Have you ever been running out the door to go to an event, and picked out your jewelry to match your outfit – only to realize that the jewelry looks grungy? I certainly have! Here I describe how to clean jewelry with my two best and very quick DIY methods that work to improve the appearance of just about any type of jewelry in a short period of time.
Method #1 – Surface Cleaning with Water & Detergent
One of the biggest reasons that takes the shine out of your jewelry is that it picks up a thin layer of “product”. Hair conditioners & sprays, makeup, body lotion, perfumes & colognes, and even the natural oils from your skin can build up on your jewelry. The first step in how to clean jewelry is simply warm water and a good but mild grease-cutting detergent.
I was in the gemstone bead, pearl and jewelry supply business for 10 years. I was surprised at how many times other professionals in the business specifically called out Dawn Dishwashing Liquid as their “go to” best product for cleaning dulling film off of any type metal used to make jewelry: karat gold, sterling silver, platinum, solid copper, brass, aluminum, and more. I have used Dawn with jewelry containing most gemstones, freshwater pearls, glass beads, leather & hemp cord, silk & polyester beading thread.
Simple Steps:
- Put a small amount of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in a bowl or plastic tray.
- Run the tap water until it heats up and mix it into the detergent in the bowl.
- Add your jewelry item(s) and rub all of the surfaces with your fingers.
- If there are places that are hard to get into, like filigree or within the links of a chain, you can use a soft brush (like a soft toothbrush) to gently clean those spots.
- Rinse with tap water & dry with an absorbent cloth (cotton is my favorite).
This necklace is made from Chrysoprase and Rainbow Moonstone, and the bezels are formed from Vermeil (Sterling Silver, Gold Plated). The chain and findings are Gold Filled.
Obviously, this method is not going to remove tarnish from Sterling Silver, but I plan on writing up an article soon, describing how to clean intricate jewelry that has tarnished silver. Check back soon!
The link will take you to a 22 ounce container of Dawn Liquid should last you a long time and comes in a container that rests on the cap, making it easy to use every last drop of the product. (Sorry that my image does not currently match - the Amazon tag would not update the image for some reason).
Method #2 – Surface Cleaning with a Sunshine Polishing Cloth
There are a number of jewelry polishing cloth products on the market. The best ones for DIY jewelry cleaning contain a material called jeweler’s rouge impregnated into the cloth. The jeweler’s rouge is a micro-abrasive powder that is terrific at gently buffing the surface of jewelry. Not only can it be used to clean most metals that are used in jewelry making, it even removes tarnish from Sterling Silver. You can even see the tarnish (a form of sulfur) transfer from the jewelry onto the cloth as you are using it.
Here is a transcript of the video:
We’d like to show you one of our favorite quick cleaning products for jewelry, called the Sunshine Polishing cloth. This a nice soft cloth that has micro-abrasive polishing agents embedded within the fabric.
The cloth is about 7 and a half inches by 5 inches in size. The size is great for cleaning big items like silverware or serving platters, but for jewelry, we like to cut off a thin strip of the material because it is easier to use. We’ll cut off a strip that is about 1/2 of an inch wide for this demonstration.
Now that we have our small strip, let’s see what kind of job it can do. Sunshine polishing cloths work best on surfaces that are smooth – so let’s see the results when we clean this sterling silver collar necklace.
You can see that the surface instantly brightens up. A few more rubs and that area looks great! Now look at the polishing cloth. You can see that the tarnish material has been transferred onto the cloth.
One of our favorite uses for these cloths is with sterling Silver hoop earrings. Just pinch the hoop between sections of the cloth and rub around the ring.
Sunshine cloths work on other solid metals as well. Here we are cleaning a solid copper necklace.
We don’t recommend that you use the cloth on any material that can be damaged by mild abrasion such as pearls, amber, or soft gemstones like turquoise.
You can use the cloth on karat gold and gold filled items. Gold doesn’t really tarnish like silver does, but sometimes it darkens up a bit, so we can brighten it up with the cloth.
You can use the Sunshine cloth on brass or platinum items, as well. The brass earring on the right has been cleaned with the Sunshine cloth while the other earring has been left untreated for comparison.
It is hard to get the cloth into small areas, such as within this ring or inside the links of this chain, but if you are on your way out the door, the Sunshine cloth will still brighten up your jewelry.
You can use a polishing cloth until it is completely black and falling apart. Here’s one that has been in my jewelry drawer for several months and it still works great. Don’t wash them, though, as that removes the micro-abrasive material that is doing the polishing. We also don’t recommend polishing cloths, in general, for electroplated items because the plating is usually so thin that you can polished it right off.
Be sure to have one of these handy Sunshine Polish cloths available for when you want to make a quick jewelry cleanup!
Sunshine Polishing Cloth
When you buy a Sunshine Polishing cloth, it is about 7 and a half inches by 5 inches in size. The size is great for cleaning big items like silverware or serving platters, but for jewelry, we like to cut off a thin strip of the material because it is easier to use.
This link will take you to a five-pack of Sunshine Polishing Cloths, as shown in our article. It is also possible to buy just one package to try it out, or in bulk quantities. Each cloth lasts a long time for me, so you may only need a few of them. It's nice to keep one in your car or at work for last minute jewelry cleanups!
Polishing Results!
These are solid Brass Earrings. The one on the right was polished with the Sunshine Polishing cloth and the one on the left was left unpolished.
These Mother of Pearl earrings have tops made from Sterling Silver. This pictures shows the difference that a bit of polishing with the Sunshine Polishing cloth makes in their appearance.
Other Uses
Sunshine Polishing Cloths can be used on other metal items, such as Sterling Silver plated flatware or serving dishes. They do work on coins, but Coin Collectors will warn you against any kind of cleaning or polishing for fear of diminishing the value of the coin if it is collectible or rare.
The bottom half (left side) of this sterling silver pen has been polished with the Sunshine Polishing cloth. I left the top (right side) untreated so that you can compare the sides. A benefit of using a polishing cloth on this pen barrel is that the cloth brightens the high points of the pattern, but leaves a little of the black sulfur in the deep areas, which helps define the pattern’s appearance.
Jewelry Cleaning Tips – Deep Cleaning
When you have more time to throughly clean your jewelry, I have some tips for getting good results. Check back soon for a link to those articles that I am in process of writing.
