xeniadesign.com - Cleaning, Caring & Storing Your Jewelry

I have tried many different cleaning regimens but my favorite Wire Wrapped Jewelry Cleaner is Dawn dish soap. It's safe on most gemstones, pearls and clay as well as on your skin. I use a soft bristled toothbrush or cotton swab and gently rub carefully not to get the bristles stuck in a tight space. Finally, a polishing cloth is my best friend, it shines up the pieces to sparkle!

Cleaning Your Jewelry:

Cover the drain, in case you drop your jewelry.

Run the warm water in a gentle stream.

Rub soap on the piece with your fingers or soft toothbrush, I do NOT recommend brushing gems with a metal or stiff brush unless you know they are hard and can tolerate brushing.

Brush gently if it has fine gauge wire or has delicate designs or stones to avoid bending, scratching, or damaging the wire or gemstone.

Rinse thoroughly with warm water and pat dry with paper towel or a non-snagging cotton cloth.

If tarnish is stubborn, rub or brush the soap on, let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then rinse with water.

Once the jewelry has thoroughly dried, you can buff it gently with a polishing cloth.

I rarely use harsh chemical cleaners on pieces that have gemstones as they mostly contain ammonia which can pit and damage many gemstones.

I use sterling silver cleaner as a last resort with old sterling silver chains that need serious cleaning.

The copper wire that I use has a clear coating to avoid tarnishing all together.

Storing & Care For Your Jewelry:

Avoid scenarios that can crush or catch delicate or filigreed wire wrapped jewelry such as snagging sweaters and bending over the grocery cart.

Do not throw it in a drawer with other pieces that can scratch or harm it.

Avoid storing it in direct sunlight or excesive heat and cold changing temperatures.

Do not expose it to harsh chemicals or household cleaners.

Remove when applying hairspray, perfume, lotion or skin care and make-up.

Do not swim in your jewelry, chlorine will cause pits in gold, silver & gemstones.

A good way to store jewelry is in individual jewelry boxes and/or ziplock baggies. Ziplock baggies keep silver from tarshing quickly by keeping the oxygen from the precious metal which is what causes tarnish.

Properly cleaning & caring for your jewelry can make a world of difference in maintaining its beauty and keeping it in good condition for generations. I am not an expert, just a jewelry artist that has cleaned LOTS of wire wrapped jewelry! If you are not sure about cleaning your particular piece of jewelry I would reccommend taking it to a jeweler for cleaning assistance.