How to Clean Pearl Jewellery

how to clean pearl jewellery

How to preserve your pearl jewellery’s ethereal lustre.

Pearls are among the most delicate of all gems, being formed in nature in a very specific environment. Thus, they need very gentle care, as they are prone to becoming pitted and dull if they come into contact with the wrong products.

Here are some tips to keep your pearls protected during use, and a complete method for preserving their ethereal lustre.

day to day use

• Pearls are sensitive to acids, chemicals, body oils and perspiration, so avoid contact with perfume, cosmetics and hairspray. Always put your pearl jewellery on last when you are getting ready to reduce their exposure to beauty products.

• Never wear your pearl jewellery whilst swimming as the chlorine could badly harm them.

• Wearing pearl jewellery? Here’s an excuse to rest from the housework. The chemicals from household cleaners could damage your pearls, so no dishes or deep cleaning whilst you are wearing your jewellery. Either remove it, or take the day off!

• Remove pearls before exercise to protect them from perspiration.

cleaning your pearls

We recommend Town Talk’s Delicate Jewellery Cleaners which are ideally pH balanced for pearls and will clean the delicate surface of these natural gems effectively. The Town Talk Delicate Jewellery Cleaner will safely clean the impurities away from your pearls.

If pearls are not cleaned correctly, the surface can become pitted and dull. Soap may not remove all the surface impurities and, indeed, may harm the pearls if the soap is too harsh. The soap residue may also remain on the pearls, leaving them looking dull and lifeless.

Pearl necklaces and bracelets should never be dipped or washed as this may cause the thread to expand which could crack the pearls.

STORAGE

Do not store your pearls in plastic as this cuts off the flow of moisture from the atmosphere, which pearls need to be at their best. Never hang strung pearl jewellery to store it, as this can put undue pressure on the thread.

Instead, store your pearls out of sunlight in a safe place to ensure they won’t suffer any knocks or scratches whilst in storage. The box that your pearls originally came in may be suitable, or a dedicated compartment of your jewellery box.

How to Clean Gemstone Jewellery

how to clean gemstone jewellery

Learn how to restore the natural beauty of all your gemstone jewellery.

There are so many different types of gemstones that it can be difficult to know the best way to care for them all. Their durability can vary greatly, so they cannot all be treated in the same way. Furthermore, each piece of jewellery is unique and may have its own specific cleaning requirements. For instance, there may be a mixture of gemstones or types of metal used. If you are in any doubt do ask the manufacturers or your jeweller what care advice they can offer.

For cleaning, gemstones generally fall into two categories in terms of the care that they need - see below to find out which category your gemstone falls into. In case you are looking to clean pearls, we have dedicated information about how to care for and clean pearl jewellery.

METHOD ONE - SUITABLE FOR HARD GEMSTONES

Agate, Amethyst, Apatite, Aquamarine, Blue Topaz, Citrine, Diamonds, Garnet, Jade, Moonstone, Onyx, Ruby, Sapphires, Zircon.

Step 1: Clean

Start by cleaning your jewellery with Town Talk’s Jewel Sparkle. This specialist product is designed to clean silver, gold, platinum, diamonds and many precious stones by gently dissolving the residues of everyday life - such as soaps and detergents, food particles, body oils and perspiration - that adhere to their surfaces.

Leave your jewellery in the liquid for one or two minutes. After that, a little work with the brush should remove any embedded dirt, particularly in the settings of rings and brooches. It is this build-up of dirt which, if left, can cause the stones to look dull. Rinse and dry your jewellery with a soft cloth after use.

Step 2: Polish

Polish your gemstones to a sparkling finish with a soft microfibre cloth. At this stage, if your jewellery is set in silver or gold metal, you can use a Silver or Gold Polishing cloth to bring this up to a brilliant shine, too. The Silver cloth has the added benefit of preventing your silver from tarnishing for longer, so we highly recommend this step.

Step 3: Store

Left unprotected, gemstones can fade in sunlight. They can also be subject to knocks and scratch. We recommend using one of to store your jewellery in pouches or a jewellery box to protect your jewellery.

method two - suitable for delicate gemstones

Amber, Coral, Emerald, Opal, Turquoise.

Method Two is designed for more delicate gemstones, and works with gentle products, so if in doubt use this method. Please note that you should never submerge this type of gemstone in a liquid dip, as it could lead to cracks and damage.

