How To Clean Jewelry: A Step by Step Guide
At BISOULOVELY, our jewelry is meant to infuse your life with magic. And when it comes to magic, once you have it, you’ll never want to let it go. That’s why taking care of your precious pieces is so important.
Keeping your favorite baubles pristine isn’t too hard — it just takes a little time, effort, and love. We promise it will be worth it in the end when your gemstones are shining as bright as the stars above. Below, we’re diving deep into everything you need to know about keeping your jewelry looking shiny and new.
Should All Jewelry Be Cleaned the Same Way?
We use a variety of different metals to plate our stunning pieces as well as a host of unique gemstones and minerals to add that extra sparkle. Our diverse range of materials makes talismans that look and feel truly one-of-a-kind.
But this also means that each of our pieces may require special attention. Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of caring for all different types of jewelry and materials.
What Does Tarnished Jewelry Look Like?
Jewelry tarnishes when metal comes into contact with external substances. This can be anything from sweat and perfume to deodorant, lotion, or even food. Tarnish varies depending on the metals used, so it may not look the same within all of your pieces.
As a general rule of thumb, whether your once-bright pieces are looking slightly dull or completely black, they have been tarnished. Luckily, caring for tarnished pieces is quite simple. There are plenty of convenient, easy, and affordable methods you can use to revive your dimming gems and golds. Of course, the easiest way to maintain your jewelry is to prevent tarnishing in the first place.
How To Prevent Tarnishing
If you really take care of your pieces, you may not even need to clean them. That’s really the dream, right? But, let’s be real, life happens: many of us leave our jewelry laying on our nightstand or on the bathroom counter.
When left to brave the elements, our jewelry enters battle! Bright, warm sunlight, moist bathroom air, and luxe lotions: while all of these things are lovely for humans, they can do more harm than good for your favorite pieces.
Here are some simple tips for keeping your jewelry in its best condition.
Put on Jewelry Last, Always
First and foremost, put your jewelry on last. When getting ready, it’s easy to want to slip on your favorite bauble before you do your makeup or spritz on some perfume, but please restrain.
Lotions, cosmetics, and other beauty products unfortunately contain chemicals that can cause the metals in your jewelry to oxidize. What does oxidization look like? It can leave your once-gleaming pieces looking dull, dark, discolored, and sometimes even pure black.
Take Jewelry Off When It Makes Sense
Do you really need to swim with your earrings on? Do you really need to marinate your raw chicken with a ring on? If it’s not a necessity, just take your jewelry off. We want you to wear your BISOULOVELY pieces often and with love, but sometimes it’s better to keep them on the sidelines.
If you’re going to be in contact with chemicals or any possibly damaging materials, remove your pieces for the moment. Even excessive moisture can be damaging to your plated pieces, so take your baubles off before you shower, swim, or wash your hands.
Keep a soft jewelry pouch in your bag so you can take your pieces off on the go and keep them safe while doing so.
Store Your Pieces Properly
It’s easy to leave your bracelets and earrings strewn across different surfaces and occupying different trinket trays around your house, but your jewels deserve a stable home. Store jewelry in a closed jewelry box. Jewelry boxes are more than just whimsical decorative pieces.
They’re super dark to shield your gems from the elements, and a decadent velvet interior does more than delight the eyes. This sumptuous material helps absorb moisture in the air for extra protection. You can also use soft jewelry pouches to hold individual pieces. Just keep them in a drawer where it’s cooler, darker, and easier for your metal and minerals to thrive.
At the end of the day, nobody’s perfect. So, if your favorite baubles are tarnished, do not fret. There’s something you can do about it. Actually, a few things. Find our easy tips for tarnish-free jewels below.
What Is Plated Jewelry?
All of our pieces begin with a sterling silver base. It’s durable and lightweight, making it perfect for everyday wear. But, to get that special glimmering finish you love, we plate all of our pieces with gorgeous golds and rhodium.
Our plated jewelry is made by applying a thin layer of gold, or rose gold or rhodium, atop the base metal. Gold brings a sunny yellow finish, while rose gold has a flirty pink, and rhodium brings with it a shiny white sheen. We love making plated jewelry because it’s a beautiful and affordable way to add that extra sparkle to your life.
How To Clean Plated Jewelry
To clean your gold-plated jewelry make sure your hands are clean and free of any chemicals. If the jewelry does not have visible signs of damage or does not feel sticky to the touch, you can just wipe it down with a damp, soft cloth — no dish detergent, cleaning solution, toothpaste, or baking soda required.
A microfiber or lint-free cloth will work best. Let your clean silver jewelry air-dry completely before storing it again.
If your fine jewelry pieces have noticeable signs of damage, it’s time for a deep clean. Grab a small bowl and inside add one cup of warm water mixed with two to three drops of dishwashing liquid. Place the jewelry in the dish soap mixture and let it soak for about 10 minutes. If your jewelry has gemstones or enamel, you do not want to soak it (we’ll go into cleaning your gorgeous gems below).
