You will come across so many different home remedies for cleaning jewellery when asking Mr Google. Some are so outrageous that it makes me wonder if the jewellery ends up dirtier than it was to start with, on the other hand some would work quite well. The following method is one that I use on an extremely regular basis, both at the shop and at home.

The following methods are only to be used with diamonds, natural rubies/sapphires and gold jewellery – check with a reputable jeweller before cleaning any gemstones that I haven’t mentioned, it could end in a disaster if you use this method with pearls or certain other stones (always better to be safe then sorry).

You will need:

  • Cloudy ammonia (found at any supermarket in the cleaning isle)
  • Boiling hot water
  • Dish-washing liquid
  • A small soft brush (an old toothbrush will do the trick)
  • A small-ish glass bowl or glass

What to do: 

  1. Pour equal amounts of cloudy ammonia and hot water into the bowl (depending on how many items you’re cleaning, about 1/2 a cup of each is sufficient). It doesn’t need to be exact, near enough is fine!
  2. Add a couple small drops of dish washing liquid.
  3. Give it a quick stir using the toothbrush, then gently drop your items into the bowl.
  4. Leave it for a few minutes (until the solution is cool enough to touch).
  5. Remove one item at a time, give it a gentle scrub using the toothbrush and repeat with every item.
  6. Rinse items with cold tap water (Put the plug in first before bringing your jewellery too close to the sink, just in case you drop an item).
  7. If the jewellery still isn’t clean enough just give it another scrub. Once you’re happy with it dry it off with a cloth. I usually keep one of my spectacle cleaning cloths aside just for jewellery cleaning – that way you aren’t left with any fluff on your stones.

Enjoy your bright and sparkling diamonds!

Written by: Tiana Fenner