Cleaning Your Jewelry! (Stones,Pearls,Plated)

Alright! So you've got a collection of different types of jewelry, can you just clean it all in the same manner? The answer is a resounding NO! Before I begin, I would like to advise you that if you are cleaning a particular Gemstone, Semi-precious included, you should first visit http://www.FireMountainGems.com You can find-out how "hard" your particular stone is! Some stones are VERY soft and should NEVER come in contact with water! If you care about your jewelry, please understand what you are dealing with, prior to attempting to cleaning it! And whatever jewelry you may have, NEVER wear it in the shower, pool, ocean, etc! The first thing I would like to mention is the MOST important! If you own a rhinestone piece or ANY stone set mounted in a metal "jacket". NEVER allow the piece to get wet!!! Water/liquids will settle in the jacket under the stone, resulting in something called "dead stone". It's pretty self descriptive! The stone will be permanently discolored (usually black), and forever ruined! Buff such pieces with a dry, soft, lint-free cloth ONLY! Swarovski Crystals should be cleaned in the same manner!
SWAROVSKI PEARLS: NEVER expose to liquid! Dry buffing cloth ONLY! SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS/PLATED METALS: Do NOT use Sonic Cleaners!!! (Especially for Plated Metals)! Never use boiled water or commercial liquid cleaners! They contain Ammonia and/or Alcohol and can DAMAGE Plating!
CHAIN & NECKLACES: They retain their brilliance and shine when you store them in a HANGING position! VINTAGE COSTUME JEWELRY: This jewelry was actually intended to be disposable when it was manufactured .! You must use EXTREME CAUTION when attempting to clean this type of jewelry! I would recommend first using a lint-free, soft buffing cloth. If the jewelry is very dirty (and THIS ALSO WORKS FOR VERY DIRTY RHINESTONE OR "JACKETED" JEWELRY: Just dampen (not dripping wet, just damp) a buffing cloth with a mixture of water and a very small amount of a VERY MILD soap. Gently buff the piece with the damp cloth. Immediately drying it with another dry buffing cloth!
I hope you will find this information helpful! I will be featuring a fellow jewelry artisan on Friday! I'm keeping her identity a surprise! You will NOT be disappointed! Her items are stunning! ALSO: I am adding my email in the bottom section of my blog! If you have ANY jewelry-related questions, I would be happy to assist you! And please sign-up for my mailing list!
DO YOU "TWEET" TWEET ME AT "ARTISTRYJEWELRY"!