Jewelry Cleaning For Holiday Shine

One of the joys of the holidays is the chance to dress up and celebrate with friends and family. So, it’s the perfect time to pull out the good stuff.

Your jewelry box may be home to some statement jewelry that’s a bit too much for everyday wear, but is just begging to be part of the holiday hoopla. So, grab your grandmother’s emerald cocktail ring, the diamond chandelier earrings, or even a favorite fashion piece that packs some punch. Now’s not the time to be subdued.

And be sure to clean your jewels before their big debut, especially if they’ve been in hiding for a while. They won’t add to the holiday sparkle if they are tarnished or coated in dirt and oils. Here are some tips on how to clean your favorite jewelry.

Diamonds

Diamonds, whether they are worn every day or brought out for a special occasion, need routine cleaning to keep shining. Use a professional fine jewelry cleaning formula from your jeweler to soak the piece for a couple of minutes and blot dry. The same formula can be used on other harder gemstones, such as amethyst, aquamarine, garnet, ruby, sapphire and tourmaline.

Emeralds

Emeralds and other delicate gemstones, such as opals, pearls, coral, amber and turquoise, should be cleaned with a gentle, non-ammoniated jewelry cleaning formula from your jeweler. Just soak your piece for a couple of minutes, rinse and blot dry. Use some caution with glue-set pieces, like doublets, or strung pieces, like pearls; they may do better being wiped with a soft cloth dampened with the cleaning formulation.

Fashion Jewelry

Fashion jewelry, which many women layer with fine jewelry to make a real statement, also needs routine cleaning. It is usually designed with gold or silver plating and semi-precious stones, both of which require cleaning with a professional gentle jewelry cleaning formulation. If the metal becomes tarnished or discolored, wipe it down with a professional polishing cloth from your jeweler.

Once you have stocked up on the perfect jewelry cleaning formulations to get your holiday jewelry shipshape, buy a few more for stocking stuffers, teacher gifts or hostess gifts. You’ll be everyone’s favorite Santa.