The one women you should trust with cleaning tips for your precious jewels is Amber Berger. She began her career at Michael C. Fina, before learning and excelling as a luxury goods buyer at Gucci, Cartier, and Henri Bendel and HauteLook.com. Then Launching AStarr, As a full service personal jeweler, Amber exceeds her customer’s expectations while simplifying their lives, With unique style, invaluable experience and an impeccable reputation.
You’d be shocked at how dirty your jewelry gets if you looked through the lense of a microscope. Soap scum, grease, dirt, skin cells, and little hairs will collect in crevasses and beneath gemstones unless you carry out a routine cleaning program. The least bit of film from skin oil, soap or hand lotion will change the sparkle of stone, especially a diamonds, and most of the brilliance will be lost so make sure jewelry cleaning is a priority on your list so you can show off your sparkly gems. We suggest weekly cleaning followed by professional cleaning twice a year. – Amber Berger for Astarr
1. Separate out your jewelry Divide your jewelry to be cleaned into 3 groups: Delicate, Medium and Strong. Each category will have to be cleaned differently so it is best to separate first in order to avid confusion.
2. Do not clean Some items that you just should not attempt to clean at all include hair jewelry (popular in the Victorian era); jewelry set with real scarabs, butterflies and other delicate materials; jewelry with foil-backed stones; and jewelry whose materials are in doubt. In addition, there may be a natural patina (as opposed to dirt) on antique jewelry that should not be removed, and some modern jewelry may have applied finishes that could be damaged if not handled with care. When in doubt, ask a jeweler.
3. Create a safe environment You want to ensure that you do not lose any stones during cleaning, especially for jewelry that has been worn a lot or pieces with lightweight settings. It is gross to think about but the build-up of dirt may actually be all that is keeping a stone in its setting!
Have your supplies handy:
- Soft flannel cloth
- Soft brush: child’s soft-bristled toothbrush, Eye shadow brush
- Ivory liquid or similar mild dishwashing liquid
- Carry out the cleaning in a small bowl, and check carefully for missing stones before pouring out the solution.
