How to Clean Birthstone and Mother'S Ring Jewelry

Cleaning birthstone and Mother's rings, takes some thought and care. The reason is that, unlike diamonds and 18-karat gold, gemstones, silver and 14-karat gold are softer materials and more easily scratched.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soft toothbrush
• Lint-free cotton cloth
• Toothpaste
• White vinegar
• Silver polish

1. Spread out an absorbent cotton or paper towel for a work space. Assemble your materials, including a bowl of clean water, and place them within reach.

2. Rings can be cleaned with plain toothpaste on a soft toothbrush or soft, worn head on an electric toothbrush. Don't brush too hard, especially on soft metals. Rinse and polish with a soft cloth.

3. Clean dingy gems by soaking them in white vinegar, ammonia or hot, soapy water. Skin oils and flakes of dead skin are the culprit here and these baths dissolve them. Buff with a soft cloth.

4. Remove tarnish on silver rings by cleaning with silver cream and a soft toothbrush or try putting the rings on a piece of aluminum foil in hot water and sprinkling a little baking soda in the water. Buff with a soft cloth.

5. Remove the gloppy buildup on the back of the setting under the stone with a hot, soapy bath and good scrub with a soft brush. This stuff is mainly dirt and residue from soap and cleaning products.

Tips & Warnings

• Jewelers sell "sonic" cleaners to clean jewelry. This may be worthwhile if you have a lot of jewelry to clean but it doesn't work much better than soaking in soapy water.
• Try putting your rings in a bowl of hot water and then adding a denture-cleaning tablet. When the tablet stops fizzing, your rings will be clean.
• Never use brushes and toothpaste on pearls. Clean them with olive oil on a soft cloth.
• Chlorine-based cleaners will dull metal. Always remove rings or wear gloves when using these cleaners.

Resources

• Cleaning tips