Make Your Jewelry Shine Like New Speed clean your favorite pieces — no special products needed. BY CHRISTINA PETERSON
credits: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning-organizing/how-to-clean-jewelry
Brighten gold and gems
Ever look under your ring? Lotion, soaps, and everyday dirt can clog the prongs, making stones appear facetless and flat. Even gold chains and pendants can get gunked up through everyday wear. Give gold a bubble bath by pouring a few drops of mild dish soap into a small bowl of sodium-free seltzer water or club soda (in Good Housekeeping Research Institute tests, the carbonation loosened soil and removed debris). Put the jewelry into a small strainer, and place it in the bowl to soak for about five minutes. Swish it around, fishing out each piece to go over settings and crevices with a soft toothbrush. Return items to the strainer and rinse under running water; dry with a soft cloth. For costume jewelry, especially if stones are glued rather than set, dab a cloth into the bubbly solution and gently wipe any smudges or grime, then "rinse" with a cloth dampened in plain water. Pat dry and lay the pieces upside down so moisture won’t soak into the setting.
Ever look under your ring? Lotion, soaps, and everyday dirt can clog the prongs, making stones appear facetless and flat. Even gold chains and pendants can get gunked up through everyday wear. Give gold a bubble bath by pouring a few drops of mild dish soap into a small bowl of sodium-free seltzer water or club soda (in Good Housekeeping Research Institute tests, the carbonation loosened soil and removed debris). Put the jewelry into a small strainer, and place it in the bowl to soak for about five minutes. Swish it around, fishing out each piece to go over settings and crevices with a soft toothbrush. Return items to the strainer and rinse under running water; dry with a soft cloth. For costume jewelry, especially if stones are glued rather than set, dab a cloth into the bubbly solution and gently wipe any smudges or grime, then "rinse" with a cloth dampened in plain water. Pat dry and lay the pieces upside down so moisture won’t soak into the setting.
Freshen your pearls
Because they’re so porous, pearls can easily lose their luster. Whether real, cultured, or faux, they must be cleaned with care. First lay the strand on a soft cloth. Dip a clean, small makeup brush into a mixture of warm water and a little shampoo, and go over each pearl. To finish, rinse the pearls with a clean, well-wrung damp cloth. Let the strand dry flat to prevent the string from stretching. This no-soak treatment is also good for turquoise, another porous stone.