Step 1: Clean

For more delicate gemstones, use Town Talk’s Delicate Jewellery Cleaner. This is designed to gently remove the everyday smears, oils and grease that can build up and cause the stones to look dull. The included brush will assist you in gentle teasing out dirt from any hard to reach areas such as the gemstone settings.

Once the surface dirt has been cleaned away, it’s important to dry your delicate gemstones straight away as some are porous and absorb liquid.

Step 2: Polish

Polish your gemstones to a sparkling finish using a soft microfibre cloth. The tiny fibres trap and remove even the tiniest of particles for maximum shine.

Step 3: Store

Gemstones in this category are vulnerable to sunlight and knocks. Keep these items of jewellery as safe as possible in a Jewellery Pouch or a jewellery box out of harm’s reach.

We hope that this helps you keep your gemstone jewellery sparkling every time you wear it! If you have a gemstone or type of jewellery not mentioned here that you wish to clean, please contact us and we will be happy to advise you as to the most suitable method.

How to Clean Diamond Jewellery

how to clean diamond jewellery

To give your diamonds a deep clean, it is not just the surface of the gemstone that needs your attention.

Despite their higher price tag, diamonds are one of the most popular choices of gemstone for both everyday jewellery and engagement rings. This is due to both their durability and their brilliant, sparkling appearance.

A clean diamond will possess much more brilliance than a dulled, dirty one, so here are our recommendations on how to keep your diamonds sparkling every time you wear them.

cleanING DIAMOND JEWELLERY

To give your diamonds a deep clean, it is not just the surface of the gemstone that needs your attention. Any grime lurking under or around the setting can cause your diamond to become dull in appearance, no matter how much you polish the visible part of the gemstone. Use Town Talk’s Jewel Sparkle to give your stone and setting a deep clean, using the brush included to tease out dirt from the setting if necessary.

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top tip

When you’re on the go, try a Town Talk Jewellery Cleaning Wand. The brush is specially designed to get behind settings and remove trapped dirt which can dull the diamonds. A quick rinse in water and polish dry with a soft cloth and hey presto - the sparkle and shine of your jewellery is restored!

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How to Clean Platinum Jewellery

how to clean platinum jewellery

These steps will keep your platinum jewellery sparkling bright.

how to clean platinum jewellery

Platinum is widely recognised as the most precious metal for jewellery use. Before buying a platinum piece, you may want to become familiar with its properties and how to care for this highly prized metal.

On this page we look at what makes platinum so valuable in jewellery production, and how to keep your platinum jewellery clean and sparkling.

Platinum jewellery is more expensive than that of silver and gold, due to the following characteristics:

• It has a beautiful white colour naturally, without the need for creating a metal alloy (such as with white gold).

• It is much harder and more durable than silver or gold, making platinum very resistant to knocks and scratches.

• This durability means that platinum jewellery is of a much higher purity, at around 80-95% platinum, because the addition of harder metals is not required.

• The higher purity means that platinum jewellery is hypoallergenic, whereas silver and gold alloys can cause irritation in those sensitive when certain metals are used, such as nickel.

• Platinum is only found in a few spots globally, so as a metal it is rarer than silver and gold.

• White gold is rhodium plated to preserve the white colour, and needs regular replating by a jeweller to maintain the finish. Platinum on the other hand is naturally white, and so does not keep this upkeep.

The above benefits are often offset by the cost of silver and white gold jewellery, which are much more accessible due to the lower price point. Silver and white gold also create stunning pieces of jewellery, so are the natural choice of many. But if platinum is in your price range, you may prefer it, given the above benefits.

caring for your platinum jewellery

If you do choose platinum, these steps will keep your jewellery sparkling bright:

Clean your platinum jewellery using Town Talk’s Jewel Sparkle dip, which is suitable for platinum jewellery set with hard gemstones, including diamonds. The Jewel Sparkle removes grease and grime which builds up from day to day wear of your jewellery. For a deep clean, be sure to use the enclosed brush to remove dirt trapped behind the settings, too.

2 . Polish

After cleaning, use a Town Talk Gold Polishing Cloth to polish your Platinum Jewellery to a brilliant shine - don’t be tempted to skip this step as it really brings the sparkle out!

The above steps will keep your platinum jewellery items shining bright, so that you can enjoy the sparkle of your treasured items each time you wear them.

How to Clean Gold Jewellery

how to clean gold jewellery

Restore the glowing brilliance to your gold jewellery.

