Cleaning sterling

[Kitten35]

What is the best way to clean sterling (with gemstones set in) to get rid of tarnish in the more intricate sections of a jewelry piece?

 

[stracci2000]

What are the gemstones? Can you post photos so we can give you the best advice?

Certain gems cannot be exposed to cleaners, like pearls, emeralds, turquoise, and coral.
Also, some gems are glued in, like marcasite and pearls, so these should not get wet at all.

 

[Kevin Bryant]

It Depends on the Gemstone as to how you can clean it, also if the sterling Rhodium plated? I buy and sell a lot of vintage sterling and sterling silver jewelry. I sometimes buy by the pound and I have a process for cleaning. Items with Gemstones or stones I pull out and inspect some can be treated in a chemical tarnish remover some cant, softer stone and a lot of the Semi precious gems can not and I will use a hand polisher like Wright's, some I wont even use any thing but a cloth rag or a Klean Karats rags work well. But the keys that I use to cleaning, I do own a buffer but I dont expect everyone to have a buffer so I would recommend the following.

1. If you are not sure of the gemstone or the treatment of the stone hand clean it
2. Peridot and other soft and none quarts semi Precious gemstone get done by hand
3. If its rhodium plated and the Rhodium is wearing off it usually goes in the scrap bucket
4. When in doubt regular cloth and soapy water or toothpaste and water always works to clean it along with elbow grease

 

[Begonia]

If it's all silver, and no stones, you could try aluminum foil, baking soda and hot water.
Flat bowl with piece of foil on bottom. Sprinkle generously with bs and lay piece on foil. Pour boiling water over piece. It will bubble up, move piece around on foil with fork. Rinse with warm water and dry. Do not use with stones! Not for rhodium plate either. Works great with chains, but can also remove all the patina from a piece so be warned of that.

 

[Kitten35]

Thanks!

Ihave a few rings in sterling and a few stud earrings. Stones vary but some are soft or porous; moonstone, turquoise, etc. I have a cloth and hand polish but am not sure how to do like the inner sections especially around the prongs on the studs.

No plating. I don’t tend to go for that as it is too high maintenance.

 

[stracci2000]

If you have stud basket settings with turquoise and moonstones, there's not much you can do about tarnish in the crevices of the basket and prongs.

I sometimes will gently scrub in there with a tiny bit of toothpaste on an old toothbrush, avoiding the top of the stone. Then rinse well.
If you can get most of the tarnish off this way, then store them in plastic baggies to keep the tarnish from reoccurring.

 

[Kitten35]

Thanks! What about jewelry cleaner, like what you get from Connoisseurs, only around the sterling not the stone?

Will storing it in a pill box work?

 

[stracci2000]

Thanks! What about jewelry cleaner, like what you get from Connoisseurs, only around the sterling not the stone?
Will storing it in a pill box work?

I never used Connoisseurs, so I cannot recommend it.
The pill box must be air tight.

 

[Nikki1415]

Thanks! What about jewelry cleaner, like what you get from Connoisseurs, only around the sterling not the stone?

Will storing it in a pill box work?

I usually use Connoisseurs and I never put anything in it because it is super strong, Just use a toothbrush and dip it into the cleaner and use it on the sterling, carefully going around the stones.

 

[kenny]

If it's all silver, and no stones, you could try aluminum foil, baking soda and hot water.
Flat bowl with piece of foil on bottom. Sprinkle generously with bs and lay piece on foil. Pour boiling water over piece. It will bubble up, move piece around on foil with fork. Rinse with warm water and dry. Do not use with stones! Not for rhodium plate either. Works great with chains, but can also remove all the patina from a piece so be warned of that.

I clean my sterling this way because it's groovy, simple, & cheap ... just like me.

 

[pwsg07]

I recommend a sliver polishing cloth. It is easy to use

 

[Gloria27]

I use a metal polishing paste on my solid metal jewellery yet not too often because it's not necessary. My silver stays shiny for a long time, my husband's goes completely black. At first I polished it out but then the patina came back and we thought it looks cool like this.
Below a picture of my flat snake chain next to his (and my wedding ring). I seldomly wear mine and looks shinier when I do, his goes black and he wears it every day.

 

[Arcadian]

Tarnex possibly? as long as you don't get too much on the stone. Did that with a silver bracelet, then kept it in silver wrap unless I wore it (this helps keep it from tarnishing)

 

[lambskin]

I use old fashion paste silver polish and hand clean With soft brushes, Qtips and soft rags.I make sure the piece is well rinsed after a cleaning in mild dish soap To get the polish/tarnish residue off. Goddards silver polish is a brand I stocked up on as it got hard to find. After cleaning I wrap the piece in a soft cotton rag then in a ziplock bag.

 

[stracci2000]

I use a metal polishing paste on my solid metal jewellery yet not too often because it's not necessary. My silver stays shiny for a long time, my husband's goes completely black. At first I polished it out but then the patina came back and we thought it looks cool like this.
Below a picture of my flat snake chain next to his (and my wedding ring). I seldomly wear mine and looks shinier when I do, his goes black and he wears it every day.

My husband turns his sterling black, too! How strange!

 

[Gloria27]

My husband turns his sterling black, too! How strange!

It's sulphur from sweat apparently. Never happens to his ring and skin doesn't turn black in either case.

I tarnish 9ct gold earrings posts and backings they turn black-iridescent and 14ct earring posts turn red-ish like copper. No reaction with gold rings and 925 silver, quite the opposite, becomes shiny.
Also my skin is good to pearls, they stay shiny.

I polish my jewellery from time to time, stay clear of the stones ( polishing paste is abrasive) and wash it with soapy water afterwards.

 

[Kitten35]

Thank you for all the advice! I will try this today and see how things turn out.