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Jewelry Part VIII: Proper Care, Cleaning, & Storage
Jewelry & Fashion | PUBLISHED 03.10.21 | Jennifer Ventresca
Did you know that BRG's jewelry department has a GIA graduate gemologist and jewelry expert on staff? Her name is Kim Leiman and we recently had a few moments to sit down with her to chat about the best ways to properly clean, store, and care for the various jewelry pieces that may be lying in your jewelry box.
Just as there are many varieties of jewelry, metals, and gems, there are as many ways to properly care for your beloved fine and costume jewelry pieces.
Proper care, cleaning, and storage of your jewelry is paramount to maintaining the beauty, luster, and sparkle of your precious treasures.
Conversely, poor DIY cleaning methods can damage the jewelry -- particularly more delicate gemstones such as pearls and opals.
JV: |
In the course of a typical day, I bet you see an incredible variety of jewelry passing by your workstation. Some of those pieces need to be cleaned before they are photographed for auctions. While the jewelry department has professional equipment for proper cleaning, do you have any go-to tricks for cleaning jewelry that our bidders might use at home? |
KL: |
Some jewelry needs a little more TLC than others, but here's my take on DIY cleaning for stone and diamond jewelry at home. It isn't that exciting, but it's very effective. Are you ready? |
JV: |
Yes, let's hear it! |
KL: |
Mix a few drops of Dawn dish detergent in warm (not hot) water in a small bowl or container. |
JV: |
Dawn? Really? |
KL: |
Absolutely! Soak your gold, platinum, and diamond jewelry pieces in it. Be sure to avoid soaking pearls and opals -- just use a damp soft cloth on them if needed. For just about everything else, if you need to loosen and remove grime or dirt, gently use a soft-bristle toothbrush. Old toothbrushes are great for this -- just make sure it's a soft bristle brush! If you need to add another drop or two of Dawn, you can. Once clean, rinse in warm (not hot) water and dry with a paper towel or soft cloth. |
Kim also shared some specific tips for cleaning common jewelry pieces, as well as safe storage instructions:
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PROPER CARE & STORAGE |
DIY CLEANING TIPS |
GOLD & PLATINUM |
Gold and platinum are pretty hard, so they usually don't tarnish or discolor unless exposed to harsh chemicals such as chlorine, bleaches, solvents, etc. They do scratch though, so jewelry should be separated. |
Soak in diluted Dawn for a few minutes. Use a soft bristle toothbrush to gently loosen any dirt or grime (if needed). Rinse in warm water. Dry with a soft cloth or paper towel. |
STERLING |
Storing in anti-tarnish flannels is ideal. |
Polishing cloths are the best. Stay away from silver dips - they eventually yellow the silver. |
PEARLS |
Pearls are best stored in a soft pouch or box. |
Wipe down with a soft cloth after each wearing to remove perfumes and perspiration.
Dampen the cloth with the diluted Dawn if you need something a little stronger. Never submerge pearls in cleaning solution -- use a soft damp cloth only. |
PRECIOUS & SEMI-PRECIOUS |
Gemstones vary in in toughness. Some scratch and chip easily, while others (like diamonds) are very hard. Either way, it's good practice to carefully place stone jewelry pieces in soft fabric-lined boxes or compartments. Velvet and flannel work best to protect your jewelry from scratches. |
Soak in diluted Dawn for a few minutes. Use a soft bristle toothbrush to gently loosen any dirt or grime (if needed). Rinse in warm water. Dry with a soft cloth or paper towel. |
Another excellent resource for cleaning and caring for jewelry and gemstones comes directly from the International Gemological Society.
It's a wrap!
Well that concludes our eight part jewelry "primer" series on all things of bling. We hope you found it useful and informative. If you missed any of the blogs in this series, links to each appear below:
I |
II |
III |
IV |
V |
VI |
VII |
VIII |
While we've attempted to give you a comprehensive high-level overview of key terms, styles, types of jewelry, etc., there is so much more to understanding jewelry, gems, and metals, but believe that this series of jewelry blogs will become your handy guide to help you better understand some of the important elements you might see or hear of while shopping for pieces of jewelry or investigating your current collection.
It takes years to hone the necessary skills and to develop the discerning eye of a jewelry expert and so if you have any questions about your the auction estimate for a choice piece of jewelry, need a USPAP compliant jewelry appraisal, or wish to consign your jewelry collection, the BRG jewelry professionals are here to help.
If there's something we have not covered in this series, please let us know and we'll consider covering it in a future blog.
Keywords: GIA, gemologist, care, cleaning, storage, jewelry, gold, platinum, sterling silver, pearls, opals, stones, diamonds, precious, semi-precious