more prone to scratching than others, so do your research to make sure you take the steps that are right for your jewelry.

How to clean different types of metals

● Silver: avoid any abrasive, harsh chemicals. Use a fresh cleaning cloth and rub gently. Silver is best cleaned using the soap and water method (outlined below).

● Gold: gold is a little easier than silver to care for. If the grime is being stubborn, you can use a brush to loosen it off and make it easier to clean. If your gold jewelry needs to be polished, don’t attempt this yourself, take it straight to a jeweler and let a professional handle it.

● Stones: jewelry with a stone requires gentle cleaning, try to avoid being too rough and dislodging the stone. Avoid harsh chemicals or abrasives on stones as it can damage them.

● Costume: costume jewelry can deteriorate quickly so keep it as dry as possible. Consider avoiding water all together and just using a q-tip to clean fake jewelry.

Insure your jewelry: There are a few different ways you can insure your jewelry, depending on which best suits you and your collection.

 

How does jewelry insurance work?

Within your basic renters insurance or homeowners insurance policy, jewelry is covered against the basic ‘perils’, along with a lot of your other stuff, like your phone, laptop or bike. Through this policy, you can only receive a maximum of $1500 as a coverage limit. Because of this, if you have a few pieces worth significantly more than that, it would be with investing in extra coverage. Extra coverage covers the full worth of your jewelry, without deductibles. Extra coverage also includes two more of the ‘perils’; accidental damage and mysterious disappearance.

Of course, this type of insurance will cost a little more than the standard policy, but if you ask me, paying an extra $5 a month to avoid a potential $5000 loss is more than worth it!

It is recommended that any piece of jewelry worth more than $1000 is worth adding to your extra coverage policy to give you peace of mind and keep your prized possessions safe.

Read up more on how insuring your jewelry works so you can understand more the ins and outs of insuring your precious property.

Once you’re insured and confident with what kind of jewelry you have, it is time to start actually cleaning. There are lots of methods, although the simplest one that can be done with things you’ll already have in the cupboard is the soap and water method:

1. Mix together a little bit of dish soap with warm water
2. Use a soft cloth or q-tip and dip it into the water
3. Gently rub your jewelry clean, then rinse and dry thoroughly.

If your jewelry is needing a more thorough cleaning than this, consider purchasing products which are aimed at cleaning the particular metal of your jewelry. Doing this will ensure the product is safe and not corrosive to your expensive jewelry. Another option is to use a toothbrush to remove dirt and build up from your jewelry. Do be careful if choosing this method though, and make sure your jewelry is made from a metal that is not easily scratched or tarnished. A soft toothbrush or a baby toothbrush could be a good choice to avoid damaging your jewelry. There are also a variety of jewelry cleaning machines designed to look after your favorite pieces, which may be a good option for those more expensive, treasured pieces. Do your research and trust your gut when looking for the best jewelry cleaner.