Jewelry Care

How to Clean and Care For Your Jewelry

 
Mele & Co. Ellington Wooden Jewelry Box #523839

The first rule of advice: when in doubt, seek expert advice from a professional. Our jewelry experts are incredibly knowledgeable and eager to help should you have questions. Caring. Cleaning. Storing. Traveling. We've got you covered!

 

Cleaning Your Jewelry

Your jewelry is like your own personal collection of art. Taking care of it is easy, and the results are sure to delight! We know you love your jewelry and want to keep it looking new, which is why we have provided you with our expert knowledge on how to keep your gemstones and metals looking like the day you got them.

Here, you will learn how to clean and properly store your jewelry and shield your valuables from harmful substances and conditions. We even have some tips for how to protect and travel with your jewelry. This is your own personal guide to jewelry care.

Over time, exposure to dirt, dust, cosmetics, and skincare products can dull your precious pieces. Luckily, it's easy to clean jewelry at home with a few tips and tricks. To bring back the glint to your jewels and gemstones, consult our tried and tested DIY guidelines that we've detailed in this guide. Grab your supplies, and let's get started!

How to Clean Gold or Diamond Jewelry?

Restore the lost dazzle of diamonds or revive the luster of gold jewelry at home with these simple steps. Make sure the toothbrush is clean and reserved only for cleaning jewelry.

  1. Add a few drops of dish detergent in warm water to make a quick and easy cleaning solution.
  2. Put smaller items in a strainer before placing them in the solution. Larger pieces go directly into the cleaning liquid.
  3. Swish the items around and carefully go around the crevices and nooks with a soft toothbrush to remove all traces of trapped dirt.
  4. Over a large strainer, rinse everything under running water and buff dry with a soft cloth.
 
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Taking Care of Your Pearls

Have your pearls seemed a little lackluster lately? This may be from a buildup of perfume, hairspray, cosmetics, or other beauty products. Pearls are very delicate, so these products can certainly damage them over time. However, there is an easy fix after wearing—use a soft cloth to wipe each pearl clean. This is a surefire way to restore shine and shimmer to your lustrous "gems" from the sea. If you use a pearl cleaner, use it only on your pearl jewelry. Also, wear your pearls frequently, as natural body oils are good for gaining luster.

 
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What's the Best Way to Clean Badly Tarnished Jewelry?

Fine jewelry may get tarnished, but there are few easy ways to polish off the discoloration to give your treasures a new flair. To clean tarnished jewelry:

  1. Lay all the pieces on a dish lined with aluminum foil.
  2. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with a teaspoon of salt and add to one cup of warm water.
  3. Pour this blend onto the dish. The soda and salt mix sparks a chemical reaction with the foil, creating bubbles that cleanse the jewelry. After a quick soak, rinse with cool water and buff dry with a clean cloth.

How to Make a Homemade Jewelry Cleaner?

Before reaching out to professional jewelers to restore dull-looking pieces, try this easy homemade jewelry cleaner with the simple ingredients you already have. While there are several recipes for DIY jewelry cleaning solutions, our recommendation is to blend a few squirts of mild dish detergent in warm water. Ensure the water is tepid and not hot, as this can damage precious gemstones. Hot water mixed with baking soda is also an effective DIY cleaning mix that works wonders to restore the sparkle to your jewelry. To prevent scratching, ensure the baking soda you're using is non-abrasive.

Can You Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Clean Jewelry?

Yes, hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda is a safe and effective cleaner for gold, silver, and everyday jewelry. For best results, add a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to baking soda and gently scrub your trinkets to get rid of built-up dirt and grime.


 

Helpful Jewelry Care Tips & Advice

Re-emphasizing our first suggestion... it is important that you bring your jewelry to a jeweler periodically for an inspection. (Note: there never should be a charge for this.)

Has your jewelry collection ever suffered casualties from your clothing? Make sure jewelry is the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off. This will help you avoid snagging on clothing, which can result in damaging one or both items.

Check for loose prongs. If undetected, they can lead to the loss of a stone. How many times have you hit your hand on the granite countertop in your kitchen? Or dropped your earring on the tile floor? Every rough contact like this has the potential to loosen prongs, and that's how stones disappear. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

We all have at least one valuable piece of jewelry in our collections. Make sure you photograph these pieces in the unfortunate case they are damaged, lost, or stolen, as jewelry is very unique and hard to describe. A picture is worth a thousand words and more valuable than text descriptions in insurance claims or police reports.

