How to clean jewelry?

C

carolynjane

Cathlete
I just got a bunch of jewelry out of my grandmother's jewelry box. It's been sitting there for 20 years since she passed away, and I suddenly realized that the necklaces and brooches are back in style.

Needless to say, it's a little "gunky" after being closed up in a box for that long.

Can anybody recommend a homemade cleaning solution that I can use to clean it up?

Thanks!
 
Hi there -

A good cleaner is 409 or some other grease cutter since gems naturally attrack buildup. If you soak the jewelry for 10 min or so to break up the dirt - and use a soft toothbrush - it works great to clean-up gemstones.

I used to work for a Wholesale Jewelry manufacturer - man my paycheck took several hits when I was working there.... hehe...

Anne :D
 
Please, as a old jewelry sales person, do not use tooth paste. It gets under your gems and in the creases and it's very difficult to get out. I would take it to your local jewelry store and have them clean it. It's a free service, if you go to say, Helzberg or another chain store as such. They will have all the material that you need and can even buff the gold for you to bring back the shine, that's free as well. I know that at my store we also had silver polish to clean peoples silver as well. It's the best way to go really.

Kathy
 
I've always heard that dish soap (Dawn, etc) and a little warm water is the best for cleaning jewelry. Keep in mind that certain gems shouldn't be cleaned with harsh chemicals like ammonia (Emeralds and pearls are 2 that come to mind).
 
I agree with the Dawn. I sell high fashion jewelry, and you have to be careful with what you use, you can ruin it. A soft-bristled toothbrush, and some Dawn should work wonders. If there are any pearls, do not submerge them in water, or you will ruin them. Just use a damp cloth to clean them. You can get a Jewelry Polishing Cloth at any jewelry counter too, and they work wonders. That might be aniother good idea for in the future.
Lori
 
I read in an article that toothpaste & an old toothbrush is the best way to clean jewelry. Give that a whirl!

If not, take it to your local jewelry store and ask them to clean it.

Christine
 
I used the steamer on my cappacino machine to clean a lot of my jewelry and then polished it up with a polishing cloth I got at the jewelry store. As others have said it is usually free if you take it to a jewelers to be cleaned. Also you have to be careful with opals since I didn't see this one mentioned.
Diane Sue
 
I keep trying to get our police dept. to let me use their sonic gun cleaner, but they won't let me. Some crap about liability. ;(
 
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