Tips For Taking Care of Antique Jewelry

If you have a collection of antique jewelry you will be well aware that it needs your attention periodically. Here are a few helpful hints to keep your jewelry sparkling.

First, try to understand the nature of metals so that you can figure out the process for cleaning them. Gold is not prone to corrosion, flaking or any kind of weathering. It retains its shine over very long periods of time. Silver does not lose it shape over time but it can get tarnished when exposed to air.

Gold jewelry does not need any fancy cleaning agent. Just use warm soapy water to clean your antique gold jewelry. If the jewelry is studded with stones, take a used soft toothbrush and use it for cleaning the areas that are indented. Most gold jewelry that is made of 18 carats or of a higher grade does not corrode or tarnish even when exposed to household cleaning agents. However, jewelry made of lower grade gold can get affected by household chemicals.

When you store silver jewelry, wrap it up in acid-free paper and keep it away in a moisture free place. Never wrap up silver in newspaper as the printing ink leaves a stain behind on the metal. Silver that has been stored normally requires a polish. Most silver jewelry regains its original sparkle just by rubbing it with a soft cloth.

If you find that your antique silver jewelry has tarnished heavily, use a store-bought silver cleaning solution to clean it. Most silver cleaning creams and fluids need you to apply them on the silver and then polish using a soft cloth. These cleaning solutions contain a protective coating that stays on the silver and protects it from tarnishing further. If your jewelry is silver plated make sure you do not rub too vigorously else the plating will wear away.

Antique gemstone jewelry is always prone to the gemstones slipping out. This is why such jewelry should be placed in a bowl while cleaning it. Never clean such jewelry in the sink. Use an old soft toothbrush and warm soapy water to remove all traces of grime and dirt between the indentations and crevices of rings. You can safely use this method for diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and most other gemstones. Avoid using fabric to clean such jewelry as it can get caught between the gaps and weaken the grip of claws that hold the gemstone in place.