At its best gold has a brilliant yellow shine, however it can become dull due to daily use or when stored for a long period of time. Pure gold is too soft to be used for jewellery, so other metals are added to create an alloy, and the result is jewellery that may tarnish depending upon the ratio of metals used.

Town Talk’s gold jewellery care products are specially formulated to bring back the sparkle to your gold jewellery. Scroll down for information on solid gold jewellery, how to clean gold vermeil jewellery, and also how to care for your gold plated jewellery items.

HOW TO CLEAN SOLID GOLD JEWELLERY

• For bringing back a deep shine to your gold jewellery try a Town Talk Gold Polishing Cloth. This will polish your jewellery to a glowing brilliance, leaving it looking like new again in no time!

• For gold jewellery with hard gemstones, you need our renowned Jewel Sparkle which is especially designed for cleaning all your gold earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets etc. It gently dissolves surface grime on the stones and the metal mounts, which will make the gemstones shine much more brightly! Also try our handy Jewellery Cleaning Wand.

• When using the Jewel Sparkle dip, do not fully submerge gold watches, or jewellery with emeralds, coral, amber, opals, or any stones that have water-soluble fixings (hard gemstones such as diamonds, rubies and sapphires are fine). Instead, use our Delicate Jewellery Cleaner on the stones and a Gold Polishing Cloth to buff up the gold.

how to clean gold vermeil jewellery

Vermeil is sterling silver covered with a layer of gold which must be at least 2.5 microns thick.

To keep your vermeil jewellery looking at its best, follow the same steps listed above for solid gold jewellery.

how to clean gold plated jewellery

Gold-plated jewellery uses a cheaper base metal such as steel or brass with a thinner coating of gold metal on top. Depending on the manufacturer, the thickness of the gold plate varies. Due to the soft nature of gold you can be at risk of wearing the gold plating away, especially on items with a very thin layer of plating. Therefore our recommendation is to handle gold plated items carefully, and clean them using Town Talk’s Jewel Sparkle with a soft microfibre cloth. This will safely remove all the surface dust, pollution, oils etc that might dull or even damage the surface, and restore the shine to your jewellery.

HOW TO CLEAN WHITE GOLD JEWELLERY

White gold jewellery is produced when the yellow gold is alloyed with another silver coloured metal to give it a whiter appearance; this can be nickel, silver, copper, zinc - it can vary. The base alloy is whiter in colour and harder but can have a yellow tint depending on the original content of the yellow gold and what its alloyed with. As a generalisation, the whiter the base ring, the lower the gold content.

With some white gold alloys the jewellery item is then plated to give it a bright white appearance, usually rhodium plating is used (platinum & palladium plating is also possible). The thickness of the plated layer and its adhesion to the base metal / alloy can vary dramatically dependant on price and quality of the item.

If the item is not rhodium plated then a very light polishing with a gold cloth is possible (we would always recommend testing in a small inconspicuous area first).

We would not recommend gold cloth for any rhodium plated item. Use Jewel Sparkle or Delicate Jewellery Cleaner for deeper cleaning, and a microfibre cloth to polish and remove fingerprints from rhodium plated white gold items.

How to Clean and Care for a Charm Bracelet

how to clean and care for a charm bracelet

Caring for charm bracelets can be tricky as each metal and gemstone has different care requirements.

Cleaning and caring for charm bracelets can be tricky as they may be made from a variety of metals and precious stones, all with different care requirements.

This guide will give you the best solutions for keeping your charm bracelet sparkling whether it be Tiffany, Thomas Sabo, Trollbeads or Pandora. Here is the ultimate guide on how to keep your charm bracelet looking at its best!

before doing anything - check your charm bracelet

Before cleaning your charm bracelet, it is vital to check which metals and stones make up your charms. This is because each metal and gemstone has different properties. Some care products can be perfectly fine to use on one of your charms and yet cause damage if used on a more delicate piece.

Ensuring that you know what each of your charms are made from means that you can give the appropriate care to each one, and avoid pitfalls such as using products that are too abrasive. With the right cleaning products the process is quick and easy, and will leave you with a sparkling charm bracelet for years to come.

Some gemstones such as pearls are very delicate. If you are able to take apart your bracelet yourself, it may be advisable to separate the charms before cleaning to ensure that the appropriate care product is used for each one.