Additional valuable jewelry care tips include:

  • Avoid ultra-sonic cleanings as these may be too harsh for some pieces like pearls, coral, or emeralds.
  • Extreme temperatures can do harm to your jewelry. Gemstones can be weakened when you walk out of the cold outdoors into the warm indoors. Try to avoid wearing delicate jewelry on especially frigid days or cover your rings and earrings with gloves and hats. Just be careful not to snag your jewelry on them.
  • Store your opal jewelry in a small jar with a damp absorbent cloth when you are not wearing it to control "crazing" (small cracks in the stone).
  • For vintage Estate Jewelry, avoid using a polish wheel as these will remove the patina from jewelry.
 
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How To Store Jewelry

As a general rule, it's best to store jewelry where you prepare to go out. This may be your bedroom, walk-in closet, or bathroom vanity. Storing jewelry in an accessible place keeps you on track, especially on busy mornings.

Select Your Organizers

Clever jewelry organization ideas involve finding the right organizers and boxes. There are several jewelry storage solutions available. But a lot depends on the space where you're planning to place them.

If you're looking to store your accessories on the countertop, it's a smart idea to make use of the available vertical space. Think stackable or modular jewelry boxes or a jewelry stand.

For those who prefer jewelry drawers, ensure you create different sections using a couple of jewelry containers. Decorative boxes, drawer dividers, and jewelry dishes are good options. Making separate zones within a drawer ensures all your accessories stay organized. Segregating the jewelry drawer also prevents necklaces and chains from getting tangled.

Hanging jewelry organizers are a smart choice if you're looking to use the wall for storage. It's a space-saving storage solution for smaller rooms with limited space. Bonus—this storage hack adds a decorative touch to a bare wall, thanks to the colorful trinkets, pretty earrings, and dangling necklaces that hang on the organizer.

Men have their accessories, too, and they need a place to keep them organized and accessible. We offer a selection of men's jewelry organizers, including men's jewelry chests for their dresser top, valet trays for their desk, or watch boxes for their treasured timepieces. And for the handyman, we also carry watch winders and tool kits. These sophisticated organizers make fabulous Father's Day and groomsman gifts.

Organizing According to Jewelry Type

It's essential to pay attention to the type of jewelry when storing and organizing. The correct storage solution ensures that your valuable pieces don't fall prey to tarnish or damage. Here are some valuable suggestions:

  • Keep necklaces knot-free by placing them on a hanging necklace organizer or on wall-mounted hooks or knobs. Individually hanging necklaces are the best way to prevent the entangled chaos of pearls and pendants.
  • Prevent your precious earrings from loss and breakage by storing them on an attractive jewelry holder set atop your dresser or the bathroom vanity counter. A stand makes it easy to group earrings by pair, so there's never a danger of misplacing one piece.
  • Fine jewelry, such as expensive diamond necklaces and gemstone pieces, requires special care for the storage. To protect your expensive investment, preserve fine jewelry in special jewelry organizer boxes or drawstring jewelry bags. These are excellent options to hold seldom-worn accessories, ensuring that your prized items stay safe, organized, and dust-free.

An open-to-view jewelry container works best for smaller pieces such as stud earrings, rings, bracelets, and pendants. These storage solutions come with different compartments, so you can designate a separate unit for a specific type of accessory.

 
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Travel Jewelry Organizing Solutions

With airline luggage limits and other short-on-storage transportation options, packing light is a priority. Easily keep your jewelry organized with a travel jewelry book or roll that holds just the right number of pieces for your next adventure. They are especially great for on-the-go business people and frequent flyers, or for college dormers with a limited amount of space. And they're cute, too! Just remember to stow it in your carry-on bag.

Since you may prefer not to take your fine jewelry on vacation, consider creating a separate travel jewelry collection that includes CZs. No one will be the wiser. These accessories add pizzazz to a simple t-shirt, dress up a cardigan, or make that little black dress a knockout ensemble. You can make any outfit look new with jewelry, even when you've been wearing the same pair of jeans 3 days straight (we won't tell!). Here are some key pieces to pack:

  • A fabulous CZ ring for evenings out
  • CZ studs that go with every outfit, casual or fancy.
  • A daytime CZ Necklace to add interest to simple shirts and sweaters.
  • A gorgeous CZ necklace for fancy occasions.
  • A CZ bracelet to add dimension to any outfit.
 
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