Despite what a lot of jewellers will have you believe you can clean your jewellery at home.
You may not achieve the same level of results and you do need to be incredibly careful especially around jewellery with stones but it can be done.
Cleaning or Polishing...
The first thing I want to touch on is the difference between cleaning and polishing.
Cleaning your jewellery is the process of removing dirt, dust and grime. If like me you're lazy and sometimes forget to remove your jewellery when working out, sleeping or showering etc then you will get a build up of sweat, dust, soaps on your pieces and over time this can cause it to become dull or even speed up the process of tarnishing. Cleaning is the process of stripping that away.
Polishing is a process of changing the surface of the metal. Let's take it that polishing is always discussing polishing to a high shine otherwise we'll be here all day but the process is the same regardless. To polish something you are moving and removing the surface layer so the molecules of it sit in a specific way.
Not every polishing product will actually do this but if it can actually polish then it will contain some level of abrasive to change the surface to create the glossy finish. You will almost never be able to achieve a glossy finish at home without it ever previously being that level of shine.
So how can I clean my jewellery at home?
The best way to clean your jewellery is with warm water and a mild soap. You want to avoid submerging some parts of jewellery in water such as some clasps and stones but using a soft bristle brush you can begin to very gently go over your jewellery being careful not to score the surface with your brush. Make sure to pay extra attention to little nooks where product can build up.
It is vital you ensure that the piece is completely dry before being stored or worn again.
***Warning!***
What you need to know before attempting to clean your jewellery at home!
Stones are a tricky one and unless you know what gemstone it is, I would never submerge it in water and sometimes avoid getting it wet at all. Some stones can be porous and very soft such as pearl. Without naming all the stones here (and I'm not a gemologist so that would be hard) I'd suggest researching your stone to make sure what is safe for your piece.
You also need to be careful of some clasps. Most modern clasps work with a hidden spring and more often then not this is a steel spring which can weaken an break over time so again I'd avoid submerging these.
What if your piece has a patina or particular finish on it? Then stop, hesitate and listen to your jeweller, you can remove this with any level of brushing so I would return it to the jeweller and ask them to take care of it! Most jeweller's have a very small charge for this and some offer a full service if it's their own piece.
There are always a wide array of methods of cleaning your jewellery at home like bicarb and tin foil or baking it but I'd avoid these methods because they can cause more harm then good, especially if done repeatedly.
3 Tools to Polish Your Silver
Looking for tips to bring back the shine of your silver? Has your silver gone dull? I've got some tools to help you out, 3 to be exact.
- I LOVE a Selvyt Cloth, depending upon which one you buy, these cool cloths are impregnated with tiny abrasives to bring out that beautiful shine!
- I also rave about the Talk Town cloths that are dripping in their anti-tarnish polish again this has micro abrasives to bring out that shine.
- Or lastly, and my favourite, the Polishing Pads, which I actually sell here, I believe these are some of the best polishing pads I've ever used. They don't work for every piece and I'd avoid it if you have something with a texture but if you want a glass like shine on a flat surface then go no further. They are magic!
If you want to know more about cleaning and polishing then join the Mailing List now to pre-order your completely free Cleaning and Polishing Like a Pro PDF!
P.S. If you've got a Prickly Pear piece that you'd love to give it some TLC get in touch as I do have a full turn around service to bring you loved piece back to life!