Care for What You Love! Clean Your Jewelry!

We all have that one guilty pleasure – fashion jewelry! 

But let's be honest, how often do we give our beloved baubles the TLC they deserve? Not too long ago, I had an epiphany. While I was meticulously caring for my fine jewelry, my fashion pieces were scattered all over – the nightstand, the sink, or, gasp --  tossed into a drawer to become a tangled, tarnished mess! I realized I didn't give them much respect.  Sound familiar?

So, I've made a commitment to myself (and my jewelry) to start giving my fashion pieces the respect they deserve. After all, I enjoy wearing them just as much – if not more – than my jewelry store treasures!  

It starts with cleaning and using the right products.

Here’s my list of cleaning/polishing must-haves and wish-list items, complete with affiliate links for easy shopping. Let’s give our fabulous fashion jewelry the love it deserves!

For Polishing:

Sunshine Polishing Cloths  These come in singles and packs.  They are absolutely easy to use, and last a long while. You can expect some blackening to appear on these cloths as you use them, but even when they look dirty, they still work. 

Many of my jewelry creations, and even the pieces I keep for myself, are made of solid brass. Now, as much as I love brass, it does have a tendency to tarnish. If I put something away for even a few months, it needs a little buffing to bring back its shine.

Just look at the picture below to see the magic a bit of polishing can do! And guess what? It doesn't take much elbow grease. Just keep a polishing cloth handy – I suggest storing one in a little baggie in your jewelry drawer.

For a single cloth, click here. For a 5-pack, click here. And for a 25-pack (because, hey, why not clean all the jewelry?), click here. Happy polishing!

I’ve started including a little 1-1/2" square of polishing cloth as a freebie with my sales. I think it’s nice to share a little bit of the polishing love with my customers! After all, everyone deserves to have their jewelry looking its shiny best.

For Cleaning:

I’ve been super pleased with the Connoisseurs brand of jewelry cleaners. While they have fantastic options for fine jewelry and silver jewelry, their delicate jewelry cleaner is a game-changer. It’s specifically designed for semi-precious stones like pearls, opal, coral, onyx, turquoise, and fashion jewelry – the kind you often find in handmade jewelry and costume pieces. Perfect for keeping those treasures looking fabulous!

These cleaners all include a large dip tray and a professional touch-up brush with soft bristles to gently provide a deep cleansing in every crease and crevice of jewelry settings.  Be sure to follow guidelines for use when you use these products.

For Storage (that cleans):

One of the most thoughtful gifts my mom gave me was a tarnish-protecting bag. It was a gorgeous bronze color with a satin cord, and inside was a deep purple tarnish-resistant cloth. The bag was big enough to store multiple pieces of jewelry, and it quickly became one of my favorite things.

Recently, I found these individual tarnish-protecting bags in a 10-pack that remind me of that special gift from mom. 

They’re perfect for storing individual pieces that are most at risk for tarnishing or have intricate designs that are tricky to polish. They make keeping your jewelry shiny and beautiful so much easier!

Exceptions:

Of course, there are always exceptions! Resin jewelry is all the rage right now, but it’s a bit more sensitive. To keep it looking fabulous, avoid exposing it to chemicals.

For cleaning your resin pieces, here’s a simple tip: Wash them with warm water and a bit of dish soap. Use a soft toothbrush with a few drops of mild dish soap, like Dawn, mixed with warm water. Gently scrub the piece for a few minutes, or longer if it’s really dirty, then rinse with lukewarm water. This method helps remove discoloration without harming the resin or stones. 

Another tip to quickly restore shine on resin is to use a quick swipe of an alcohol wipe.  Easy peasy!

To shop for handmade jewelry to add to your collection, visit my shop!