Published by Mat @Victoria James on Wednesday, August 06, 2025
Written by Keri,
Victoria James Jewellers, Stratford-Upon-Avon
There is no better feeling than taking home a new piece of jewellery. Over time however, your sparkling new ring may lose some of its original lustre and appear marked or dirty. The stone may look a different colour to when you bought it. Perhaps the chain that your pendant sits on has lost its bright metallic colour - this guide will walk you through the best way to care for your much-loved jewellery and how to make it last as long as possible.
Polishing Cloths:
An invaluable tool, we use a simple jewellery polishing cloth to give a light clean to all of our jewellery. Polishing cloths often contain specialized cleaning agents, like jewellers rouge, that help to dissolve and lift away tarnish and dirt, and are designed to bring out the natural, bright pigments within the metal. The cloth itself provides a gentle abrasive action; as you rub the cloth against the jewellery, it removes microscopic layers of oxidation and surface imperfections revealing the cleaner, brighter metal underneath.
Found in a few variations, including specific ones for white and yellow metal - Silver polishing cloths are suitable for any white metal, including white gold, platinum and palladium, whereas gold polishing cloths are more suitable for the warmer metals, such as yellow and rose gold. There are also dual-cloth systems, whereby the first layer will remove dirt and tarnish, and the second layer is specifically devoted to enhancing the colour and brightness of your jewellery. Certain polishing cloths also contain anti-tarnish agents that help to slow down the tarnishing process, keeping your jewellery looking brighter for longer!
That being said, you won't have to go out and buy every kind of cloth on the market - each variety will work on most jewellery, but having the right one for your jewellery does make all the difference!
Jewellery Dip:
Designed for a bit of a deeper clean, jewellery cleaning dips work by using chemical reactions to remove tarnish or dirt from metal surfaces. Silver dip solutions typically contain thiourea or potassium thiocyanate, which react with the silver sulfide that forms on tarnished silver. This reaction breaks down the silver sulfide, releasing the silver and sulfur. Gold dip solutions often use acids to dissolve the tarnish layer (which is often a layer of oxidation). The jewellery is immersed, and the acid removes the tarnish, restoring the gold's shine.
To use a jewellery dip, take your piece of jewellery and drop it into the liquid for around 15-20 seconds. Most varieties of jewellery dip cleaners supply you with a small brush to get into all of the tiny nooks and crannies of your piece; this can be the most useful tool for completing this process to the very best standard! If there is no brush included in the dip that you have, you can always use an ordinary soft-bristled toothbrush.
Next, remove your jewellery from the dip, rinse with room-temperature water and dry using a simple tea-towel or J-cloth, then finish off by giving it a really good buff with the necessary polishing cloth and watch your piece sparkle like new again!
Some materials used to make jewellery simply don't agree with jewellery cleaning dips and should not be used under any circumstances:
Soft and porous stones: Pearls, opals, coral, lapis lazuli, turquoise and other soft stones can be damaged by the chemicals in silver dip.
Oxidized silver: Silver dip can remove the darkened finish of oxidized silver.
Enamel: Enamel can be damaged or discolored by silver dip.
Costume jewellery: Many costume jewellery pieces contain materials that are not compatible with silver dip.
Jewellery with paper inserts or foiled gemstones: These can be damaged by moisture or chemicals in the dip.
Gold-plated or gold vermeil jewellery: Silver dip can remove the plating.
Jewellery with significant flaws or cracks: The dip could exacerbate existing damage.
Jewellery with significant age: The harsh chemicals used in jewellery cleaning dips can damage the components of the piece. Always either use a polishing cloth alone, mild soap and water with a soft-bristled toothbrush, or take it to your local jewellers to either advise on the best course of action for that specific piece, or have them clean it for you.
Certain gemstones: Amber, Malachite, and some emeralds can be damaged or dissolve in the solution. Additionally, be cautious with gemstones with treatments such as citrine, as these can also be negatively affected by the dip. For these gemstones, use a soft cloth and a soft-bristled toothbrush with mild soap and water, or consult a jeweller for professional cleaning.
Always check the directions on your jewellery cleaning dip for specific instructions - Each brand should tell you what it can and cannot be used for.
Ultrasonic Cleaners:
A fantastic way to shake all of the dirt out from the crevices of your jewellery, ultrasonic cleaners work by using high-frequency sound waves to create cavitation, a process where tiny bubbles form and implode, dislodging dirt and grime from jewellery. This method is effective for cleaning intricate details and hard-to-reach areas of jewellery that traditional methods may miss.
To use an ultrasonic cleaner, follow the same instructions as you would when using an ordinary jewellery cleaning dip.
Bear in mind that this process is not suitable for all kinds of jewellery - it follows the same parameters as ordinary cleaning dip and particularly delicate jewellery should absolutely not be put into an ultrasonic cleaner as it can actually shake out any loose gemstones!
If you have an item of jewellery that you're not entirely sure of how to care for, you're always welcome to pop into either our Birmingham Jewellery Quarter branch, or our Stratford-Upon-Avon branch to get some free expert advice. You can find our opening times here.