Professional Jewelry Cleaning Steps and Home Jewelry Cleaning

 

We're Like Magpies and We Like Sparkly Things. Magpies are attracted to shiny objects and are notorious for stealing rings and other jewelry left on windowsills or tables out of doors, which they carry off to their nests! But only if they are sparkly.

Have you noticed how you get compliments on your new jewelry? Your Santa Barbara Jeweler says, "it's not just because it's the newest thing and your friends have never seen it before. It's because it's sparkly and gorgeous!"

Jewelry Can Get Pretty Dull Looking When You're Not Looking

Side view of emerald ring

Scratches on Lori's Ring Dim its Beauty

Just like your car, jewelry gets dirty and doesn’t shine like it used to. Hand cream, soap residue, dust and hard water deposits are just some of the gunk that detracts from the original sparkle and beauty of your wedding ring or other jewelry. What’s a girl to do?

Professional Jewelry Cleaning is Amazing!

You detail your car, why not your jewelry? Cleaned up and polished jewelry looks brand new. You'll fall in love all over again when you get professional jewelry cleaning done for your jewelry.

A professional jewelry cleaning job is three-steps, cleaning, polishing and steaming, done by your Jeweler.

It's especially effective for jewelry that’s worn daily. I’ve loved restoring countless dull and cloudy rings to the way they looked when they were first gazed upon.

The Three Step Professional Jewelry Cleaning Process:

Ultrasonic Solution

Step One, Ultrasonic Cleaning, Deep Cleans Your Jewelry

  1. The first step is to place the jewelry is immersed and soaked in an ultra-sonic jewelry cleaner. Together with the cleaning solution, the ultra-sonic vibrates at a high rate, dislodging tiny particles adhering to the metal and the gemstones. Note: Not all gemstones can withstand the chemical cleaning solution and the vibrations of an ultra-sonic. Diamonds, rubies, and sapphires are fine. Opals and emeralds should never be put in an ultra-sonic. If you’re unsure about a particular gemstone, check with your jeweler.

Jewelry polishing wheel with jeweler polishing a ring

  1. The next step is polishing. Here the jewelry is buffed and polished on a high speed wheel. All the little scratches and abrasions are removed and the surface of your jewelry is restored to its original, smooth and shiny self.

Cleaning Jewelry with Steam

Step Three - Steam Cleaning Finishes the Job!

  1. The last step is steam cleaning in which the jewelry is held under a powerful jet of steam. This gets rid of any last remnant of unwanted clinging particles. Steam also brightens up the metal somehow.

Three Tips For Home Cleaning of Your Jewels

Toothpaste to clean jewelry

Some Home Jewelry Cleaning Tools

  1. This Santa Barbara Jeweler likes home ultrasonic jewelry cleaners. These really help in Santa Barbara where hard water deposits cloud up your gemstones if they get a chance. Regular ultrasonic cleaning keeps the hard water deposits from sticking if you are vigilant.
  2. A gentle toothpaste and an old toothbrush can do a nice job cleaning detailed design jewelry. Nooks and crannies can try to thwart your efforts to clean them, but they usually can’t out run a toothbrush.
  3. Silver polishing cloths actually work as well on your gold as they do on your silver. They are especially effective on chains and bracelets.

What’s the Takeaway Message Here?

Cleaned and Polished Emerald Ring

Lori's Ring Polished and Cleaned to Brand New Sparkle!

Embrace your inner Magpie. If your jewelry looks dull and sad and you're not picking it up to wear, send it to your  favorite Jeweler for a professional cleaning.

Once it’s brought back to shiny, clear and beautiful life, get your home jewelry cleaning machines and tools and keep up the cleaning. You’ll love the look. You can have new looking sparkly jewelry all the time.

"Wear it don't warehouse it!"

Your Magpie Jeweler,
Calla Gold

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About Calla Gold

Calla Gold is a Personal Jeweler and Author who takes pride in working with clients one-on-one to integrate their personal sense of style and taste into custom designed jewelry and repaired jewelry pieces.   Unlike typical Santa Barbara jewelry businesses, Calla Gold has no brick-and-mortar location. Calla Gold comes to you, bringing you the jewelry collection you want to see and collaborating with you to create unique custom jewelry. Calla also works with at-a-distance clients.

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Santa Barbara Coach
12 years ago

Hi Calla,
I love that your blog brings attention to taking care of the fabulous jewelry that we all have and treasure. You are so right that some of it languishes, hidden away, never to see the light of day because when we put it on, it just doesn’t look quite right. It has lost that sparkle and we don’t notice. I for one am going to go through my jewelery and see what needs a tune up so that I start wearing it again.
Appreciatively,
Lynn
Dr. Lynn K. Jones, Certified Personal and Executive Coach
http://www.lynnkjones.com

Alison
Alison
12 years ago

Calla great advice and tips. I soak my jewels regularly in Windex-at least once a week and then use a toothbrush and the hottest water I can get. Nothing beats a professional cleaning though. The difference is amazing!!!

Flo Crossley
Flo Crossley
11 years ago

Calla Gold, thanks for nice post,I love jewelry. I am confused on what jewelry to buy for my sweet mom. Flo

Jenny
Jenny
8 years ago

I soak my jewels regularly in Windex-at least once a week and then use a toothbrush and the hottest water I can get. Nothing beats a professional cleaning though. The difference is amazing!!!

jane davis
8 years ago

Can a good jewelry glue be used to help set a faceted stone in a setting? I have set cabochon onyx, opal and turquoise with glue in a bezel setting successfully, can I do that with colored stone like tanzanite, topaz or quartz?

Lara Tomas
Lara Tomas
8 years ago

Can I use a gentle toothpaste and an old toothbrush for my silver jewelry too? I found recently, that my favorite necklace is tarnished a little, but I have no time for going to the jeweler. Can I clean it at home?

Marsha Lamb
Marsha Lamb
8 years ago

Using a toothpaste to clean my ring was the best idea ever! Thank you so much for sharing this useful information. My ring was in pretty bad condition lately. Thank you for saving it with your tips! Greetings!

Janell
Janell
7 years ago

Hi Calla, love reading these suggestions! I have a couple questions; is there a particular ultrasonic machine that you like best, for home use?
Also, I have a CZ that I left in some cleaner, not windex thinking might do better, that now has a slight blue look! Not bad, but I see it when in a certain light. Is there a chemical that will remove that?

molly white
7 years ago

Calla,First of thanks for this article.I am big fond of gold and silver jewellery since my school time.I am having many diamond earrings and used to go for cleaning my jewellery at jewellery stores.After reading this article i cleaned my all jewellery easily.

Christian
Christian
4 years ago

Does baking soda scratch gold jewelry? I’m not sure if it’s plated but I have a pendant that looked tarnished. I soaked & rubbed w warm water & Dawn. 15 min in I grabbed some baking soda & made a paste & rubbed. Most of the tarnish is gone but I see lots of small scratches. I don’t know if they were there before…I thought the polishing cloth will take off the plating (if it is) so afraid to try.