Lifestyle

How To Clean Fine Jewelry: Fix Tarnished Silver, Scratched Pearls, & Make Diamonds Sparkle

March 19, 2018 by Leah Carton
shefinds | Lifestyle

This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.

SheFinds receives commissions for purchases made through the links in this post.

The 125 Best New Beauty Launches Of 2023

When you either treat yourself or are gifted fine jewelry, you cherish the piece more than anything. It’s like your new baby! Especially when you’re wearing it every day, you want to make sure your beloved piece of fine jewelry stays in tip-top shape. While you may think your tarnished silver, scratched pearls, or dull diamonds don’t stand another chance, you shouldn’t give up on them just yet. You can fix scratched jewelry, polish tarnished metal, and make clean diamonds so they sparkle like new again.

You’re probably thinking going to a professional is your only option–but that’s not necessarily the case. To fix your fine jewelry, you don’t have to make a trip to a jeweler and shell out tons of money. In fact, you can safely clean and repair fine jewelry in the comfort of your own home. With these simple jewelry tips and a few affordable products, you’ll be able to save money while still getting amazing before and after results! Use our guides below for cleaning your expensive jewelry at home.

–How To Clean Tarnished Silver

how to clean jewelry

1. Head to one of your local retailers to pick up a jar of jewelry cleaner for silver or other types of fine metals. For example, Bed Bath & Beyond sells Goddard’s™ 18 oz. Silver Polish Foam for just $11.99. These special cleaners will help give you professional cleaning results, in your kitchen.

2. Distribute the recommended amount of fine jewelry cleaner onto a sponge. Gently rub the jewelry cleaning foam onto your dirty silver jewelry. Rubbing in small circular motions, you will be able to get rid of tarnish. Some special cleaners come with an applicator to use instead of a sponge.

3. Once you’re finished cleaning the silver, dry it off with a paper towel or clean rag. Make sure you remove all of the jewelry cleaner residue from your fine rings, necklaces, and bracelets.

Fine jewelry can become tarnished after many years of wear or when pieces are regularly used to accessorize any outfit. From rings to silver chains and pendants, no piece of jewelry is safe from inevitable tarnishing.

silver ring

But after a good cleaning, look at that shine! You can transform your fine silver jewelry pieces with affordable products, like those from Goddard’s. Cleaning your fine jewelry yourself is definitely a great way to save both time and money.

–How To Clean Scratched Pearls

how to clean jewelry

Now, let’s move onto pearls. According to Taylor Made Jewelry, there is a simple way to clean scratched cultured pearls.

1. Believe it or not, the best way to wash pearl jewelry is with mild soap and water. The site notes that you should not clean cultured pearls with harsh chemicals or solvents.

2. With a mild soap and warm water solution, take a sponge and gently clean your peals. There’s no need to be rough with them, as this can cause further damage.

3. When you’re finished, make sure your pearl jewelry is fully rinsed off and dried.

4. To prevent any more wear and tear, you should store your pearls away from other pieces of jewelry. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other surrounding jewelry pieces can easily scratch your peals if tossed together in a jewelry box or cabinet.

–How To Make Dull Diamonds Sparkle: 

Diamonds come at an expensive price, but maintaining their gorgeous sparkle is pretty easy–as long as you regularly clean them, that is. According to Burdeen’s Jewelry, the best mixture for cleaning diamonds is with standard household cleaning products.

1. Decide if you’d prefer to use a quarter cup of ammonia or a mild dishwashing detergent. Then, mix your cleaning product of choice with one cup of lukewarm water. Note, using mild dish detergent is a much safer option than using ammonia, but both work well.

2. With the cleaning solution you made, begin cleaning your diamonds. Here, you can take a deeper look at the best method for cleaning diamond jewelry on the SHEfinds YouTube channel.

–How To Make Gold Jewelry Bold Again

For gold pieces of fine jewelry, you can easily make them bright and sparkly again with household products.

1. First, gather baking soda and vinegar to use for cleaning.

2. Cover the surface of your gold jewelry with baking soda and pour a tiny bit of vinegar over it.

3. Rinse your gold jewelry clean so no baking soda or vinegar is left and voila! Your gold jewelry should be clean.

Now we’ve got all of the cleaning tips you need to make your expensive fine jewelry look brand new again! For more cleaning hacks, check out how to clean fake costume jewelry on SHEfinds.

 

Author:

Leah is a writer for SheFinds, covering celebrity news, fashion, beauty & more. You can reach her at [email protected].

From Our Partners

Learn more about RevenueStripe...

From Our Partners

Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Lifestyle

Shop Fun And Quality Bedroom Furniture For Your Kids At Max And Lily

Your kids deserve the best. And what better way to ...

Lifestyle

Spruce Up Your Space With New Solid Wood Furniture Styles

Spring and summer are the two best seasons to start ...

Lifestyle

Shop Personalized And Adorable Baby Clothing During The Caden Lane Sale

Calling all moms and moms-to-be! Cute clothing, matching ...

Lifestyle

Get Organized This Spring During The Container Store's Best Sellers Sale

March is here, which means its time to start thinking ...

LOAD MORE
+
LOAD MORE POSTS