We all want to make a good impression when we step out on the town, but even the most gorgeous jewelry can look dingy and dull if it’s not regularly cleaned. The right jewelry cleaner can help restore luster to any piece, and we’ve got some great options to recommend.
We tapped experts for tried and true tips on what to use and how often to clean your jewelry, whether it’s diamond earrings or an estate necklace that holds sentimental value. While we suggest a professional cleaning for pieces with gems that are particularly delicate or have a lot of intricate settings (we’re looking at you, vintage gemstone rings), most formulas are gentle enough for daily upkeep and can be used to tackle tarnish, dirt, oil, and grime.
Typically, there are two types of jewelry cleaners on the market: manual and ultrasonic. Manual cleaners include liquid, cream, foam, and wipes, while ultrasonic cleaners are electronic devices that are filled with water or other solution and use high-frequency sound waves to agitate the jewelry pieces, dissolving oil and loosening dirt.
We love the convenience and portability of this jewelry cleaner, which comes with a small pouch that’s perfect for slipping into your purse or backpack, along with a jar of pre-mixed cleaning formula and a drop-in plastic tray to keep rings, earrings, and necklaces in place. It’s safe to use on gold, silver, and platinum pieces as well as some treated gemstones, though it shouldn’t be used on opals, pearls, coral, doublets, resin inlay, and other soft porous gemstones that can be damaged by submerging in water.
For a more hands-on option, you can make your own jewelry cleaner at home using baking soda and boiling water. Simply line a bowl with aluminum foil, add boiling water and a tablespoon of baking soda, then immerse your jewelry pieces in the mixture for 30 minutes. After a quick rinse and a pat dry, your jewelry will be sparkling new again.
Another simple at-home method is to use a jewelry tumbler. The motor-driven rotating barrel of this product contains lots of ceramic or stainless steel shot, which is mixed with a bit of liquid polish to scrub and clean jewelry items while it spins. A few rounds in the tumbler can remove tarnish, grime, and oils from a wide range of metals including sterling silver, gold-filled, brass, German silver, and copper.
While we love this method of cleaning, it can be a little messy and requires a bit of effort on your part as you have to manually rotate the pieces around the barrel. Plus, it can crack gemstones if you’re not careful.
Ultimately, it’s best to visit a jeweler for your more exceptional jewelry pieces every six months to ensure that the stones are securely in their settings and that any delicate details remain intact. But for routine upkeep, we’ve got a few tried-and-true recommendations on how to get your favorite piece looking as shiny and new as the day you bought it.
