How To Clean Antique Jewellery

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How To Keep Your Jewellery Clean

How to Clean Antique Jewellery, cleaning your jewellery is essential to keep it in good condition.

When antique jewellery, rings and earrings is maintained correctly and kept in good condition, you not only extend the life of the piece and preserve it for generations to come, but also maximise its value.

We would always recommend taking your antique jewellery to be cleaned by a professional jeweller.

However, if that isn’t possible, we’ve put together some top tips from our jewellery specialists to help you clean your antique jewellery at home.

Cleaning Antique Jewellery

All jewellery should be regularly cleaned to keep it in good condition and extend the life of the piece but it is particularly important for antique jewellery.

When cleaning any jewellery, but especially antique jewellery, it is important to think about the age of the piece as well as the types of metal and stones used.

Each metal has different compositions, which means that they will each react differently to different chemicals. Therefore it is essential that you thoroughly research any cleaning solution before you use it on your precious jewellery.

Similarly, different stones also have different compositions and some are harder than others. Stones such as diamonds, sapphires and rubies which rate higher on the scale Moh’s scale of hardness could be cleaned at home.

As a general rule, mild washing up liquid and warm water will be enough to clean most jewellery.

Stones which rate lower on the Moh’s scale of hardness, such as emeralds, opals and pearls could easily be damaged and should always be cleaned by a professional.

Cleaning Antique Gold Jewellery

Gold is measured in carats which is an indication of its purity which ranges from 9 carats to 24 carats.

9 carat gold contains 37.5% pure gold, making it the most affordable form of gold jewellery. Because of its higher percentage of other metals, it is strong, durable and well suited to the creation of jewellery.

However, the purer the gold, the softer it is. This means that in its purest form of 24 carats, it becomes one of the softest metals known.
Because 24 carat gold is very soft and malleable it is not often used to make fine jewellery.

It is important to remember to be gentle with gold jewellery, particularly that of a higher carat.

Start by rinsing the piece under warm running water over a bowl (just in case any stones come loose – you don’t want to lose those down the drain!)
The warm water will help to loosen any built-up dirt and grime, especially around and underneath stones and settings.
Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, gently brush away any dirt.
Rinse again thoroughly under warm running water.
If it still isn’t clean, use a lint-free cloth to apply a small amount of mild washing up liquid.
Leave the washing up liquid on your jewellery for a few minutes before gently brushing again using your soft-bristled toothbrush.
Never soak your jewellery in water if it has stones in – the water can seep in behind the stones and damage them!
It’s important to rinse thoroughly under warm running water to make sure there is no soap left on your jewellery when you are finished as this can damage it!

Once you have finished cleaning your jewellery, make sure you dry it thoroughly to avoid any water damage.

To do this, lay your jewellery upside down on a soft towel for around 20 minutes to make sure any water left behind has dried.

Cleaning Antique Silver Jewellery

It is equally important to look after your antique silver jewellery as it is your gold.

Over time, oxygen and sulphur naturally come in to contact with the silver. This causes the metal to discolour and is called tarnishing.

How quickly tarnishing happens, depends on the purity of the metal. For example: 0.950 sterling silver will tarnish quicker than 0.925 sterling silver because of its increased purity.

To clean your antique silver jewellery:

Lightly tarnished silver should clean easily with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Try to use long, gentle, back and forth motions rather than circular motions.
Rubbing in a circular motion can highlight any scratches in the metal.
Avoid using paper towels – these can easily scratch silver.

If your jewellery still needs a bit more cleaning, you could make a paste of baking soda and water which can be applied to your jewellery.

Leave the paste to sit for a few minutes.
Gently clean with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
It is important to rinse thoroughly under warm running water to make sure there is no residue of the paste left on your jewellery when you are finished as this can damage it!

Once you have finished cleaning your jewellery, make sure you dry it thoroughly to avoid any water damage.

To do this, lay your jewellery upside down on a soft towel for around 20 minutes to make sure any water left behind has dried.

Cleaning Antique Diamond Rings

If your antique diamond ring is looking a bit dull, then the chances are that it could do with a clean to bring it back to its former sparkling glory.

Rings you should not attempt to clean your self:

Foiled Back Antique rings should not be placed near water
Enamel rings

We would always recommend taking your jewellery to a professional to be cleaned but there is a gentle way to do this is at home:

Start by placing your ring into a tea strainer, inside a bowl.
Let it sit in a mixture of carbonated water and mild washing up liquid for a few minutes.
Gently use a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush away the built-up dirt.
Rinse thoroughly under warm running water over the bowl (to prevent losing any stones)
Remember to dry your diamond ring thoroughly to prevent any water damage.