Here are a few cleaning tips to help you keep your jewelry beautiful and healthy for many years to come:  

  • When possible, entrust the cleaning of your jewelry to the knowledgeable staff at Philippe Medawar. For your convenience, you may telephone or email for an appointment to keep your jewelry sparkling clean.
  • Avoid in-home ultrasonic machines to clean your jewelry. Many gemstones cannot withstand the heat and vibration inherent in an ultrasonic machine. We see jewelry that is so desperately in need of cleaning and servicing that the only thing holding gems in place is dirt. Jewelry that is very dirty and in disrepair shouldn’t be cleaned until it can be inspected and repaired. The vibration of ultrasonic waves can loosen gemstones from their mountings, chip gems that are touching and make gems fall into the cleaning solution. As an alternative to the in-home ultrasonic machine, use a very soft bristle brush with a mild, soapy cleaning agent.
  • Antique jewelry may contain gems that are assembled and coated with foils, plastic, glass and wax that are not stable when subjected to ultrasonic cleaning. Consult an expert at Philippe Medawar before proceeding.
  • Pearls should be gently cleaned with each wearing. Use a soft, non-abrasive cloth to wipe each pearl or a new cosmetic brush with warm water and a very mild, soapy cleanser. Pearl bracelets and strands that are worn often should be professionally cleaned and re-strung annually.
  • We strongly caution clients to not immerse pearl strands in water or cleanser unless being professionally restrung. The pollutants and chemicals that are on the surface of the pearls, such as oils and dead skin cells, will dissolve in the solution when the strand is immersed, thereby re-coating every pearl, the cord and the clasp. Also, the weight of the pearls and any pulling of the strand while cleaning will stretch the wet silk cord causing gaps between the pearls and the silk knots. For additional information on how to care for pearl jewelry, click here.
  • Do not clean jewelry in the dishwasher. Many colored gemstones cannot withstand heat or sudden temperature changes. Rinsing jewelry set with tanzanite, moonstone, iolite, topaz, kunzite, turquoise, lapis lazuli, opal and others in cold water and then drying with a high heat source (such as a hair-dryer or dishwasher) could potentially cleave (break) gems, increase crazing (fine cracks) in opals and alter the color of some gems. For additional information on  how to care for colored gemstones, click here.
  • Jewelry containing organic gem material such as bone, ivory, shell, amber, pearl and coral cannot withstand chemicals, heat or vibration and should never be cleaned in an ultrasonic machine. You may clean most organic material with mild, soapy water, a very soft bristle brush and rinse with lukewarm water.
  • Please, do use your old toothbrush to clean grout in the shower and not to clean your jewelry. Besides scratching metal and gems, (especially pearls) old toothbrushes carry microscopic gross stuff that you don’t want to spread all over your jewelry. Additionally, old toothbrushes have toothpaste residue that is an abrasive which will also scratch jewelry and gems.
  • Do not clean jewelry in chlorine bleach, vinegar, saltwater, laundry detergent or other chemical-rich solutions. One of our clients soaked her diamond wedding ring in a household cleaner inside a clear drinking glass and left it on the window ledge of her kitchen. Days later, she was shocked to find that her ring was gone! The chlorine-rich solution had dissolved her ring mounting and she had thrown the contents, including her large diamond, down the drain.
  • Do not clean jewelry with abrasive ingredients such as salt, baking soda or toothpaste that will scratch jewelry and gemstones.
  • Clients are cautioned to not rinse jewelry under a running faucet as the force of the water stream may loosen gemstones and/or your grip thus washing them down the drain.
  • Pulsed-water dental cleaning devices may loosen gemstones in or from their mountings.
  • Air-dry jewelry on a clean, soft, lint-free towel. However, do not dry jewelry containing colored gemstones or organic gem material in direct sunlight. If drying jewelry with a soft towel, take care to not snag prongs.
  • Each individual gemstone and the various mountings in which they're set require different approaches to cleaning. Experts at Philippe Medawar consider the age and condition of jewelry in conjunction with the unique requirements of that particular item before determining cleaning methods. Please inquire at Philippe Medawar how to best clean your jewelry to help ensure its beauty will endure for many years to come.