Your vintage and antique jewelry is precious and unique, so you want to keep all of your pieces looking their best. One of the ways to do that is by regularly cleaning your older jewelry. But before you use any old cleaner and technique, check out the tips below so you can take the right approach that will retain your jewelry’s beauty without doing any damage.
Different Metals and Stones Have Different Needs
The first thing that you’ll have to do is choose the appropriate cleaning product for your old jewelry, based on the metal that it’s made of and any stones that it showcases.
Gold and Platinum
Gold won’t tarnish—woohoo! But, it still needs to be cleaned every now and then to keep it looking perfect. You could clean your old gold jewelry by putting it into a small strainer, rinsing it with warm water, and gently scrubbing it with a soft toothbrush.
Provided that there aren’t any gemstones or settings in your platinum or gold jewelry, you could use a drop or two of mild dish detergent. You don’t want to use anything abrasive, so just wipe the dish detergent gently onto the jewelry with your cloth, and let it sit for just a few moments before using a soft toothbrush. Then, rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
If you have lovely gold jewelry that has become darker in appearance, or you want to restore the look of your platinum pieces, you could purchase professional quality solutions that are designed specifically for use on these metals. This can be an easy way to clean the metals gently yet effectively, provided that you’re using a product that’s safe and you follow the directions.
Silver Jewelry
No one likes tarnished silver jewelry, regardless of how old the piece is. Thankfully, the solution is surprisingly simple. Take just a few drops of a mild dishwashing detergent and mix it with some warm water. Then, using a soft cloth, use this solution to clean off the tarnish and make your silver nice and shiny again. Be sure to rinse your jewelry thoroughly using cool water before completely drying it with a soft cloth.
For antique or vintage silver jewelry that’s showing a lot more tarnish that won’t go away with the use of dish detergent and water, you could make a cleaning solution using a mixture of water and baking soda (use 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water). Apply it gently with a soft cloth or a soft toothbrush, rubbing away the tarnish to bring your silver back to life. Rinse everything off with cool water, especially as you start to notice that the baking soda paste is turning gray. You might have to repeat these steps a few times until all of the tarnish is gone. Finally, thoroughly dry your silver with a soft cloth.
Note: Silver isn’t the kind of jewelry that should be soaked, as doing so might actually end up creating even more tarnish.
Got Gemstones or Pearls?
For jewelry that contains gemstones, things get a little tricky because different stones can withstand different solutions and procedures. So if you’re going to purchase a high-quality jewelry cleaning product, be sure to read the label carefully to ensure it’s appropriate for use on your gemstones. And ensure the stones are firmly in their settings before you clean them.
If you’re hoping to get your diamond ring sparkling again, you could take a small cup and fill it with club soda. Then, add in just a few drops of mild dish detergent, and mix it until there are plenty of bubbles. Put your ring in a small strainer so you can soak it in this solution for about five minutes. After you remove it from the solution, you can take a soft toothbrush and gently scrub the diamond before rinsing it under some water and drying it with a soft cloth.
Pearls are interesting because they might not need to be cleaned. Instead, you can simply wear your jewelry and let the oils that naturally occur on your skin polish the pearls, or you can use a tiny bit of olive oil and a soft cloth to maintain the look of your delicate pearls. But if you need to restore the luster of pearls, you can place them on a soft cloth and, using a soft makeup brush, gently rub a mix of warm water and a small amount of mild shampoo onto each of the pearls. Then, rinse the pearls thoroughly using water and a soft cloth, and lay the jewelry flat so that it can dry completely.
Before You Begin…and After You’re Done…
Regardless of what cleaning solution you’ll use, be sure to remove any debris and dust from the jewelry first. Using a soft brush should get this job done quickly and easily (always be gentle).
After you’ve thoroughly cleaned and rinsed your jewelry, dry it completely to ensure nothing is left behind. This could help prevent any damage that would occur if the cleaning solution, or any moisture, remained on your old jewelry.
Once totally dry, you can use a polishing cloth that has been specially designed for use on jewelry. Just rub it gently on your old jewelry to restore some extra shine.
Pro tip: To help ensure you’re able to dry your jewelry and its settings completely, place your jewelry upside down on a cloth, and leave it there for around 15 minutes, allowing even the tiniest amounts of moisture to fall off.
Note: Unless the instructions on your cleaning solution involve soaking your jewelry, it’s best to use a soft cloth with your solution, as this will help prevent any damage to your delicate antique and vintage jewelry while cleaning it. Keep in mind that you don’t have to overdo it with the solution; just a little bit should work just fine. And if you can’t get into any nooks and crannies in your jewelry with the cloth, a cotton swab might do the trick.
A Few Extra Do’s and Don’ts
- Use caution when shopping for jewelry cleaners, and consider sticking with a gentle solution that you can make at home when you need to clean old pieces of jewelry.
- Slow circular motions and light amounts of pressure are great when cleaning old jewelry that has gemstones.
- Tempted to use an ultrasonic machine to clean your jewelry? This isn’t really a good idea, as it comes with too many risks, especially when you’re dealing with older jewelry.
- Always keep in mind that submerging jewelry to clean it might do more harm than good, especially if your jewelry has soft stones. If you know, or even just assume, that the jewelry is fragile, stick with cleaning it using a damp cloth or brush, rather than submerging it completely.
- If there’s any patina on your old gold jewelry, proceed with caution and gentleness so you don’t wipe it all away. After all, it’s part of the allure of your antique piece!
- Strong cleaning solutions (we’re talking ammonia, household cleaners, and harsh detergents, as a few examples) are best avoided when dealing with old jewelry.
Not Sure How to Proceed? Leave It to the Pros!
When in doubt, having your antique or vintage jewelry cleaned by professionals, or at least consulting with a pro, is a smart idea. For super delicate and fragile pieces, a pro will know what solution and technique is best to clean the jewelry without causing any harm and without over-cleaning. You certainly don’t want to accidentally break or bend clasps, lose a loose gemstone, or ruin the foiling or enamel on some pieces of antique jewelry. So, if you’re concerned at all about doing the job right and retaining the value of your pieces, talk to jewelry professionals who specialize in cleaning old jewelry.
Sources:
https://blog.longsjewelers.com/estate/cleaning-antique-jewelry
https://www.invaluable.com/blog/how-to-clean-antique-and-vintage-jewelry/
https://gemgossip.com/how-to-clean-antique-jewelry-the-important-dos-donts/
https://www.worthy.com/blog/diamond-spotlight/how-to-clean-antique-jewelry/
https://www.maejeanvintage.com/blog/2018/4/26/vintage-jewelry-care-maintenance