Jewelry Cleaning 101

Let's face it, none of us keep our jewelry as clean as we should - on a normal basis. But... all this talk about cleaning and sanitizing during the COVID-19 outbreak has me thinking to remind everyone how exactly to keep their jewelry looking sparkly and clean – and safe – as you wash your hands a million times each day.

For right this minute...  Keep your soft stones at home!  Organic - and therefore porous - gems like pearls, turquoise, or coral shouldn't be worn during these extreme times of constant hand washing and hand sanitizer usage.  Soft stones - anything rated 5 or below on the Mohs Hardness Scale - should keep the organic gems company at home, too! Besides, often these stones are set with epoxy and soaking them in water is the fastest way to destroy the setting and lose the stone.

The CDC says that the virus may remain viable for hours to days on hard surfaces like metals.  Cleaning your jewelry aids in the removal of germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces. Cleaning does not kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.

I hope you have some Daria de Koning jewelry cleaner, but if not, grab a small bowl, add warm water and a tiny drop of non-detergent liquid soap like Ivory. And, arm yourself with a soft, old toothbrush. Soak your jewelry in the soapy water to allow grime to loosen and use the toothbrush to gently brush the item.

Make sure to clean in and around any holes, crevices and under prongs where dirt and hand lotion can get trapped easily - pay special attention to the back and/or inside of rings.  Then rinse the piece with clean water and pat dry with a lint-free cloth.

For cleaning diamonds or metal jewelry with no gemstones, you can add a few drops of rubbing alcohol into your bowl of warm water. This will disinfect your jewelry killing the germs on the surface after you've cleaned the ring.

If you are uncertain how to handle a particular jewel, best to ask! I am here and happy to video chat to show you exactly how to handle any jewel. 

In the meantime, stay clean and healthy!

xx
Daria