Off-The-Chains-Ways To Clean Your Jewelry

Has your bling lost its brilliance, your gold its glitter and your silver its sparkle? Although taking your fine jewelry for a professional cleaning once a year is a good idea, you can keep it in show-off condition at home with very little time and effort...and with a bit of what's in your cupboard.

Arm yourself with some warm water, mild dish detergent and an old toothbrush, then soak, scrub, rinse and dry. That's the tried-and-true method for most jewelry. But let's get specific:

Diamonds and Other Gemstones

Use the power of the fizz! Drop an antacid tablet into a glass of water, then put your hard stones like diamonds, rubies and sapphires in it and let the fizz do its work. Your gems will gleam! Club soda's bubbles can also make your baubles sparkle.

Vodka is also great for hard stones. Let them soak in the stuff for a few minutes to restore that lustrous shine. Just don't go dunking your jewelry in a vodka tonic or cosmo — the sugars in the mixers will hurt, not help, the sparkle.

Toothpaste can polish your teeth and your gemstones. Just use an old, soft toothbrush and apply with care, especially when metal is involved. Bonus: your jewels will smell minty-fresh.

Porous gemstones like opals, onyx and turquoise, or organic gems like pearls, amber and coral benefit from a soft-cloth buffing. The tried-and-true method works, too, but never soak these gems and dry them completely. Visit a professional for super-soiled soft sparklies.

Window cleaner will leave your gems streak-free and super-shiny! Spray on the cleaner, then gently scrub with a soft brush. Soft stones and window cleaner don't mix.

Special note: Emeralds are fragile because of natural fissures that are filled with oil during the cutting process for a clearer appearance. Steam, hot water and grease-fighting dish soaps are like Kryptonite to this oil, so stay away from them. Tanzanite, tourmaline and peridot also fall into this category.

Solid Gold

Mix ½ cup ammonia with one cup of warm water and let your jewelry relax in the bath for 10 minutes. Wipe clean and let dry.

Vinegar cleans just about everything, even gold (and silver). Soak your gold jewelry for 10-15 minutes, scrub with a soft-bristled brush if needed and dry thoroughly.

Pour a little beer on a soft cloth and polish your gold until it shines — dark ales are not recommended. What you do with the leftovers is up to you.

Silver

If you're dripping in silver jewelry, clean the lot at one time by dropping it all in a foil-lined cup or bowl. Barely cover it all with baking soda, then pour hot water over it. When the bubbles stop, rinse and buff. Repeat as necessary.

Mix one tablespoon of powdered, non-bleach laundry detergent with hot water, then soak your silver in it for one minute. Rinse thoroughly.

After you're done with those fries, use the leftover ketchup and a soft cloth or soft-bristled brush to apply it, then rinse before buffing. Lots of tarnish? Let it sit for 15 minutes first.

A paste made with either cornstarch or cream of tartar and water will restore that silvery shine. Simply apply with a damp cloth and buff with a mildly abrasive towel or cheesecloth.