How to Clean Antique Jewelry
Like most valuable objects, jewelry requires a certain amount of maintenance in order to preserve the integrity of the settings and the shine of both the gemstones and settings. Here is a short how-to guide to cleaning antique jewelry, which requires much more care than a new piece.
Regular jewelry, such as wedding rings, can be cleaned at home using a weak solution consisting of a trace amount of detergent and water. For antique jewelry, it’s best to take it to a professional jeweler. However, if you are going to clean your antique jewelry at home, make sure to use a weaker detergent solution or just use a non-corrosive dish soap or toothpaste which will do the job just as well as a detergent or ammonia-water solution.
When cleaning, you should first make sure the sink drain is shut. You don’t want to lose the piece of jewelry – or even a diamond as small as a half carat diamond – because of the force of the tap or simple clumsiness. Most jewelers recommend putting a sieve over the drain so that you can rinse the jewelry without fear of losing it. Make sure you have a wide area near the sink to work in as well as a few soft towels for drying and polishing purposes together with a soft toothbrush.
The first thing to do is to let the jewelry soak in the solution for about a minute. Once you’ve done this, take the piece out, and use the toothbrush to scrub it clean. Then rinse the piece out and dry it with one of the towels.
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