When good jewellery goes bad (even not so good jewellery)
The internet is packed with advice on cleaning jewellery, as a jewellery artisan there are certain things that I’d never use to clean my own jewellery with. I’d like to share with you why professional don’t use abrasives on finished jewellery. Toothpaste, cream of tartar, baking soda, and baking powder scratch and remove finishes from metals and stones. Badly tarnished items take elbow grease to clean using every method. So don’t allow tarnishable jewellery to get too dark (unless it’s desired). Textured and treated metals and gems, plated jewellery, softer gemstones, glass, plastics, etc. will be permanently marred by using abrasives.
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- gold, especially 18k – 24k gold
- fine silver and sterling silver
- all plated jewellery
- soft gemstones (under 7.0 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness)
- treated and coated gemstones
The sensitive types
Does your jewellery have a special finish?
Sterling silver jewellery can be oxidized on purpose to create an antiqued, charcoal or even a black finish. These pieces may have been created with highlighted and shadowy areas. When abrasives are used to clean this type of jewellery it creates spotty or mottled effect – very unappealing. Some copper and bronze jewellery is coated with jeweller’s wax to prevent tarnishing. Abrasives will diminished or remove the coating and the piece will tarnish – often unevenly.
You may have come across countless websites that suggest using the abrasives above, but it isn’t an accepted practice by professional jewellers, artisans and lapidaries. General wear does create some scratches on metals which can be fixed for a price, but many gemstones cannot be resurfaced or retreated and will need replacing.
Clean it and bag it
Regular maintenance doesn’t take long, and if you store your pieces separately in airtight zip close bags you won’t have to clean as much. Regardless of how expensive your jewellery is, when it’s well cared for you’ll feel great and look fabulous. Keep it beautiful!
