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Cleaning and Storing Jewelry

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Cleaning Pearls

The best way to care for pearls is to wear them – the humidity from your body is good for them. But you want to remove sweat, perfume, hair spray, etc. from your pearls before storing them. Wipe them with a soft, lint-free cotton cloth dipped in water and a mild soap, such as baby shampoo or mild dish liquid. Then wipe them again several times with a clean damp cloth, removing any soap residue, and pat them dry. Don’t soak them in water or the string may stretch. When you wear your pearls, put them on last, after you’ve applied make-up, perfume, etc. Store them carefully, in a soft pouch. Pearls are delicate and may scratch easily if tossed in with other jewelry. And if your pearls get dull, put a drop of olive oil on a soft cloth and wipe them to restore the luster.

Cleaning Sterling Silver

Prevent tarnishing by storing your sterling silver jewelry in an airtight zip-lock plastic bag or one made of tarnish proof cloth. Putting a piece of anti-tarnish paper in the plastic bag will help, too. Sterling silver scratches easily, so don’t just toss it in with other jewelry. And don’t store it directly on wood surfaces as wood contains acids that may mar the finish on silver.

Here’s an easy way to clean sterling silver: Line the bottom of a glass baking pan with a piece of aluminum foil that has been crumpled up to form hills and valleys. Add one or two tablespoons of washing soda (available in the grocery store near the bleach, or sometimes at a hardware store). (A combination of one tablespoon of salt and one of baking soda or water softener powder works, too). Add very hot water to a depth that will cover your jewelry and the foil. The water need not be boiling, just hot enough to dissolve the washing soda. Put in your sterling silver jewelry, making sure that the silver has contact with the aluminum foil (this is the reason for the hills and valleys). You will see a chemical reaction occur – bubbles and grunge float to the surface. When no more bubbles have appeared for a few minutes, take out your jewelry, rinse in clear water, and pat dry. Before you do this, make sure that hot water won’t damage any stones in the jewelry (see below).

I've had trouble lately finding washing soda in the grocery store, so I googled Arm & Hammer and e-mailed them a query about which stores in my area carried the stuff. They answered promptly with a list of stores. If you can't find washing soda, try 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup salt, and 1/4 cup Dawn detergent. I've also heard that the following formula works but I haven't tried it: 1 Tbsp. Calgon water softener, powder or liquid, 1Tbsp. salt, 2 cups water, in a glass or plastic container. Do not use the kind of Calgon with oil. Again, put the foil in the bottom of the container, put the solution in, put the jewelry in, then remove it, rinse, and dry.

Be careful of silver dips or other commercial cleaners. Some are harsh and will remove antiquing from your silver and may discolor stones. They may dissolve glue if your stones are glued in place (such as in marcasite jewelry). Dish detergent may also dissolve glue, so take off your jewelry before doing those dishes. Never use chlorine bleach to clean jewelry, and use only 100% cotton cloths. Paper, polyester or coarse fabrics may contain wood fibers that can scratch your jewelry. A jewelry polishing cloth, such as a Sunshine cloth (available at many jewelers), works well.

Here's an interesting site that explains the science behind this method of cleaning (using baking soda): http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/TARNISH.html

Other Jewelry

Most jewelry can be cleaned safely with lukewarm water and a mild soap, such as baby shampoo or dish soap. Use a soft toothbrush to loosen dirt, and be sure to wipe off or rinse any soap residue. (But don't use toothpaste - although many web sites recommend it - as it often has abrasives that can scratch or bleaching agents that can harm some stones.) Some stones may be dyed and may not be colorfast, and so they shouldn’t be put in water. The bright red of Chinese coral is likely to be dyed, as is some inexpensive turquoise. You can test stones to see if they are colorfast by putting a drop of water on your finger and running it along the stone - if the color comes off on your finger, don’t put the stone in water. And some stones, such as amber, pearls, coral, opals, peridot, malachite, turquoise, and emeralds are delicate and shouldn’t be subject to very hot water or ammonia. Opals may be discolored by sitting in strong sunlight, which dries out the water in them and causes discoloration. Turquoise is a porous stone, so it's best to clean it with only a soft damp cloth so as not to discolor the stone. And don’t wear your jewelry in the swimming pool – chlorine may discolor stones and pit silver.

Before cleaning jewelry with stones, make sure the stones are not loose. Test them by touching them with a toothpick - they shouldn't wiggle or move in their setting if they are secure. Look closely to see if the stones are set in the metal and not simply glued in place. If they are only glued, be very careful when cleaning and don't use hot water on them.

Finally, if you are in doubt about the safety of cleaning your jewelry, take it to a professional. Final tip: Did you know that ketchup is a great copper polisher!