Jewelry Care & Cleaning

Everyday habits

Most wear on jewelry comes from daily life, so a few habits do more than any cleaning. Put jewelry on last, after lotion, perfume, and hair spray, and take it off first. Remove rings for the gym, yard work, heavy lifting, and cleaning with chemicals.

Take jewelry off before swimming and hot tubs. Chlorine can weaken karat gold alloys over time, speeds tarnish on silver, and wears plating; salt water is hard on silver and on cords. Wipe pieces with a soft cloth after wearing to remove skin oils before they build up.

Cleaning gold, platinum, and diamonds

Soak solid gold, platinum, and diamond jewelry for a few minutes in warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap. Brush gently with a soft toothbrush, especially behind stones where lotion and soap film collect, then rinse in clean water and pat dry with a lint-free cloth. Close the sink drain or use a bowl.

Avoid chlorine bleach, acetone, and abrasive powders or toothpaste, which scratch metal. Soap film is the main reason diamonds look dull, and a clean diamond looks noticeably brighter.

Sterling silver

Sterling silver tarnishes, darkening as it reacts with sulfur in the air and on skin. Wearing it often actually slows tarnish. Polish it with a silver polishing cloth, and clean it in warm soapy water like gold.

Store silver in a closed pouch or anti-tarnish bag, away from rubber bands and wool. Avoid dips and harsh polishes on oxidized silver, where the dark finish is intentional, and on silver set with soft stones or pearls. Rhodium-plated silver resists tarnish until the plating wears.

Plated, vermeil, and gold-filled

Plated and vermeil pieces carry a layer of gold or rhodium over another metal. Clean them gently with a soft cloth or a quick rinse in mild soapy water, and never with abrasives or polishing cloths treated with chemicals, which remove the layer faster.

Gold-filled pieces have a much thicker gold layer and wear well with ordinary care. For all layered metals, keep them away from chlorine, perfume, and lotion, and take them off to shower and swim.

Pearls and softer gemstones

Pearls are soft and porous. Wipe them with a soft, damp cloth after wearing, never soak them, and keep them away from perfume, hair spray, and cleaning chemicals. Lay strands flat to dry and to store, since hanging stretches the silk. Pearls worn often benefit from restringing every few years.

Opal, emerald, turquoise, tanzanite, and many treated stones are softer or more fragile than diamond. Clean them with a damp cloth only; heat, steam, and ultrasonic cleaners can crack them or damage treatments.

Ultrasonic cleaners

Ultrasonic cleaners use vibration to loosen dirt and are safe for solid gold, platinum, and diamonds in secure settings. They can loosen stones that are already loose, and they are not safe for pearls, opals, emeralds, turquoise, fracture-filled or coated stones, or glued pieces.

If you are unsure what a stone is or whether it is treated, the product page names it; when in doubt, use warm soapy water and a soft brush instead.

Storage

Store pieces separately so harder stones and metals do not scratch softer ones. Diamonds scratch every other gem and metal. Use soft pouches or a lined box with compartments.

Fasten chains before storing them, or lay them straight, so they cannot knot. Keep silver in anti-tarnish storage, and keep pearls away from dry heat. For travel, a small roll or case with separate slots keeps pieces from tangling.

Yearly checks and the warranty

Once a year, have a jeweler check prongs and settings on rings and earrings worn every day, especially on sterling silver and older pieces. Worn prongs are the most common reason stones are lost. White gold's rhodium plating can be refreshed every one to three years; that is maintenance, not a defect.

Our Limited Warranty covers manufacturing defects for one year from delivery; normal wear, tarnish, and worn plating are not defects. Care notes for each metal are also on every product page. Shop diamond earrings, gold chains, and wedding bands.

Common questions

Can I clean jewelry with toothpaste? No. Toothpaste is abrasive and leaves fine scratches in gold, platinum, and silver, and it can dull softer stones. Warm water, a few drops of mild dish soap, and a soft brush do the job without harm.

How often should I clean my rings? Rings worn every day collect lotion and soap film quickly, so a quick soak and brush every week or two keeps diamonds bright. Pieces worn now and then need cleaning only when they look dull.

Is an ultrasonic cleaner safe? For solid gold and platinum set with diamonds, usually yes. Do not put pearls, opals, emeralds, turquoise, treated stones, or pieces with loose stones in one, since the vibration can crack or loosen them.

Why does my skin turn green or dark under a ring? Metals in the alloy, most often copper, react with sweat, lotion, and skin chemistry. It is harmless and washes off. Keeping the ring and skin clean and dry helps, and it happens less with higher-karat gold and platinum.

When should I have jewelry professionally cleaned? Once a year is a good habit for pieces worn daily, ideally at the same visit as the prong check. A jeweler's steam cleaning and polish restores the finish and catches problems early.

How should I pack jewelry for travel? Keep each piece separate in a small pouch or a travel case with compartments, fasten chains before packing them, and keep valuable pieces in your carry-on bag rather than checked luggage.

Can I wear jewelry in the ocean? It is best not to. Salt water and sand are abrasive, cold water shrinks fingers so rings slip off, and waves easily carry away a loose ring. Rinse any piece in fresh water if it does get wet.