How to clean jewellery at home?

Now more than ever, we understand the importance of cleaning our jewellery. Exposure to dust and dirt, lotions, soaps or perfume and even air and moisture can tarnish our favourite pieces over time and rob them of their shine.

Fortunately, most precious items in your jewellery box can be cleaned without the need for a professional jeweller. Restore tarnished silver and gold to their former glory, make precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds or sapphires shine again, the same would be true for pearls.

The professional cleaning solution for your jewellery 

If you want professional results at home, Hagerty jewellery cleaners are dedicated to cleaning your jewellery, watches and accessories. Our jewellery care products (cleaning baths and cleaning cloths) are easy to use, offer instant results and are reusable over several months.

Hagerty Jewel Clean: Diamond Jewellery Cleaning Bath 

The bath cleans and maintains jewellery made of precious stones (diamonds, sapphires, rubies), gold and platinum. Thanks to Jewel Clean, your diamond ring will regain its shine and the formula will not cause any micro-scratches or marks.

Discover our range of cleaning baths for gold, silver, pearls and costume jewellery directly on our online shop.

Hagerty Silver Cloth: Silver Polishing Cloth 

This cloth is for you if you want to make your silver jewellery and accessories shiny again. Simply buff the precious object gently and the cotton cloth will remove dirt and oxidation.  It allows you to care for your precious jewellery quickly and without damaging it.

Discover our range of impregnated cloths for the care of diamonds, gold, pearls and costume jewellery online.

Hagerty Stainless Steel Cloth: Cleaning Cloth for Steel and Metal 

This cloth cleans and cares for your steel or metal watch and accessories. The 100% cotton impregnated cloth removes dirt and makes your precious objects shine again. It can be used easily and daily without damaging the surface of your jewellery.

Want to discover the complete Hagerty jewellery care range? Visit the Jewellery, Watches & Accessories category of our online shop.

How do I clean my jewellery at home? 

When your jewellery or accessory has lost its shine, consult the expert-approved cleaning methods. However, if you don't have a cleaning solution on hand, here are some recommendations you might want to follow.

How do I clean my silver jewellery? 

If you don't have any professional products on hand and need to clean your silver jewellery as soon as possible, try one of the methods below.

1 - Use washing up liquid: mix a few drops of soap with warm water. Soak a soft cloth in the solution and use it to rub the jewellery to remove the tarnish. Rinse with cold water and dry with another soft cloth.

2 - Try baking soda: For more severe tarnish, mix three parts baking soda to one part water. Wet the silver accessory and apply the paste with a soft, lint-free cloth. Work it into the crevices of the jewellery and turn the cloth as it picks up the tarnish. Rinse well and polish dry.

3 - Consider toothpaste: Just as the abrasives in toothpaste remove stains from your teeth, they can also remove tarnish from silver. Apply a dab of white paste toothpaste (not gel) to the tarnished silver and rub gently with your finger or a soft cloth. Rinse with warm water and shine the silver with a soft cloth.

Just be aware that these treatments will not prevent tarnish from reappearing and silver experts advise against using them too often (if at all). For silver-plated jewellery, avoid excessive scrubbing to avoid wearing away the finish.

The best way to clean and maintain your silver jewellery is to use a good cleaning product specifically designed for silver (Hagerty Silver Clean & Silver Cloth). These contain ingredients that dissolve and remove tarnish while leaving behind a protective layer that prevents new tarnish from forming.

How do I clean my gold jewellery? 

Give solid gold bracelets, necklaces and earrings a gentle bath in a solution of a few drops of washing-up liquid and a little warm water.

Put the jewellery in the solution and leave it to soak for about five minutes. Feel free to swirl the jewellery in the bath. You can then run a soft toothbrush over the crevices and links of the jewellery to remove the dirt from them. Put them back in the solution and rinse under running water. Dry with a soft cloth.

If you want to achieve optimal results, the experts recommend using professional products to clean gold jewellery (Hagerty Gold Clean & Gold Cloth).

How do I clean diamond ring? 

It is easy to restore the brilliance of precious gems and semi-precious stones, such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires set in gold jewellery. You can use the same method as mentioned above for cleaning gold.

Gently brush the stones and settings with a soft toothbrush and then immerse them in clear water to rinse or place the pieces in a colander and rinse under running water. Polish dry and admire the shine.

Be very careful when cleaning gemstones, however, as certain mixtures can degrade their brilliance. We advise you to use products specially designed for cleaning precious jewellery by approved professionals (Hagerty Jewel Clean, Jewel Cloth & Precious Stones Pencil).

How to clean pearl jewellery? 

Because they are very porous, cultured pearls can easily lose their shine. Rule number one: never soak your pearl jewellery, as this can weaken and break the thread.

To clean pearls gently, start by placing the necklace on a soft cloth. Dip a small, clean make-up brush into a mixture of warm water and soap and gently brush each bead, then rinse the beads with a clean, damp, well-wrung cloth. Allow the thread to dry flat to prevent stretching.

This no-soak treatment is also suitable for turquoise and opals. You can also try to use Hagerty Fine Stones Clean & Fine Stones Cloth. 

How do I clean my costume jewellery? 

Soak a cloth in soapy water and gently wipe off the dirt. Then rinse with a cloth dampened with clean water. Pat the object dry and place it upside down to prevent moisture from seeping in. 

However, be careful not to soak your fashion jewellery in water, as stones (in crystal, zirconia and glass) are often glued rather than set. This could cause the glue to dissolve and the stones to come off.

Hagerty propose you to use Fashion Jewelry Clean & Fashion Jewelry Cloth to clean your costume jewellery.

The jewellery care 

Never clean pearls, organic gemstones or fine jewelry with abrasive cleaning solutions, always use a cloth and mild soap to clean the jewellery.

Pearls are very fragile and can easily be scratched if not handled properly. They also have thin layers, called nacre, which can be damaged if a rough cleaner is used.

To avoid as much as possible the accumulation of dirt and residues on your jewellery, always remove it before undertaking any activity that could damage it (gardening, cooking, beach...).

As we have seen, there are a multitude of cleaning methods for jewellery. You now know what you have to do to take care of your precious objects. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us.