A blog about the adventures of life in miniature, making jewelry from it, new and old bits and pieces, and lots of inspiration!

Wednesday 20 January 2010

Shine up for a New Year!


Now that the holiday season is long gone it is time to get yourself (and your jewelry!!) back into shape!

Over time base and precious metal jewelry will get dirty from, simply from wearing it. On most of the pieces I make, the chains will darken if worn consistently. But you can usually shine them up quite well with a simple cleaning method.

The fastest and easiest way to clean your jewelry is with TOOTHPASTE! Yes, that's right, toothpaste! Any kind of toothpaste will work, although I find that the kind that is white works better than the kind that is a gel.

Step 1: take a dollop of toothpaste in your hand and rub all along the chain (gently so you don't snap it)

Step 2: rub in the toothpaste with a soft cloth

Step 3: run chain under cold water to rinse off the toothpaste

Step 4: dry the chain with a soft cloth, and you're done!

This method of cleaning jewelry will work on many different surfaces, gold filled, sterling silver, copper plated, brass, and gold and silver colored chains.
Make sure you dry your jewelry well when you are finished, as some base metal jewelry will rust.

Good luck!