How do you clean your jewels at home?

How do you clean your jewels at home? 

Is it possible to do it without ruining the jewel? Which jewels can be cleaned and which not?

Well, let’s start answering these questions from a precise criterion: Some jewels can be cleaned at home without any consequence and with domestic “instruments”; others have to be necessarily cleaned by an expert.

Usually, jewels that can be cleaned at home by using simple kitchen utensils are the ones made entirely in gold (for example wedding rings or necklaces) and the ones that don’t have complicated manufactures or delicate gemstones. 

Some jewels can be cleaned at home with a bit of regard, a perfect example is a diamond pavè: 
How many women have a nice diamond pavè, it could be a ring, earring or pendant, and you would like to clean it (the diamond pavè gets dirty real easily, loosing the brilliance for which it is famous) in this case you can proceed with the same cleaning technique of a normal jewel but giving more attention, because diamond paves are very delicate and, during their cleaning process, a little diamond could get lost.

Introduction to the jewels’cleaning process:

To clean jewels at home proceed with a very simple technique called “saponata” or “saponatura” (in Italian language) using a simple metal pot and liquid dish detergent. The principal concept is that the jewels get dirty because of our skin, grease, sweat, dusts, therefore proceed as if you were cleaning a dirty saucepan: hot water and degreasing detergent.

Obviously, jewels that are deeply dirty have to be degreased with boiling water, thus proceed by filling a pot with water and putting it on a normal kitchen stove, adding liquid dish detergent. When the water starts to get warm, add the jewels and let them boil for several minutes**

During the boiling process, the liquid dish detergent will perform a degreasing effect on the jewels by removing the dirty parts. However, it is necessary, after a few minutes, to proceed with  the “brushing”*** of the jewel, to remove the persistent dirt.

Then (paying a lot of attention because both pot and water are extremely hot) get an old tooth brush, take out the jewel from the water and start brushing it richly, drawing it from time to time into the pot’s hot water.

Generally, we goldsmith take out the jewel from the hot water with appropriate goldsmith’s pliers. Instead of the pliers, you could use a fork. Then the goldsmith usually holds the hot jewel in one hand and brushes with the other. If you don’t have much resistance to the hot water, use an appropriate glove.

After the brushing, rinse the jewel with clean water and dry it with a common paper towel.

After this short but efficient cleaning process, you will realize that the jewel will be returned shiny as it was before and will seriously seem new.

It is necessary to remember that the “saponata” technique is used by all Goldsmiths, therefore even if you will find yourself in your kitchen, it is right to know that this is the same way the goldsmith cleans a jewel right after its manufacture is finished.

It’s obvious that the “saponata” removes dirt and gives brightness to your jewel, but it sure doesn’t remove signs and scratches on the metal. Therefore these ones have to be removed by a goldsmith with his own equipment.

Always remember to wash and rinse your jewels in a well plugged sink, otherwise you could lose something in the drainage.

Read carefully the asterisks!

* =  In the hot pot you can add as many jewels as you want, but remember that jewels with coloured gemstones never have to be together with the diamond ones. 
Diamonds, rubbing each other, could scratch the other gemstones, so it is better to clean the jewels separately, first the ones made only in gold, then the ones more delicate.

** = the jewels have to be boiled depending on their type: the ones made entirely in gold, like wedding rings, can boil for days and nothing will happen, others may be affected negatively by the excessive temperature, for example pearl jewels, corals, cameos, emeralds or enamels. 
It is recommended to use different boiling times depending on the jewel’s sensibility. If, for example, you want to clean a pearl ring, dip it in warm water only for a few seconds; it is not recommended, for example, to let emeralds boil because they are the most precious and delicate gemstones and could easily break due to the temperature change. So if you have an emerald jewel, clean it by holding it in your hands and dipping the tooth brush into the deterged water without immersing the jewel in the solution, or take it to an expert goldsmith. 

*** = the brushing also has to be proportioned to the jewel’s delicacy: if you are washing a gold necklace you can brush it richly without worrying about damages, but with a more delicate jewel it is better to be more careful. Perfect example is the diamond pavè, which has to be brushed very gently.

Wishing you a good cleaning session, I will be at your disposal if you wish to have more information or advices about jewels’ cleaning. Don’t hesitate to contact me to the email info@italianrings.com writing to the attention of the Master Director Adriano Gasbarri