If there are pieces of dirt lodged in the crevices of the jewelry, grab a cotton swab and gently remove any of that embedded build-up and grime. You can also use a toothpick or piece of an unwaxed dental swab. A cotton swab is key here, as it’s gentle enough to keep the plating intact!
Once the piece looks and feels clean, just rinse it off in a cup of water. This DIY cleaning method is simple as pie!
Pro Tip: Make sure your sink is plugged when washing jewelry in it. The last thing we’d want is for you to lose your precious pieces, especially if you’re putting in the extra effort to take good care of them. Once rinsed, dry your piece, buff it a bit with the cloth to get that shine back, and you’re good as new.
How Often Should I Clean My Plated Pieces?
Because gold-plated pieces are a bit more delicate than their solid gold and gold-filled counterparts, you won’t need to do a deep clean often. You only really need to deep clean your products when they’re noticeable dirty or tarnishing.
We suggest wiping down your pieces daily, so the products you use don’t accumulate on the metals. To wipe, get a small, but absorbent cloth and buff away. A plain microfiber cloth will do, but if you really want to go the extra mile, purchase a jewelry cleaning cloth. Not only are these little tools absorbent, but they’re often treated with jewelry cleaner that gives your pieces that extra luster.
My Pieces Look Dirty Beyond Repair… What Can I Do?
Replate, replate, replate. Even with proper care, the plating will wear out over time. The coating can flake and peel off. Don’t worry – it’s natural!
Our pieces should stay in prime condition for about one to two years. After that, you may notice some tarnishing and the original metal revealed. This is when you can get your pieces replated, almost like giving them a fresh coat of paint.
The fun thing about replating a piece of jewelry is that you can change its color! With replating, you can take your favorite piece and turn it into something fresh and new. You can get pieces replated at most jewelry stores. Do some research online to find a professional jeweler near you that will replate quickly, skillfully, and for the best price.
How To Clean Gemstones
Rubies, emeralds, and diamonds, oh my! Gemstones are simply tantalizing. And there are so many to choose from.
Considering how beautiful and lustrous they are, gemstones need a little extra TLC to make sure they keep their sparkle. Many of our pieces feature cubic zirconia, mystic topaz, synthetic opal, alexandrite, and other sparkly stones. We’re always finding beautiful new stones and exploring how to use them in our jewelry.
Let’s get into some cleaning tips on how to take care of all of these lovely materials.
How To Clean Synthetic Opal
Synthetic opal has the same gorgeous luster as the real deal, but it has different chemical and physical properties than the naturally-occurring beauty. Because they can be made from a variety of different materials, it’s best not to soak your synthetic opals for prolonged amounts of time. Instead, use a polishing cloth when you see any signs of tarnishing.
Like anything, prevention is the best medicine. Try not to get too wild when you’re wearing your synthetic opal pieces. By this, we mean try not to do things that would bang-up or scratch the stones. If you’re on the fence about whether or not an activity will ruin your ring, for example, just take the ring off. It can’t hurt to keep your pieces safe.
How To Clean Cubic Zirconia and Other Stones
We love the crystalline shine of cubic zirconia. So much so that we feature all different colors of this beautiful, man-made gem in our pieces. Restoring the sparkle of your precious stones is simple.
Use the same cleaning liquid you just mixed up for your gold-plated jewelry. Dip a soft-bristled toothbrush into the mixture and gently scrub the jewelry, making sure to brush the stones and the settings. You’ll want to get into all of the grooves, especially the areas where debris and soil may be trapped.
Once you’ve scrubbed with the toothbrush, give your pieces a quick rinse in warm water. Take a clean cloth and pat dry. Buff the stones for that extra ooh la la. Then, make sure your pieces are super, super dry before storing them again. They’ll be shining like sapphires in no time.
Is That Really All I Have To Do?
Yep, that’s really it. There are plenty of products you can buy to keep your pieces looking pristine but to be honest, we prefer keeping it simple. Dishwashing liquid, a toothbrush, and water are really all you need to restore your favorite pieces.
Luckily, you probably already have all of those products at home! If you don’t, these are all products you can find at your local drugstore, making them an easy and affordable way to restore life to your tarnished jewelry.
Our goal at BISOULOVELY is to create beautiful pieces for magical girls. There’s nothing we love more than helping make sure your pieces are as shiny, radiant, and whimsical as you. We hope these tips help you keep your collection in its loveliest condition.
If you have any questions or are unsure about how to care for your silver and gold jewelry, you can always reach out. We’d love to hear from you ❤️
Stay Shiny
There’s never a dull moment when you’re wearing BISOULOVELY’s playful necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and more. With these tips to keep your favorite pieces looking luminous, there never will be! Here’s to wishing you a jewelry collection that glistens as brightly as you do.
Sources:
How to Clean Gold-Plated Jewelry | The Spruce
Synthetic Opal - Also Known as Lab-Created Opal | Geology
Cubic Zirconia vs. Diamonds | Gem Society
