

Unfortunately, many household cleaners contain bleach and chlorine which can damage and discolor the mountings of your jewels. Household Cleaners: Sometimes, people will simply use what they have available. As a result, most gemstones will start to look dull and lifeless after exposing them to toothpaste and pearls will not only begin to lose their natural luster, but the the layers of nacre that took years to build up will also start to wear away. The abrasives scratch gold, silver, platinum, and most other metals, and disfigure the surface of semi-precious stones.

Unfortunately, most commercial toothpastes contain abrasives and bleaches. Toothpaste: You may have heard that toothpaste is an easy at-home solution for cleaning rare metals and precious stones. It has a pungent order and is both caustic and hazardous, and can cause damage to your eyes, skin, and the tissue beneath your skin, and inhaling ammonia can damage your respiratory track. In addition, ammonia is environmentally hazardous. In addition, colored gemstones, especially those treated with oils, will eventually lose their brilliance, becoming dull and lifeless.

The prongs (used in mounting the gemstones) will become weak and often chip after years of exposure to ammonia, and the band will become pitted, dull, and discolored. You can see this result demonstrated in antique rings. However, over time, ammonia will actually weaken metal. THESE CLEANING AGENTS CAN DEVALUE YOUR JEWELRYĪmmonia: Many people have been told that ammonia is a good agent for cleaning jewelry.