Remember, if you are unsure about anything, always consult with your local jeweller.

cleaning silver charm bracelets

Sterling Silver

Over time, silver reacts with elements in the air to form tarnish on the surface, causing a blackened appearance that may cause alarm if you are not expecting it.

When this happens, we recommend using a Town Talk Silver Polishing Cloth to revive your bracelet and charms. This polishing cloth is special because it both cleans and protects your silver. It removes tarnish, restoring your silver to a wonderful shine, and it forms a protective shield which protects your treasured items from tarnishing for longer. For items that are particularly blackened, we recommend first using Town Talk’s Silver Sparkle liquid cleaner to remove the tarnish. Follow this up with a Town Talk Silver Polishing Cloth to seal your charm bracelet with anti-tarnish protection!

Oxidised Silver - ‘blackened’ silver

Please note that any type of silver polishing cloth or liquid cleaner is NOT suitable for use on charms or bracelets of oxidised silver. This is silver that has deliberately been crafted to give a blackened appearance.

For such items, we recommend using Town Talk’s Delicate Jewellery Cleaner and a soft microfibre polishing cloth.

cleaning gold charm bracelets

Gold and Rose Gold Charms and Bracelets.

For solid gold and rose gold, we recommend Town Talk’s Gold Polishing Cloth to reveal the natural, brilliant shine of your items. For pieces that need a deep clean, use Town Talk’s Jewel Sparkle, our liquid dip cleaner, before the polishing cloth.

gold plated charms

For Gold Plated items, do not use any type of gold polishing cloth. This is because gold is a notoriously soft metal, and so gold plating can be worn away even by specialist cleaners. Instead, we recommend using Town Talk’s Jewel Sparkle Dip followed by a polish with a soft microfibre cloth to remove dirt and leave your charms shining.

glass, enamel and pearl charms

Glass and enamel charms

To preserve the shine to your glass and enamel charms, the Town Talk Delicate Jewellery Cleaner will gently remove any built up dirt and grime. The Delicate Jewellery Cleaner can also be used on everyday fashion jewellery so it’s useful to have on-hand!

Pearl Charms

If you are lucky enough to own a pearl charm, we recommend taking extra care to preserve its natural beauty! To clean your pearls we recommend the Town Talk Delicate Jewellery Cleaner which has been specially formulated to bring out the lustre of this natural gemstone. It can also be used on all of your charms for a quick spruce up.

Because pearls are so delicate, do not use any jewellery cleaner on your pearls unless it specifically states that it has been formulated for pearls.

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top tip

Wait to put your pearl jewellery on until AFTER you have applied your perfume and cosmetics, which can cause pitting

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wearing your charm bracelet

Charm bracelets are a unique and personal item of jewellery that are often full of memories. We hope this guide helps you to enjoy its sparkle every time you wear it, for years to come!

How to Clean Silver Jewellery

how to clean silver jewellery

Keep your jewellery tarnish free, sparkling and ready to wear for longer.

Here is a 3 step method for caring for silver, which is suitable for both sterling silver and silver plated items.

Please note, the products listed below are suitable for silver jewellery without gemstones. For information on how to care for your gemstone jewellery, see our guide on how to clean and care for your gemstone jewellery.

step 1: clean

First, clean your items using Town Talk’s Silver Sparkle. This liquid dip cleaner removes the tarnish from your silver items in just minutes, bringing back the sparkling finish to your silver items. There is a small brush included which allows you to get into any tiny areas where dirt has built up. After cleaning with the Silver Sparkle, we recommend rinsing your jewellery with water and drying it with a soft, clean cloth.

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top tip

Avoid rinsing your jewellery with running water and instead use a bowl to avoid accidentally dropping jewellery down the drain!

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step 2: polish

Once your items are clean and the tarnish has been removed, buff your items to a shining finish using a Town Talk Silver Polishing Cloth. The cloth is impregnated with Town Talk’s unique formula which provides Anti-Tarnish protection for your silver. This prolongs the tarnishing process, helping to keep your silver looking its best for longer. There is also the added bonus that the silver won’t need to be cleaned as often.

step 3: protect

Silver is a soft metal and so it is prone to knocks and scratches. It is best to store your silver in a jewellery pouch or an individual compartment within a jewellery box for protection. Tarnishing happens when silver is exposed to natural pollutants in the air, so keeping your silver in a smaller pouch or container will help to slow down this process due to having a lower exposure.

Following this 3 step process will keep silver jewellery looking at its best for years to come. We hope that you enjoy making your jewellery sparkling again!