Cleaning silver and gold jewelry can be a pain! Living in Hawaii means humidity, sweat, moisturizers, and even the medications we take can cause build-up and act as attractants for TARNISH to occur! And to answer a question we've been asked thousands of times over the past 20 years: ALL STERLING SILVER will tarnish. REAL silver will change color. So how to clean it? You can dip it, rub it, or shake it up! Read on for our 4 FAVORITE ways of cleaning our jewelry at The Bead Gallery and at home! We've used and carried these products for anywhere from 10 - 20 years, so feel free to ask questions or pick one up and get started on your cleaning! None of them replace each other, and some we use in tandem. And they ALL WORK GREAT![
Shine Brite. The easiest and fastest of them all.
- Just dip your jewelry or chain in and take it out.
- Rinse with optional soap, and definitely water.
- Dry to avoid water spots.
- Don't put in porous items like turquoise and pearls. The dip will dull these.
- Wash your hands after.
- Watch the 2.5 minute video here: Shine Brite Jewelry Cleaning in Seconds at The Bead Gallery
The Tumbler. The strongest and most efficient of them all.
- Place your jewelry, silver beads, loose findings in the barrel and close.
- Add water and soap.
- Place into the holder, turn on and leave it alone for 30 minutes to overnight.
- The tumbler cleans, polishes, burnishes and work hardens metal - metal workers can't live without this!
- Pour into a strainer to separate shot from jewelry easily.
- Dry your shot completely before storing back in the rubber barrel.
- Watch the 3 minute video here: How to Use a Tumbler to Clean and Polish Jewelry at the Bead Gallery
The Sunshine Polishing Cloth. The most labor intensive and convenient of them all.
- Rub your jewelry with a good amount of force.
- This will "exfoliate" and remove a microscopic amount of the outer layer of metal, making your piece smooth and shiny.
- Unlike cloths with rouge, this is non-toxic, so don't be afraid to breathe while polishing.
- Do not wash this cloth. Ever. Once it gets to the point of no return, we use ours as the "first" run polisher, then do a follow up with a newer one.
- To remove any extra fibers and polishing magic, wash and dry your jewelry after.
- Watch the 2 minute video here: How to Use a Tumbler to Clean and Polish Jewelry at the Bead Gallery
Quik Brite. The safest and people/earth-friendly of them all.
- Place your items in a small plastic or glass dish and spray generously.
- This contains enzymes to remove all body oils, general debris and grime on all jewelry and stones.
- Rinse and dry your jewelry. Store in airtight bags or containers to prevent future tarnish on pieces you rarely wear.
- This will not harm precious stones.
- This will not remove tarnish, but will PREVENT tarnish from occurring. This is great for pro-active jewelry maintentance!
- QuikBrite is biodegradable, organic in nature and is non-caustic, non-acidic, non-corrosive, non-hazardous and non-flammable.
- You can use it safely in your kitchen - we love this stuff!
Quick Links to our YouTube Videos:
How to Use a Tumbler to Clean and Polish Jewelry at the Bead Gallery