Looking Good - August 27, 2018

*-- How To Restore Your Jewelry's Shine --*
Is there anything more disappointing than putting on a necklace or a diamond earring that seems to have completely lost its glimmer and shine? There are a number of reasons why jewelry loses its shine: dirt, oil, grit, and products that we use on our body such as hair spray and body lotions. The good news is that you don't have to live with dull jewelry the rest of your life. Follow these steps below to restore that sheen and shine to your jewelry.



Silver

Each of the metals require a slightly different technique from the other to help have that shine restored, but the end result is all the same. To help shine up that silver, what you need is:

- A soft-bristle tooth brush
- Toothpaste
- Dishwashing liquid
- 1 chamois (or other soft cloth that is lint free)

Start off by taking your soft-bristle toothbrush and applying toothpaste to the brush. Now stroke the brush across that piece of silver jewelry that you need shined, and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.

Next, fill up a bowl or a sink with warm water that has had a few dashes of dishwashing liquid added. This will help rinse off the toothpaste. Rinse off the piece of jewelry, and then polish dry with that chamois or any other lint-free towel.

Gold, Diamonds and Platinum

To really get these jewelry items cleaned up, you will need:

- Rubbing alcohol or vodka
- Alka-Seltzer or any other denture cleaning product
- A soft-bristle tooth brush
- A chamois or lint-free cloth

Start off by removing any sort of a dirt or greasy film by soaking the jewelry in either rubbing alcohol or vodka. Next, drop two fizzing denture cleaning tablets into a glass of water. Add the jewelry to the fizzing glass and allow it to sit for 2 minutes.

TIP: If you don't happen to have denture cleaner, you can soak the jewelry in warm water mixed with a few dashes of dishwashing liquid.

Scrub the jewelry gently with your soft-bristle toothbrush, and then rinse it thoroughly so as to get rid of any excess suds. Polish it off with a chamois or lint free cloth, and you're set!



Pearls (And Other Porous or Soft Gems)

This cleaning procedure works best with pearls, opals, emeralds, tanzanite, and other similar gems. All you need for this is:

- Tissue
- Mild soap
- A soft-bristle tooth brush (or cotton swab)
- A chamois or lint-free cloth

Take the tissue and rub it across the gem, taking care to gently remove any traces of dirt or cosmetic products. Once you have done that, dip the jewelry into a bowl of warm, sudsy water that has had a few squirts of mild soap added to it. Remove the jewelry, and then gently scrub away at it with the soft-bristle toothbrush. Once complete, polish the jewelry off with a chamois or any other lint-free cloth.

***
Missed an Issue? Visit the Looking Good Archives