I was roaming around my jewelry box the other day and trying to reorganize and account for each of my items and I noticed that some of my pieces have tarnished! I thought by simply having jewelry in a special case it would be ok, but a good cleaning is important every now and again!

The following are products I’m going to use to clean my jewelry instead of bringing them into the jeweler.

Cyber Clean putty can be used to attract dirt and dust. (www.thinkgeek.com). This product can also be used on other items such as a keyboard, cell phone, or remote control.

Below is a list of types of jewelry and the best way to clean them:

Pearls
Pearls are very delicate and should be wiped with a damp cloth.

Pearls should be worn after cosmetics and hair spray are applied — these can discolor pearls.

Jewelry should be worn frequently for greater luster. The pearls absorbs the skin’s natural oils. They get a nice shine the more they are worn.

Gold
Gold needs to be soaked for about 15 minutes in a very easy-to-make solution.

Add two cups of warm water and a few drops of a mild dishwashing liquid like “Joy.” Gently scrub with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth

Silver
Silver should be rinsed in warm water and patted dry. If silver jewelry is tarnished, use a silver-polishing cloth or a jar of silver-cleaning fluid. Silver-cleaner won’t harm gold or platinum, but it won’t clean them either.

Cleaning your jewelry all at once will save you time and give you the freedom to wear any piece in your jewelry box!