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Has your jewellery lost its shine over time? We'll show you how to make your jewellery shine again with these DIY jewellery cleaning tips.
When you want to wear a piece of jewellery only to discover that it has become discoloured, it can seem a little annoying. Unfortunately, discolouration is a completely normal part of the ageing process, regardless of the type of material your jewellery is made of.
- In the case of silver, reaction with the air leads to the formation of silver sulphide on the surface. This causes a change of colour and creates the unsightly black areas that need to be cleaned.
- Gold jewellery can become tarnished by dirt, food, soap residue, makeup and sweat, which can cause it to lose its shine.
- Most costume jewellery consists of less expensive materials and, therefore, tends to tarnish even more rapidly. Before you start cleaning the jewellery, check whether any stains are purely superficial or if it has actually discoloured due to tarnishing.
Jewellers usually provide a cleaning service for jewellery. But that can be quite expensive—and, luckily, it’s usually not necessary. You can easily clean jewellery yourself.
Have your chains, rings or bracelets become discoloured or are showing stains? It doesn't take much to restore the metallic sheen of jewellery. All you need is a splash of dish soap, warm water and a little time.
Here’s how to clean jewellery using homemade jewellery cleaner:
- Mix a splash of dish detergent with warm water in a glass.
- Start stirring with either a spoon or your finger.
- Lower the jewellery into the detergent-water mixture.
- Set aside to ensure no mix up with your drinking glass. Let the jewellery sit for about an hour.
- Rinse your jewellery under clean water.
- Wipe it and you're done!
If the deposits haven’t come off after an hour and your jewellery shows some stubborn discolourations and soiling, you can always extend the soaking time. Just a little longer and your jewellery will shine in new splendour, and you can enjoy it once again!
Pieces of jewellery differ significantly depending on the material. Want to give your jewellery an individual treatment? Then check out our articles on cleaning gold or silver jewellery, or cleaning costume jewellery.
But it's not only the material that matters. The shape determines how easy it will be to clean your jewellery. Find out more with our tips on cleaning rings, necklaces or earrings.