One of the most important tricks you need to learn to ensure the longevity and the brightness of your jewelry is how to clean the jewelry well without damaging the valuable and gorgeous pieces of jewelry.
And with the internet rife with ideas, tips, and tricks on how to clean your jewelry easily, it isn’t that hard to keep your jewelry shining all through.
However, one thing that most people don’t mention is the use of hot water in cleaning the jewelry and the possibilities that come with cleaning your jewelry in hot water.
You may also be wondering if you can clean your valuable jewelry in hot or boiling water in the first place.
So, we’ll look at everything you need to know about cleaning jewelry, especially where hot, boiling water is involved.
Can you boil fake jewelry?
If yours is fake jewelry and it has started to tarnish, cleaning the pieces may seem like the best approach for you and an easy way of getting rid of the tarnish.
Still, it is not always a suitable remedy, especially if the jewelry pieces are gold-plated and the plated layer is already wearing off. But if the pieces are still new and the base metal is not exposed yet, cleaning the jewelry in hot water might work.
It is not an advisable cleaning option for old, fake jewelry, though, because most of the damage on such jewelry pieces cannot be undone.
You should not boil the jewelry if it is made of fake or imitation stones and other precious materials. This is also the case with cheap jewelry made of plastic that is not medical-grade or silicone, hard rubber, wood, animal bone, etc.
Does boiling water damage jewelry?
Boiling gold, sterling silver, and diamond jewelry as part of your jewelry cleaning routine will not damage the jewelry. It is an excellent way of ensuring that the diamond sparkles and retains its brilliance in the long run.
The hot water helps dissolve and knock off the dirt off the jewelry, mainly because jewelry is constantly accumulating dirt when you wear it and even when you are not wearing it. You’d need to clean the jewelry regularly, depending on your lifestyle and comfort levels.
Remember that jewelry made of solid materials will not be damaged by hot water. For example, professional jewelry experts recommend cleaning the jewelry with an ultrasonic cleaner once a year.
This cleaner cleans the jewelry thoroughly by exposing it to high temperature and pressure conditions that help knock out all the dirt from the jewelry.
When cleaning your diamond jewelry at home, however, it is recommended that you clean the pieces in warm soapy water, using mild detergent and perhaps soaking it in hot, not boiling water beforehand.
You should avoid cleaning diamond jewelry with boiling water at home because you risk damaging the precious stone if the water temperature is too high and you don’t clean the pieces correctly.
Doing it at home also risks the diamond because you may end up using an inadequate amount of the liquid or, in other cases, cool down the diamond improperly, hence a high risk of damage to the diamond. In other words, you need to be extra careful when cleaning diamond jewelry with hot water.
The good news is that you can boil jewelry made of sterling silver and solid gold to sterilize and thoroughly clean the pieces, as long as they have no jewels on them, acrylic, or electronic components.
But don’t keep it in the hot boiling water for too long – 5 minutes is all you need to sterilize the pieces, remove them using tongs and dry them on a towel.
What happens if you boil fake jewelry?
If the jewelry is made of hard metal, boiling in hot water will not damage the jewelry. But if made of other materials, there is a high risk of damage to the jewelry, and in some cases, the metal might rust or tarnish at a higher rate after cleaning it. Gold-plated pieces will darken and have different discolorations after boiling, so avoid boiling such pieces.
Tips for cleaning fake jewelry with warm water
- When cleaning fake jewelry, always use warm water and a gentle dishwashing detergent. Don’t use hot water to clean fake jewelry.
- Let the jewelry sit in the warm water for about 5 minutes before you wash and rinse
- Always use a soft cloth or a soft-bristled brush to reach the hard-to-reach areas,
- And allow the jewelry to dry well before storage. We recommend pat-drying the jewelry on a lint-free piece of cloth or towel rather than paper towels because the paper towels tend to scratch the jewelry.
- Don’t use harsh cleaning detergents, and only use lukewarm water if the jewelry is encrusted with stones like cubic zirconia.
Conclusion
You can clean some types of jewelry in boiling water, but we don’t recommend this for fake jewelry.
Hot water is only suitable for cleaning jewelry made of platinum, gold, silver, and diamonds.
Read more useful tips here or here!
Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.