Festive parties and family gatherings will give you many reasons to wipe out the dust on the jewelry box and make the jewelry more embarrassing. Do you know how to clean jewels safely? This is not always as simple as choosing a household jewellery cleaner in a store. Certain metals and gems require specific cleaning methods to avoid accidental damage.
We will unveil the common rumors in home jewellery cleaning and provide you with the facts you need to know to clean the jewels safely.
Ultrasonic cleaner
Rumors: You can use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean any jewelry because it is designed for jewelry.
Fact: Your professional jewellery may be used in your jewelry in the store, but be careful at home to ensure that it is used correctly and properly. How does the ultrasonic cleaner work? It uses a liquid as a medium to emit low-frequency wavelengths, which removes dust and dirt from the jewels, especially to remove dirt from hard-to-reach areas such as the back of the jewel. However, many types of stones are also susceptible to damage from ultrasonic cleaners.
Photo comparison before cleaning (left) and after cleaning (right): In this example, the cracks in the emerald became apparent after using the ultrasonic cleaner. Ultrasonic cleaners are not suitable for artificially treated or fragile gemstones such as emeralds.
Never use ultrasonic cleaning of gemstones that have been filled with cracks on the surface. For example, diamonds can be filled with lead-containing glassy materials, and emeralds are usually oil, resin or wax. These manual treatments are designed to optimize the surface clarity of the gemstone. However, such treatments are not permanent and may still be worn or removed. Other types of gems may also undergo similar manual processing.
Never use ultrasonic cleaning of organic gem materials. These are porous materials that are easily damaged by the heat generated by the machine and the chemicals in most detergents. Therefore, pearls, corals, tortoise shells, ivory, shell relief, coal jade and amber are not suitable for ultrasonic cleaners.
Never use ultrasonic cleaning of gemstones that are filled with or coated with oil, plastic or wax. These manual treatments are commonly used in emeralds, lapis lazuli, malachite, opal and other gemstones.
Ultrasonic cleaners should also be avoided for gemstones that have been heat treated to optimize color. In addition to the use of transparent rubies and sapphires, the use of ultrasonic cleaners should not be used for star rubies and star sapphires.
Before cleaning the stone, make sure it is safely embedded in the setting. If the waist of the gemstone is improperly mounted, the vibration generated by the ultrasonic cleaner sometimes causes it to loosen or wear.
2. Household ammonia cleaner
Rumors: Household ammonia cleaners are suitable for cleaning all types of gems and jewelry.
Fact: Organic, porous gemstones (such as corals, pearls, and Turkish stones) should not be exposed to the irritating chemicals contained in ammonia cleaners such as window cleaners.
However, it is safe to use a mild cleaning solution containing ammonia to clean most diamond jewelry unless the diamond is manually treated with non-permanent materials such as coatings.
3. Commercial jewelry cleaning liquid or ready-made jewelry polishing agent
Rumors: Commercial jewellery cleaners or ready-made jewellery polishes are suitable for cleaning jewellery at home, as long as the type of metal to be cleaned is indicated on the bottle.
Fact: Most diamonds can be safely cleaned with commercial jewellery cleaners, but this does not apply to all jewellery and gems. First, you need to look at the list of ingredients on the cleaning fluid bottle. Avoid harmful chemicals such as chlorine and other bleaching ingredients because they can damage some gemstones and metal alloys.
Also, do not use abrasives, such as some metal polishes or substances contained in toothpaste, as they can corrode metals and scratch the gemstones.
Gold is a soft metal. For example, in an old gold ring, it tends to be thinner due to daily wear. Jewelry-specific commercial cleaning fluids are a good choice for most gold jewellery.
But if the precious metal is inlaid with gems, you need to be careful because some gems cannot be immersed in the cleaning solution. If your gold jewels are adorned with fragile or porous gems or pearls, it is safest to mix a few drops of mild dishwashing detergent with warm water.
Platinum is a strong, solid metal. Platinum retains its luster for a long time and can be used with jewelry cleaners. Sterling Silver is also popular as a jewellery metal because of its versatility and price. However, as time goes by, its surface will fade and look old. These faded jewels can be renewed with a jewellery cleaner for silver jewellery or a polished wipe designed for silver jewels with fragile, porous gems or coatings.
Regardless of the type of gemstone or metal, it is always safe to use a soft cloth to wipe the dust and grease deposited on the jewelry.
4. Warm water and soft soapy water
Rumors: All gems can be cleaned at home with warm water and a mild dishwashing detergent.
Fact: This cleaning method is safe for most gemstones.
Although gentle cleaning methods are a good choice for most gems and jewels, there are some exceptions that need to be taken seriously. Porous gemstones (such as coral or Turkish stone) and fragile pearls (natural or farmed) should always be kept away from chemicals. Care must be taken when cleaning most of the manually treated stones, each with special cleaning needs.
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