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Jewelry cleaning advice:

Safer travel with your jewelry:

Jewelry Cleaning tips:

If you own jewelry, probably some of it needs cleaning.  The major attribute of jewelry is its sparkle.  The sparkle primarily comes from the reflective properties of the stones that are in your jewelry.  Diamonds are the most brilliant of all gemstones, but any transparent or semi-transparent stone will produce a “prism effect.”  This effect occurs when light enters a gemstone, and is reflected back to your eye broken into a rainbow of colors based on the sub components of the light source.

I have seen some diamonds that cost many thousands of dollars that looked like cheap glass due to dirt and grime on their surfaces.  Bigger is better; but big and dirty is gross, and if you wouldn’t go out with a spot on your shirt or blouse, why go out with dirty jewelry?  Always remember that dirt, dust and grime will kill the reflective properties of jewelry, and make even the finest pieces look cheap.

We need to start with some preventative measures that will help keep your jewelry as clean as possible.  If you think of your jewelry as a fine silk blouse or shirt, then always try to treat your jewelry as you would that item of clothing.  Since you would never garden, shower, swim, apply make-up, or do manual labor in this clothing, don’t wear your jewelry when doing these activities either.  Also, whenever possible take your jewelry off when sleeping, as oils from your body attract dirt and dust, which kills the luster of your jewelry.

Now obviously you can’t take off your jewelry every time you wash your hands, but being a little proactive can reduce the amount of dirt and grime your jewelry collects. This will lessen your need to have your jewelry cleaned, but whether or not you use these tips, eventually your jewelry will need cleaning.  Now, let’s take a look at some cleaning do’s and don’ts.

First, consider your jewelry-cleaning environment.  Find a table where you can place all your cleaning equipment.  You will need at least two containers: one for a cleaning solution, and another container to rinse off the cleaning solution.  Ideally, you would like a box lined with a cotton cloth to place your jewelry after rinsing, and an area to hand rub the jewelry with either a cotton cloth or jeweler’s cloth.   Never, ever clean your jewelry in the sink.  Your sink is always hungry, and will happily eat anything dropped into it.  You don’t need a large work area, so why risk losing your jewelry, or a stone dislodged during cleaning in your sink. 

Second, you need to consider cleaning solutions.  Depending on the type of stones in your jewelry you may not even want to use water, but most jewelry can handle a mild soap and water solution.  When I say mild, I mean mild.  If you wouldn’t wash a baby in it; don’t use it!  You can also purchase cleaning solutions online by doing a search on “jewelry cleaning solutions,” but really commercial solutions don’t do a better job.  Save your time and money.

Ok, now you have a place and the media necessary to clean your jewelry.  The following tips cover how to handle cleaning of the most common jewelry items.  Remember that there is always some danger to your jewelry involved in the cleaning process, so if you are uncomfortable with that; consult your local jeweler.

If you are cleaning diamond, sapphire, ruby, or cubic zirconia jewelry you can follow the following instructions; do not use these instructions on jewelry that contains emeralds or other gemstones mentioned below.

• Soak your diamond ring in a warm solution of mild liquid detergent and water. Ivory dish washing liquid is a good choice, but any other mild detergent is fine.
• Use a soft brush if necessary to remove dirt. Soft is important -- don't use a brush with bristles that are stiff enough to scratch the ring's metal setting.
• Swish the ring around in the solution, and then rinse it thoroughly in warm water. Dry the diamond ring with a lint-free cloth, or jeweler’s cloth. Use this advice when cleaning items that contain emeralds:

Emeralds are durable, but their internal characteristics require some special care. They can be soaked and brushed briefly with cool water. We don't recommend extreme heat, hot water, steamers or ultrasonic cleaners. Don't expose to harsh cleaning solutions.  Actually, I don’t suggest using very hot water or harsh chemicals on any jewelry.

Pearls:

Wipe your pearls with a damp cloth to remove perspiration, oil or any other residue. For regular cleaning, wipe with a damp cloth. Dry completely with a soft cloth. Avoid heat, hot water, steamers or ultrasonic cleaners along with cosmetics and hairsprays. Don't soak in water, as pearls are very delicate and porous.

Costume jewelry:

I tend to treat costume jewelry in the same manner as pearls.  It is common for stones in costume jewelry to be set with cement, and those cements can be water-soluble.  It is better to be conservative when cleaning costume jewelry.

One final thought. It is wise to visually inspect your jewelry before trying to clean it.  Check to see if there are any loose prongs or stones that move when they are touched.  You can check that by using the tip of a tweezers.  Just tap the stones, and if they move you should take the jewelry to a local jeweler for repair.

Travel safety advice:

It's time to pack for that long awaited trip.  If you are taking the kids, you have to pack their clothes, and you might even have to take care of dads' clothes as well.  Time is short and you're beat, but you have to muster up the strength to pick your own outfits for the trip.

Decision time.  You're obviously going to choose clothes appropriate to your destination's climate, but the choice of what to wear in the evening can be daunting.  If you are traveling with the kids you can get by with mostly casual clothes, but you would probably like to spend one quiet evening with him; so you'll need at least one nice outfit.  If it's just the two of you, your choices might be reversed, but either way you have to accessorize.

I remember my first trip to Europe; we were in Vienna and decided to go to the Opera, fortunately I had brought an evening dress and tons of jewelry (my husband worked for a jewelry company at the time).  I was comfortable with my outfit and jewelry, but at intermission I was shocked.  The jewelry there was unbelievable; 20 carat emerald pendants, enormous diamond necklaces were everywhere.  I felt like a … well I felt like a tourist.  Needless to say, there were no more operas on the rest of our trip.

My example is extreme to be sure, but the point is that you cannot take too much jewelry when traveling and depending on where you are going you might want to take your nicest pieces.  

Here's the problem.  If I take too much jewelry when I travel it can amount to quite a bit of money, and then I have to find a way to keep it safe.  It's true that in most cases hotels have a secure area to store valuables, but trips to a hotel's safe take time and can be a real hassle.  Also, if you're on a tour or are changing hotels often, a hotel's secure area may not be accessible at all times of the day.  I could ignore the risk and keep all my valuables in my room or purse; but before you do that, consider this.  Last year in the U.S. alone, there were over 420,000 robberies.  What's worse, often robberies can turn into assaults. Now I really like my jewelry, but I am not going to risk injury to protect them, so what to do?

Fortunately, there is a way to travel with jewelry and reduce your concerns about its loss or theft.  My solution has been to acquire a small collection of "replacement jewelry" items.  These days you can find a substitute for almost any kind of jewelry that looks like the real thing, but is far less expensive.  You can "replace" anything from diamonds (cubic zirconia) to pearls (various substitutes).  You can even replace your gold pieces with plated sterling silver or other less expensive metals. Below, I have listed some important reasons for owning replacement jewelry:

• Replacement jewelry is less expensive than its genuine counterpart.
• Take it when you travel, and you don't have to worry as much about it getting lost or stolen.
• It looks and feels like the "real thing."
• You can afford to buy more pieces to accent your different outfits and attire.
• Your friends can't tell the difference.
• You can afford to buy it for a "one time" event.
• You don't have to feel guilty about how much you paid.

Replacement jewelry is less expensive than the genuine article, but that does not mean that it is "cheap."  This jewelry can be made in gold or silver, and set with genuine or man-made stones.  

If you travel, you should seriously consider replacement jewelry.  Whether you feel the need for replacement jewelry or not, please have a safe trip!