Cleaning Jewelry Invest Tips

Cleaning Jewelry on a regular basis will not only make your  jewelry  sparkle like a stardust trail in the night sky  but it will also help to protect your pieces for many years to come.

When you are investing  in  antique jewelry, how to take care of your jewelry as you build your collection  involves maintenance, like cleaning and safe jewelry storage.

Cleaning jewelry at regular intervals and stored in a dust-free environment will help to prolong the life of your jewelry and keep it in the best possible condition. This, in turn, will increase its desirability and value. Interested to know your Jewelry Value?

Great care  should be taken when cleaning antique jewelry which is jewelry  over 100 years of age. Some  Jewelry cleaning methods  can be positively harmful to Antique jewelry. So before you rush out to furnish the lastest sonic jewelry cleaning manufacturer's cash register

be warned - some types of jewelry and many of the gemstones should Never and we really do mean NEVER be cleaned in a sonic jewelry cleaner.

Don't even think about an ultrasonic Jewelry cleaner for Natural Pearls!

Jewelry & Gemstones That Cannot Be Cleaned  in the Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner.

Cleaning Jewelry Tips For the Following Materials: 

AMBER

Gemstones and minerals like Amber that are not very high on the Mohs Scale of hardness should be cleaned  with extra special care. Gently clean Amber in warm soapy water first. The thoroughly rinse,  pat dry and wipe over with a cotton Q-tip dipped in olive oil. Gently wipe off any excess oil.

Read More About  Amber-Gemstone Jewelry.....

AQUAMARINE

Cleaning jewelry with aquamarine involves gently washing the stones with tepid, soapy water, then rinse and dry.

CAMEOS

Clean Cameo jewelry by first removing any grease and ingrained dirt with a small artist's brush dipped in white spirit. Then brush over the affected area with a solution of warm soapy water plus a couple of drops of ammonia. Rinse by brushing on clean water, before drying with a piece of chamois leather.

For Information about Antique Cameo jewelry click Here.

CORAL

Remove grime from coral with cotton buds dipped in a solution of warm water plus a little detergent. Remove stubborn deposits with a paste of crocus powder and water, again gently applied with a cotton bud. Finally, when cleaning jewelry with genuine branch coral,  rinse with clean water.

DIAMONTE Jewelry

Vodka anyone? When cleaning diamonte jewelry, lightly wipe with a soft brush dipped in alcohol. Dry immediately by blowing over the surface.  Glass and rhinestones will regain their sparkle and shine like a stardus trail when dipped in Vodka! Glass,  Moonstone, and Chalcedony were popular gems in the Art Nouveau Era. 

DIAMONDS

A girl's best friend might be ranked highest on the Mohs Scale of hardness but antique diamonds, in particular, should be handled with care. And both Colored diamonds and Colourless Diamonds, no matter their age are prone to chipping. Wash diamond jewelry in warm soapy water removing stubborn grease and grime around the jewelry settings, by gently brushing (with a very soft brush) with just a little methylated spirits and ammonia. Diamonds will also regain their sparkle and shine when dipped in a little Vodka bath. Rinse and pat dry with a lint-free cloth.

EMERALDS

It is estimated that 90%  or more of the world's emeralds are fracture-filled.  Because of this, it is risky to clean emeralds ultrasonically or  with  steam. Ultrasonic vibrations can weaken the already fractured stones and hot steam can cause oil or unhardened resin to  sweat out of the fractures.  Warm soapy water and gentle scrubbing is the best and safest way to clean emeralds. 

IVORY

Wipe down with a soft cloth moistened with warm water and a little detergent. Then wipe with clean water and dry thoroughly. Finally, wipe on a little almond oil and leave for a couple of minutes and wipe off.

JADE

Clean Jade with a soft cloth moistened with warm soapy water and a couple of drops of ammonia.

JET

Clean by gently rubbing with pieces of fresh bread. Yep, bread, you read it right. This unusual method really brings out the shine!

OPALS

Clean gem opal jewelry with cotton buds dipped in warm, soapy water. Rinse, applying clean water with cotton buds. dry.

PEARLS

Cleaning pearl jewelry is a whole topic. Click here to find out how to care for Pearls!

RHINESTONE JEWELRY - Vodka time again. 

Take very special care when cleaning Rhinestone Costume Jewelry and Crystal jewelry. Never soak rhinestone jewelry or expose rhinestones, crystal jewelry or foil backed stones to moisture. Never use a toothbrush, scrub brush or abrasive cleaner such as toothpaste on all the above types of jewelry. All of the above methods of cleaning jewelry may scratch and damage the surface of vintage pieces. Rhinestones can be dipped in Vodka to regain their sparkle and shine. This method is not to be used for foil backed stones as the liquid will get between the foil backing and the stone. 

RUBIES

Clean ruby jewelry by gently rubbing with cotton wool bud dipped in warm soapy water. Then rinse and dry thoroughly, before lightly wiping down with a piece of chamois leather moistened with alcohol.

SAPPHIRES

Clean in the same way as Rubies (above)

TORTOISESHELL

Wash with warm soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly. Then, either apply a fine, white wax polish or wipe on a little almond oil.

TURQUOISE

Clean genuine turquoise with a cotton bud dipped in methylated spirits.

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