We can clean many items in a few minutes as well as offer maintenance and cleaning advice on your specific pieces. You should have your fine jewelry cleaned and inspected at least once a year, especially because it’s free! Many department stores will offer a free cleaning but like everything else, we recommend going to someone you know, like a trusted jewelry professional.
At Design One Jewelers, we can usually inspect it for any potential problems and clean it in a couple minutes. The cleaning costs nothing and the inspection can mean the difference between a lost stone and your peace of mind.
Many times we bang our rings without even realizing it. Ever find a bruise and you have no idea how it happened? Normal daily wear and tear can take a toll on your jewelry and a simple blow can move or crack a prong. You can’t see this sort of thing with the naked eye. Most people find out that they have a prong issue because it either starts catching on things or they lose a stone.
Whether you’re on your way out the door or sitting down to clean out the whole jewelry box, there are many things you can do on your own to keep your jewelry looking great. If you do a web search, you will find many different formulas that can be effective. One of the more popular chemicals that people like to use is ammonia and water. I find this to be too abrasive on the nose.
For a quick cleaning solution for gold and diamond jewelry, try a little isopropyl alcohol. You can fill a small container with some alcohol and drop your jewelry directly into the solution. Let it soak briefly and then remove the item. The nice thing about alcohol is that it will dry clear. You don’t even need to rinse your jewelry off. Just let it dry, and go. It’s a quick way to get a sparkle before you head out the door.
Long Cleaning
For a slightly longer cleaning method, we recommend good old Mr. Clean (the green solution) and water. Use 1 part Mr. Clean to 3 parts water.
Step 1
Warm up your water/cleaner solution in the microwave. Do not put your jewelry into the microwave. Only put the solution into the microwave. We recommend that you make it “coffee hot”.
Step 2
Once the solution is warmed up, take it out of the microwave and place your piece(s) of jewelry in the solution. Let the jewelry soak for several minutes and then remove and brush gently with a soft bristle toothbrush. If it’s a used toothbrush, run it through a dishwasher cycle and it will be clean and ready to use on your jewelry. If you purchase a toothbrush especially for this task, we recommend a baby toothbrush. It has the softest bristles.
Step 3
After you have soaked and brushed your jewelry, rinse it off with clean tap water. Please be careful on this last step. You can use a small strainer for the safest method. Never rinse anything over an open drain. Better to take one more step and put a small bowl or strainer under your piece than drop it down the drain.
Step 4
When you have finished cleaning your jewelry, lay it on clean paper towels or a soft cloth. Again, take care not to use anything too fibrous; small fibers can easily be caught up in jewelry with prongs.You can store your cleaning solution for future use in a small jar with a lid. Baby food jars and containers of this size work really well.
