WINDEX & WATER
4:1 Rule - 4 x ammonia or windex to 1 x warm water and mix them in a bowl. Let your jewelry soak for about 10-15 minutes. Then take a soft-bristled toothbrush and gently brush the jewelry, especially on the underside of the stones, removing any grime that remains. Rinse the jewelry in plain hot water and dry with a soft cloth.
SOAP & WATER
7:1 Rule - 7 drops of hand soap, laundry detergent or dish soap to 1 cup of water and mix them in a bowl. Wet half of your cleaning cloth with the solution and gently wipe to clean and remove any grime or dirt. Then dry your jewelry with the dry half of your cleaning cloth. Please make sure to air-dry completely before storing or wearing the piece of jewelry. This cleaning technique is best for pearls and gemstones that are porous and fragile, such as emeralds, opals, tourmaline, etc...
PERSONAL ULTRASONIC JEWELRY CLEANER
Another cleaning option it to obtain a personal ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, prices range from $20-60 at your nearest retailer. The ultrasonic utilizes powerful and supremely efficient sound waves to quickly clean and give your jewelry a sparkling new look. Rinse with hot water after removing jewelry from the ultrasound machine.
*Disclaimer: Ultra-sound cleaning is not recommended for pave set jewelry because small diamonds will get shaken loose with the ultra-sound vibration and may fall out. Some gemstones are too soft or too fragile which will break, are not recommended for the ultrasonic cleaner. Pearls, emeralds and opals, for example will lose their luster if cleaned by the ultrasonic cleaner.
