Tuesday, March 26, 2013

"Lisa, How do I clean my Jewelry at home?"

So, a few weeks back I was at The Ritz Carlton here in Chicago for an event called "An Evening of Bridal Luxury" put on by CS Magazine.  My dear friends Kristin and Adam are getting married this Summer up in my hometown of Milwaukee, and as a 15x bridesmaid, I decided it was my duty to drag Kristin to at least one Bridal show.  Since the Ritz is right in my hood, and she loves an excuse to visit Chicago, I figured it would be relatively painless!  I'm in it for the cake, although, come to think of it, there wasn't any:(

Anyhoo, We had a great time scoping out Chicago fashion and, of course, the Jewelry!  However, one thing in particular really caught our attention... There were a lot of dirty engagement rings in that room!

Over the years, many people have asked me "What do you think of my ring?"  and 9 out of 10 times, I think "Ummm, you need to clean that."

I realize that it's not always realistic to go into your Jeweler every week to have your jewelry professionally cleaned (nor do they necessarily have time for you to) so here are a few at home tips to keep your bling, blinging!

1.  Clean your Diamond rings at least once a week if you wear them all the time.

2.  The best place to clean your Jewelry is the kitchen, near, but not next to, the sink.

3.  Generally speaking, the bathroom is NOT a good place to clean your jewelry.  Just trust me on this.  If I had a dollar for every time a customer told me they lost something down the drain, or dropped and broke something on a tile floor, well, I'd have a nice new piece of Jewelry!

4.  Grab a towel, small bowl or 2, old soft bristle toothbrush, and some dish soap.

5.  MAKE SURE THE DRAIN IS PLUGGED DURING THIS ENTIRE OPERATION!

6.  Soak your Diamonds in hot water with a little dish soap for about 10 minutes, longer if they are really dirty.

7.  Over the towel, scrub the diamonds gently with the toothbrush, getting underneath them as well.

8.  Rinse in hot water, preferably in another bowl or in sink (with plugged drain.)

9.  Dry gently with towel.

There you go, you are sparkly again! I recommend once a week, because Diamonds attract dust and dirt and oils.  This is for diamond rings, earrings, and even necklaces, I will get to other gems later, because these instructions don't apply to all jewelry.

Feed back is greatly appreciated, what do you think?  Any other questions?

What would you like to hear about next?  Spring Jewelry Fashion or more cleaning tips?

I hope everyone is having a great week!  ~Lisa

6 comments:

Rachel said...

I love it! Thank you for not only teaching us some good ways to clean jewelry but for also making us LOL! I love the part: " If I had a dollar for every time a customer told me they lost something down the drain, or dropped and broke something on a tile floor, well, I'd have a nice new piece of Jewelry!" CLASSIC!

Unknown said...

Funny beacause it's true:) Thanks Rachel!

Unknown said...

This is EXCELLENT! You made it fun and painless. Thanks!

Unknown said...

Thanks Barry! I try:)

Leonard (Chicago Jeweler) said...

Very nice. And if you have a cappuccino coffee machine at home and it has a steamer on it, it works great as jewelery steamer substitute. Just make sure you have tweezers with rubber ends to hold jewelery so you do not damage it and not to burn your hands. Or purchase a home jewelery steamer for around $125. Will be money well spent if you want your diamonds sparkle.

Unknown said...

And then make yourself a cappuccino, relax, and enjoy your sparkly jewelry! ;)