OK grasshoppers, a great many of you ask about "How do I clean my new treasure?" I will give here general tips and hints and offer observations that are sound, you need to realize that there may be exceptions to this advise, but those will be rare cases like treated oiled or enhanced gems, or other factors I cannot predict, so proceed with caution.

Common Sense Cleaning Tips
For Fine Jewelry

Cleaning Rings
Most rings that are made from precious metals are polished, so the first thing you want to realize is that you do not want to scrub them with a toothbrush, for that will surely leave small scratches and micro sort of satin effects that will compromise the polish. What you want to know is that for diamond jewelry or for those items which are constructed from gold or platinum with stones or gems which are not treated or oiled, these can be soaked overnight in ammonia and water, 50/50 and rinsed to get them very clean, the organics being disolved by the process. Now, this is not for pearls, coral or other organic gems or opals, but safe for sapphires, rubies, diamonds and other gems which are not effected by water or cleaning agents this is a great way to go at home.

Of course you can visit that nice mall store and asked to see something expensive, then ask if they can "steam clean your ring" and you'll find that is enough to get a commission sales-clerk off their butt and steam cleaning is a fast and perfect way to go. Do not let them polish that of course, for most clerks over-polish items and add years of wear to an item by doing so, and they might get their tie caught in the polishing wheels and get hurt anyway, so avoid this service from a mall clerk. So, in most cases soaking the rings overnight are going to be the ticket to keeping them clean and beautiful to the maximum degree.

Avoid toothbrushes at all times, and if you just made a batch of cookies and forgot to take that ring off, which now looks like it's stuffed full of silly putty, take that to be steam cleaned, which takes about two minutes and should cost next to nothing. You can clean significant amounts of "stuff" by soaking your rings, and this you can do at home easily and avoid those expensive cleaners.

Now, a bit about metals. Platinum is much denser than is gold, about 1.7 times the mass, so it stands to reason that when you want maximum strength in a delicate design platinum is the choice. Platinum will take a high polish, but toothbrushes will turn that rapidly into a hazy light satin, so soak platinum rings. Gold above 10k is pretty stable as far as finish, although I have seen 10k discolor due to someone's system and the salts produced, so I say 14k is a good default for nice things, and it is perfectly safe to soak gold items overnight to clean them, rinsing them agressively in the morning.

Cleaning Celtic and Patterned Rings
A great many rings are heavily patterned and have designs which are enhanced with antique or a darkening agent to contrast the design more, accent the depth as it were. This is where you definately want not to use a toothbrush, and in fact since most of the antique bases are that of a jewelry specific paint you should also avoid paint thinner, acetone and other stuff like that. Rhodium plating and other surface treatements are reversable with wear, so you can expect antique or plating to wear over time as the surface wears, but this can be reversed in the shop process. To restore antique finishes in designs we sell a small kit of a jewelry specfic paint, which can be applied and wiped off the surface, with the paint remaining in the lines and recesses nicely, but as the ring wears down over time the depth will reduce and very subtilly so will the paint's ability to be held in the lines and design. No Toothbrushes please for fine jewelry! I recommend lightly soaking in a very mild detergent for antiqued and plated rings, and with antiqued rings you do not want to steam clean, for this will surely remove the antique and can damage plating as well

Cleaning Treated Gems, Opals, Coral or Pearls
Please avoid strong cleaners in all cases when these stones and gems are present, the strong agents can cause the surface of pearls for example to become hazy and non-reflective, and while this can be reversed it should be avoided, and these items should be taken to a good store to be cleaned. In the shop we used to soak emeralds and opals and other items in a very light solution of a mild detergent to clean them after polishing, and sonics and steamers are a bad idea with heat sensitive stones and gems like Opals. In most cases what I want to explain is that in taking care of your fine jewelry it will look better for longer, and be less problems too.

Cleaning Chains, Bracelets and Earrings
Also something that is soaked for excellent results, and for precious metal chains a mixture of ammonia and water about 50/50 is the ticket to get the dirt and stuff out of the links and joints, which really can wear a chain out fast. Chains are also something that you do not want to try to polish yourself at all, other than to draw that thru say a tee-shirt fabric and wipe it agressively, but I have seen some really bad things happen when inexperience folks try to polish a chain on a polishing wheel, so do not risk that. Steam cleaning for these items is also the prefered methode, but when you want to clean agressively soaking is a great start to loosen up and disolve it into solution, then the steam cleaning will be even more effective, but avoid toothbrushes for the scratches and decreased shine.

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