If your jewellery begins to lose its sheen, it possibly needs careful cleaning. Diamonds, in particular, have a natural affinity for grease and ideally need to be cleaned everyday.

Sit down to clean your jewelry in a place where you are unlikely to lose an important piece. Do not expose your precious gemstone pieces to salt water and harsh chemicals such as chlorine or detergents. Diamond stones can be cleaned with ammonia and warm water, but not if pearls are in the same setting. Use of hair spray and perfume may cause the jewelry to become dull. Different pieces of jewelry require different techniques of cleaning.

This is a safe way of cleaning emerald-set jewelry and opals with accent diamonds. If very dirty, dip your jewelry in alcohol to cut any grease. Use a child’s soft-bristle toothbrush, dip it in sudsy household ammonia, and brush the stones on all sides –especially the bottoms, sides and the mounting. Rinse. Use a soft flannel cloth to wipe any remaining film off the metal, especially inside ring shanks.

Depending on the dirt build-up, you can keep your jewelry soaked in ammonia foe a few minutes up to a full night. We recommend soaking your diamond ring once each month, either overnight or in the morning. This method is also safe for all faceted colored stones, except those such as emerald that might be filled with oil. However, this method is not applicable for any jewelry that may have foil-back stones or stones glued into the mountings, as is the case with many earrings.

The water jet cleaning method is used as a follow-up to the ‘soak and brush’ method to soften grime. Preferably work inside a plastic bag to avoid messing up. Set the pulse on “medium” and direct the jet under and around the stones. With intricately set jewelry, start cleaning the stones first from the top, then from the bottom, while pressing your finger against the stones from the top. This method is very effective for cleaning emeralds. If you use a detergent in the water tank, be sure to rinse thoroughly and run a tank of clean water through the unit when finished.

Keep this as a last resort, but restrict this to Rubies, Diamonds and Sapphires. You will need a pan of room-temperature water and a strainer that will keep the jewelry off the bottom of the pan. Put a small amount of laundry or dishwashing detergent in water. Place the jewelry in a strainer and suspend the pan. Slowly boil a pot of water in the pan for 10-20 minutes. Do not leave the jewelry unattended or add cold water if the water level falls (that could cause thermal shock).

Remove the pan from the burner after cleaning, and let it cool slowly. Once the water is back to room temperature, you nay give the jewelry a final cleaning- just brush, rinse and dry. Your jewelry would now be sparkling clean but remember to check for missing stones.

N.B: if you are ever in doubt about how to clean a piece of jewelry, contact your local jeweler for special cleaning compounds especially formulated for fine cleaning.

A powerful cleaning option safe for rubies, diamonds, sapphires and certain diamonds that are clarity enhanced by filling fractures with a colorless substance. Ultrasonic waves are fired through a cleaning solution to remove dirt, so it can fracture delicate gems or even shake out stones that are insecurely set. Care should be taken to see that the fillings arte not removed or damaged by the jeweler’s torch during repairs. So, if you own a delicate gemstone like Tanzanite or Peridot, be sure that an inexperienced sales person does not mistakenly try to do the cleaning in the ultrasonic. Should the filling be damaged or removed during cleaning, the diamond can be re-treated.

Brush with a soft, clean brush such as a makeup brush and get out the dust from the crevices. (Not to be attempted on Aurora Borealis stones which scratch easily). This is also a good method to reveal loose stones.

Mix two tablespoons of lime juice to a tablespoon of table salt in a small container. Immerse the piece in the solution, swirl it around and watch the tarnish vanish. Be sure to rinse and remove all traces of the salt with some gentle cleanser. You can also try this solution on beads and Sterling Silver wire; though it may take a little longer to remove the tarnish and get back the original sheen.

Skin oils improve the surface of pearl, so the beat way to condition real pearls is to wear them next to your skin. To clean pearl jewelry, wipe gently with a damp, soft, clean cloth to remove traces of perspiration or oil. Or use a specifically recommended mild cleaning agent. Dry with a soft, clean, absorbent cloth. Leave the piece on a towel for an extended period of time to ensure it is completely dry. Do not use hot water, a steamer or an ultrasonic cleaner. Do not soak in water, expose to hairspray, any other chemical (ammonia is no-no for pearls) or to extreme heat.

For cleaning turquoise, wipe gently with a damp, soft, clean cloth. After cleaning, dry with a soft, clean, absorbent cloth. Leave the piece on a towel for an extended period of time to ensure it is completely dry. Do not use hot water, a steamer or an ultrasonic cleaner. Do not soak in water, expose to cleaning agents or other chemicals.