Jewelry care and maintenance
Guides to clean, store and maintain your jewelry by material: gold, silver, pearls, gemstones, steel and costume jewelry, with fixes for the most common problems.
Cleaning
Jewelry care and maintenance
Home remedies for cleaning jewelry: what works and what does not
Baking soda, vinegar, toothpaste, lemon and aluminum foil: which ones clean jewelry at home, on which metals, and which can damage it.
Jewelry care and maintenance
How to clean a diamond ring
How to clean a diamond ring at home with lukewarm water, mild soap and a brush, and how often to have a jeweler check it.
Jewelry care and maintenance
How to clean costume and fashion jewelry
How to clean costume jewelry without damaging it: a damp cloth, no long soaking or harsh products, and what to do if it has turned green.
Jewelry care and maintenance
How to clean gold jewelry at home
Clean yellow, white and rose gold at home with lukewarm water and mild soap, and care differently for gold-plated, gold-filled and rhodium-plated white gold.
Jewelry care and maintenance
How to clean jewelry with gemstones
How to clean jewelry with stones: which stones handle water and a brush, which are delicate (pearls, opal, emerald, turquoise) and which avoid ultrasonic.
Jewelry care and maintenance
How to clean pearls
How to clean natural, cultured and imitation pearls: a soft damp cloth, no ultrasonic or chemicals, and how to store them.
Jewelry care and maintenance
How to clean silver jewelry and remove tarnish
How to clean 925 silver at home: cloth, mild soap and baking soda with aluminum foil, and when not to (pearls, porous stones and intentional patina).
Jewelry care and maintenance
How to clean silver, gold and steel chains
How to clean silver, gold and stainless steel chains without tangling or scratching them, and how to restore the shine of the links.
Jewelry care and maintenance
Ultrasonic jewelry cleaner: when to use it and when not to
What an ultrasonic cleaner does, which jewelry can go in it (gold, silver, diamonds) and which cannot (pearls, opals, emeralds, costume jewelry).
Maintenance
Jewelry care and maintenance
Can you wear jewelry in the shower, pool or sea?
Which jewelry can get wet and which cannot: shower, chlorinated pool, sea, sports and sleep; day-to-day care tips for gold, silver, pearls and steel.
Jewelry care and maintenance
How to store jewelry so it does not get damaged
How to store jewelry at home: pieces apart, a dry place, sealed bags with anti-tarnish for silver and pearls laid flat, away from humidity and direct light.
Jewelry care and maintenance
Professional maintenance: what a jeweler checks and how often
How often to take your jewelry to a jeweler: checking prongs and settings, re-plating white gold, polishing, restringing pearls and replacing clasps.
Common problems
Jewelry care and maintenance
How to fix a broken chain
How to fix a broken chain at home with two pliers and a jump ring, when you need a jeweler (soldering) and how to prevent it from breaking again.
Jewelry care and maintenance
Jewelry that does not tarnish or stain: which materials to choose
Jewelry materials that do not tarnish or darken: solid gold, platinum, titanium and 316L stainless steel; what happens with plated, vermeil and silver pieces.
Jewelry care and maintenance
Why jewelry turns your skin green
Jewelry turns skin green because copper reacts with sweat and acids; it is harmless. Which metals avoid it and how to prevent it.
Jewelry care and maintenance
Why silver turns black and how to prevent it
Silver turns black from sulfur in the air and on skin (silver sulfide). How to prevent it with good storage and regular wear, and how to clean it.