Spring cleaning for jewelry

Give your jewelry collection a little spring cleaning to keep pieces looking their best. Before you start, however, get everything in its right place with proper organization: • Don’t jumble your jewelry. Use hooks and racks to keep necklaces untangled and tidy.

• Separate everyday jewelry. Use a tray or small jewelry box to hold onto pieces that you wear daily, so there’s no digging through your drawers in the mornings.

• Use an earring tree. If you have a lot of earrings to display, like stunning 14k Gold Nugget SemiHoop Earrings from Alaska Jewelry, use a store-bought earring tree to keep everything separate and looking pretty.

Once your jewelry is organized, it’s time to clean. For gold jewelry, like this 12mm Gold Nugget Bear Pendant designed by Oro-Cal, skip commercial cleaners and use what you have at home. Mix warm water with a couple drops of mild dish soap and scrub using a soft-bristle toothbrush. If you have gold jewelry that’s tarnished, mix a few drops of ammonia into the dish soap mix, and submerge your jewelry for a few seconds.

Remove and carefully scrub with a toothbrush, rinse with lukewarm water, then air dry.

Silver jewelry should be stored in anti-tarnish bags. If your silver pieces have taken some wear and tear since your last spring cleaning, use care when polishing. Silver is a soft metal and scratches easy if the wrong cloth is used. It’s recommended to polish silver using a speciallymade silver cleaning cloth (available at most jewelry stores), or using a very soft, clean sponge.

Don’t forget about your pearls! If you have strands that are visibly dirty, use 1 teaspoon of Woolite diluted in 1 quart of water as a solvent. Immerse the pearls for 10 to 15 seconds, then wipe clean with a soft cotton cloth. Pearls should always be stored in a cotton bag separate from other jewelry.

The best way to keep your pearls maintained, however, is to wear them.

Your skin’s natural oils will keep pearls bright and polished. Pearls are a popular accessory for spring and summer fashion, so make sure yours are looking their best this season!

For jewelry with fine detailing or etching, use a brass brush to clean inside grooved surfaces.

The bristles will give your jewelry a smooth, polished look. Add some extra shine with a soft cloth and your piece is ready to wear!

One example of a piece that would benefit from a cleaning using a brass brush is the 14k Gold Square Gold-in-Quartz Ring with Gold Nuggeting from Alaska Jewelry.

Set a schedule each spring to get your jewelry checked by a professional. This is vital to ensure the structure of your jewelry holds up over time. A jeweler can check prongs, clasps, and links to identify any weak spots. This is especially helpful for jewelry with pricey stones, such as the 14k Yellow Gold Freeform Nuggeted Ring with 5 Round Diamonds.

If your jewelry has loose or worn prongs, the stones could fall out when you least expect it, and you might not always catch them in time. To avoid losing a precious investment, it’s necessary to bring your pieces to a jeweler regularly for an assessment.

After getting your jewelry assessed by a professional, take note of any items needing repair. Handle these repairs as soon as possible, as continuing to wear a broken piece of jewelry can cause excess damage or even loss. For example, forcing a clasp to close when it’s bent can cause a necklace or bracelet to become irreparable. Rather than lose a valuable piece, it’s advisable to repair all jewelry with broken or improperly functioning components as soon as possible. Believe it or not, this will help you to save money in the long run.

Even mild chemicals can ruin the finish and color of most jewelry. Always wear rubber gloves when using chemicals, even gentle solvents like household cleaning aids. Better yet, get into the habit of removing your jewelry before handling chemicals, in order to prevent damaging the overall structure of a piece.

Alaska Jewelry offers innovative designs for fine jewelry lovers. Operating out of Sitka, Alaska, founders Chris and Tamara Fondell attract customers from all over the world with their selection of precious metals, gemstones, gold nugget jewelry, and more. For additional info about Alaska Jewelry, call 1-800-360-5744 or shop online at http://www.alaskajewelry.com/.