First, how susceptible is your jewelry to scratches and chemical
products? Hardness is based on a gem-trade standard called the
Mohs scale. The higher the Mohs scale number, the harder the
stone is. The highest Mohs scale rating is 10 (diamonds).
Anything with a Mohs scale rating of less than 7 is easily
scratched (such as coral, lapis lazuli, opal, pearl, and
turquoise). Gold, silver, and platinum are only Mohs 2-1/2 to 4.
Because a diamond can scratch gold or pearls it is always
important to store all jewelry pieces separately. Gold jewelry
will last you a lifetime if it is taken care of. Gold can be
scratched and dented if you are not careful. Because of where
they are worn, gold rings and bracelets will get the most
damage, much more so than earrings or necklaces. Chemicals also
can cause damage to gold. One of the worst is chlorine. Constant
exposure to chlorinated cleaning products will make the gold
weak and prone to breaking. Don’t wear your gold in the swimming
pool or Jacuzzi. Take your jewelry off around the house when
cleaning but if you prefer to wear rings and bracelets wear
rubber gloves for protection. Even makeup, perfume, hairspray,
and perspiration can cause gold jewelry to lose its luster.
Clean your jewelry regularly using a good jewelry cleaner. A
quick clean can be done with a baby tooth brush and mild soap
and a small amount of ammonia. (Never clean in the sink as the
jewelry might fall down the drain, always clean in a bowl away
from a drain pipe) Grease can be removed from karat gold jewelry
by dipping into plain rubbing alcohol. Always rinse thoroughly
and dry after cleaning. Keep it wrapped separately in a soft
cloth, jewelry box divider or plastic baggie. Keep your eye on
prongs that could break and cause the loss of a stone. An
occasional visit to a professional jeweler is the best idea.
Platinum is one of the rarest and most durable precious metals.
It does not tarnish or get discolored from chlorine. Even though
it is very tough you still need to take good care of your
platinum jewelry. Store it separately because platinum can be
scratched. Platinum can be cleaned in the same manner as other
fine jewelry.
You will probably be surprised that sunlight can cause many
colored gemstones to fade, change color or become pale. Common
stones that are damaged in sunlight (there may be more):
Amethyst, Ametrine, Apatite, Aquamarine, Aventurine, Beryl,
Celestite, Chrysoprase, Citrine, Fluorite, Kunzite, Rose Quartz,
and Smokey Quartz. Pearls are organic stones and quickly react
to any form of chemicals like perfumes, hand lotions, hair
spray, etc. Chemicals directly attack the nacre, ruining the
luster, which causes patches on your pearl. Put your pearl
jewelry on last after you have applied your perfumes, lotions,
etc. They should not be worn along with any other jewelry items
such as chains or even watches. Clean pearls only with lukewarm
water. Never brush them in any way. You can then wipe it with a
regular cotton cloth. The silk is delicate and gets stretched
after a period of time. Always store bead necklaces (such as
lapis, pearls, etc) flat as that will keep the silk from
stretching. It could break when the strand is worn on a regular
basis. You should have them checked, to see if they need to be
re-strung, every 3 years if you wear them regularly. Opals are
water-based stones. Sudden temperature changes cause them to
crack in multiples (known as Crazing). They should thus be
cleaned only in room temperature water (68°F – 75°F) and then
wiped with a soft cotton cloth. Emeralds, naturally coming out
of the ground have several surface breaking inclusions in them.
Almost all of them are treated through oiling to hide these
inclusions. They cannot be immersed in ultrasonic cleaners or
steam machines for this reason. The oiling will either discolor
or come out during the cleaning process. Thus they can only be
cleaned with room temperature water (68°F – 75°F) and a cotton
cloth.
Platinum is one of the rarest and most durable precious metals.
It does not tarnish or get discolored from chlorine. Even though
it is very tough you still need to take good care of your
platinum jewelry. Store it separately because platinum can be
scratched. Platinum can be cleaned in the same manner as other
fine jewelry.
Your silver jewelry tarnishes when exposed to air. This occurs
more quickly in damp and foggy weather and even sunshine, but is
inevitable in any climate. Tarnish first appears as a golden hue
on your sterling silver then turns to black. Always store in
treated paper or cloth, or plastic zip lock bags made of Mylar
(turkey cooking bags) or polyethylene. Some plastic contains
sulfur compounds which can cause tarnish faster. Never use
polyvinyl plastic bags. Tiny zip-lock bags work great for each
individual piece. Don’t store sterling silver jewelry on wood
surfaces as wood usually contains acids that can mar the finish.
Also avoid storing silver with other metals like pennies and
rubber. Don’t wear rubber gloves when washing or polishing
silver because rubber promotes tarnish. Dry and polish silver
with a soft cloth, not paper towels. You can use a baby tooth
brush or a horsehair silver brush but stays away from paper,
polyester and course fabrics that contain wood fibers as this
can scratch your silver. Ordinary toothpaste is a good, quick
cleaner but is mainly recommended for gold, not silver. If you
don’t want to rub the silver (or you’re uncomfortable working
with acid), make a dip using baking soda, aluminum foil and hot
water. Place a 2′ length of aluminum foil into a plastic bucket,
and pour 1/2 gallon of hot water over it. Then pour a cup of
fresh baking soda into the water (if the soda is fresh, it will
begin foaming). Submerge a piece of silver in the water, and
allow it to sit for 30 minutes. Then pull out the silver, rinse
it, and allow it to dry.
For a more of a heavy duty cleaner get a pickle jar and combine
one inch of cleaning detergent (like Top Job or Mr. Clean), one
inch of dish washing liquid and one inch of ammonia. Fill the
rest of the container with water. Shake well, heat in microwave
and pour into an old pot and simmer on stove. Put your silver or
gold into the solution and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Remove from solution and rinse with water. Dry well.