How to Clean Costume Jewelry

Wondering how to keep your fragile or fine costume jewelry clean? There are plenty of products specifically geared for cleaning costume jewelry. You need to make sure that the cleaner doesn’t contain ammonia, vinegar, or any other acids or alcohols. Read the label and make sure you are using a cleaner safe for whatever material your costume jewelry is made from (silver, gold, brass, bronze, copper, chrome, stainless steel, aluminum, pearls, opals, marble and any gems.)

Don’t use soap and water, because most soaps will leave a residue on the metal and make the stones look dull. Windex can damage delicate stones and finishes. Vinegar is also harmful to the gemstones.

To simply get the dust and dirt off of your costume jewelry, use the softest toothbrush that you can find. Or use a very soft cloth to clean the surface of stones and gold or silver. You’ll want that costume jewelry shining to the best of its ability.

You must thoroughly dry all of your jewelry after cleaning. Keep moisture away from stored jewelry also, because dampness is a culprit that encourages rust, pitting of plated metals, and other damaging conditions.

It’s also important to know how often you should clean your jewelry. If you wear it daily or pretty often, then clean your jewelry weekly. For items that you pull out of the jewelry box and wear it only once for special occasions, clean them after you’ve worn them or just before you put them back into storage. To avoid scratching your costume jewelry and other jewelry items, keep them separated from each other in a box, pouch, or cloth.

How to Clean Vintage Jewelry

Put your vintage costume jewel in a soft zipped up pouch so that the dust won't easily get to it. The silk gift pouch is a good example because it has a zipper. It is soft and the inside is lined.

Dust is abrasive to your jewels and weather elements cause deterioration. Store your vintage jewelry in a dry, cool and dust-free environment. Ideally in a fire proof safe.

Despite your efforts, dust will sooner or later find its way to your beloved jewels. Therefore, you'll need to do some slight cleaning from time to time. Here are some cleaning tips:

Use Windex or similar products as a cleaning agent. Mild soapy water is also okay. However, please remember do not spray the Windex directly to your jewel or submerge the piece into soapy water or a running faucet. Rhinestone jewelry with foil backing should never be submerged into water.

Spray a little of the Windex onto a soft clean cloth. Make sure that it is not too wet, just barely enough to get the dust off the piece. For the hard to get to places, use a soft tooth brush or Q-tip with tiny little bit of Windex. Squeeze the excess wetness off the Q-tip or soft toothbrush so that it is barely damp.

Make sure that you are gentle when cleaning your jewelry. If you use a toothbrush, make sure that it is soft and not scratchy. Be particularly careful with Aurora Borealis stones as they can be scratched easily.

After you clean your jewels, leave them out for at least an hour. Make sure that they are completely dry before you put them away. This is very important because moisture causes deterioration to your jewels.

I would also highly recommend cleaning your jewels with a polishing cloth. They are inexpensive, only a few dollars a piece and a cloth can clean quite a bit of jewelry. If the cloth is getting dirty, please do not re-use it, it is time to get a new one. Otherwise, you'll just be applying dirt to the jewels.

Take good care of your precious vintage jewels and preserve them for the next generation to love and enjoy. In doing so, you are preserving history.