Tarnished silver, dull gold & lustreless pearls?  Keep your jewellery shiny & new with our quick & simple guide…

Silver

For slightly discoloured pieces of silver that are a little on the dull side, just mix a few drops of mild washing up liquid with warm water.  Using a soft cloth, dip into the mixture and gently rub the jewellery.  Rinse under water and buff until dry.

For tarnished Silver, mix three tablespoons of baking soda to one tablespoon water to make a thick paste.  Using a soft lint-free cloth, dampen the jewellery and then apply the paste working it in small circles across the jewellery and into any crevices.  Rinse, buff dry and enjoy the sparkle!

For very tarnished silver, line a small bowl with crumpled aluminium foil.  Place your silver jewellery on the foil.  Sprinkle with baking soda then pour boiling water over it.  Carefully move the jewellery round in the water to ensure each side touches the foil.  Any tarnish will transfer from the jewellery to the foil.  Remove and rinse with water… Magic!

If your silver jewels have gemstones glued in, checkout our alternative cleaning guide below.

Gold

Brighten up the dullest of rings or chains with a few drops of mild washing up liquid in a small bowl of soda water.  Place your jewels in a small strainer (a tea strainer is ideal), place into the bowl and soak for 5 minutes or so.  Use an old soft toothbrush to brush away the dirt and rinse carefully in fresh clean water, dry with a soft cloth, sit back and admire!

Pearls

Whether real or cultured, pearls should be cleaned with real care.  Firstly mix a little shampoo into a small bowl of warm water.  Lay the pearls onto a clean soft cloth, dip a clean soft make up brush into the shampoo mixture and gently brush each of the pearls across the entire surface.  Clean the pearls with a well-wrung damp cloth and then leave them to air dry to prevent scratches or damage to the string.  When they are dry they will be full of lustre.

Gemstones

Simply drop gemstones into a bowl of white wine vinegar.  Leave for 10-15 minutes, mixing occasionally.  Remove and scrub with a soft bristle toothbrush.  Rinse and buff dry…. good as new.

Glued in Gemstones Jewellery

Pieces of jewellery with gemstones that are glued into the setting shouldn’t be submerged in water.  Water can loosen the glue leading to your gemstones falling out, especially if they are knocked or brushed after being in warm water.

‘Dry’ clean these pieces by wiping them with a clean wet cloth that has been dipped into a washing up liquid & water bath.  Using the same damp cloth, gently scrub your jewellery.

Rinse the cloth in plain tap water, ring out and ‘rinse’ the jewellery by gently dabbing it with the clean damp cloth.

Lay or hang the pieces upside down to air-dry.  Hanging is best here to ensure all water droplets drip out rather than soaking into the setting.  Et voila!

Before you use any of these tips, make sure you know exactly what metal you are cleaning and whether or not gems have been glued.  If you’re not sure, check first!