Most jewelry metals will dull with time. While silver, brass, copper, and other base metals will tarnish, even gold and platinum can lose their luster from skin oils and environmental dirt. Yes, there are dozens of different methods online for cleaning jewelry, from toothpaste to various items you’ll find in your kitchen like beer and ketchup. The simpler the method, the better. Here are some ideas for keeping your jewelry looking like new:
1.Store your jewelry in an anti-tarnish jewelry box Leaving it lying out in the open for prolong periods of time will cause tarnish quicker than anything.
2. Use a soft cloth specifically meant for jewelry. While a cloth might feel soft to the touch, some metals like sterling silver can scratch easily; Sunshine & Connoisseurs make good polishing cloths and are available at Amazon.com.
3. Avoid swimming, showering w/ jewelry.
4. Avoid direct contact with perfumes, lotions, oils, & make up.
5. For really dirty items mix a few drops of a mild dish detergent (ex.7th Generation) with warm water. Always take care with oxidized jewelry as you don’t want to loose the detail of the piece. Likewise, personalized or word jewelry with darkened letters can loose the shading of the lettering if a liquid is used. Gemstones and pearls are often fragile as well so try to polish around them if possible.
6. Never use any kind of cleaner not intended for jewelry. Seems like common sense, but there are people who will use an abrasive household cleaner to remove a spot of tarnish on a ring or bracelet and end up ruining an expensive piece of jewelry.
7. Finally, you can always take your piece to a local jeweler who can clean it for you. This can be the best option for polishing up diamonds with prong settings and pieces that have fine details not easily reached with a cloth.
