Cleaning sterling silver rings is perhaps one of the easiest things you could do, especially with all the online resources on the same. But what happens when your sterling silver ring is bedazzled with the best of cubic zirconia stones?
How then do you carefully clean the ring, keeping the stones intact while also making sure that all the gunk hidden and between the settings is cleaned out?
Remember that even the highest quality Cubic Zirconia stones would still get very dirty from everyday wear in the same way as the diamonds, among other kinds of gemstones; it is important that you take time to clean the CZ stones regularly to ensure the maintenance of the brilliance and the luster of the CZ stones and the rest of the ring.
But in a bid to keep the sterling silver ring in perfect condition and to maintain the sparkle, there is a risk of the stones being knocked out, and if you are not careful, you may end up using harsh jewelry cleaning solutions that will cause more harm or not work as well as you may have hoped.
The other thing you should know about cubic zirconia is the fact that this stone is quite popular because it is a cheaper diamond simulation.
It is stunning and made in the lab through the combination of the zirconia powder with yttrium oxide in a very hot crucible at 5000 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s also quite durable and hard and is rated 8.5 on the Mohs Scale of hardness. It won’t be easy to damage this gemstone, but you have to be careful when handling it.
To ensure that you are cleaning your sterling silver rings with CZ stones properly, this article shares insights, tips, and guides on how to make sure that your cubic zirconia adorned sterling silver ring is cleaned well and there is no damage suffered in the cleaning process.
How to clean sterling silver rings with cubic Zirconia
Method 1 – Cleaning the ring using warm, soapy water from a mild dish detergent like Dawn
You will need Dawn dishwashing liquid, a soft-bristled brush, warm water, two small bowls, and a clean microfiber cloth.
First, you need to make the soapy solution, and you will need to use 2 parts of warm water mixed with one part of the dish soap. You should use a mild dishwashing detergent such as the Blue Dawn liquid soap that is very gentle but effective in cleaning.
The soapy water must be warm enough to be able to easily wash away the oils and dirt that’s built up in the ring. Just make sure that the water is not hot. Have this water in a small bowl.
Next, immerse the ring in the bowl with soapy water, making sure that the ring is fully immersed, then let it soak for about 2 minutes.
Once the 2 minutes lapse, get your soft-bristled brush to scrub the ring’s exterior surfaces gently. Avoid rough or hard brushes, and opt for the softer brushes like the kids’ toothbrushes.
When scrubbing, be gentle and don’t go too hard, especially around the paved or even the prong settings, especially with the multi-shared settings.
You need to be extra careful when brushing the very small nooks and crannies too, and also underneath the center of the ring. You also need to make sure that you are brushing the ring along the grain to avoid the scratch or scuff lines that would make the sterling silver ring look older.
Other areas that you need to focus on are around the tall prongs, the areas surrounding the tiny prong-set micro pave settings, or the smaller prong-set paved accent CZ stones.
Again, you have to be extra careful with these areas because too much force by the brush’s bristles, for example, could yank out the stones.
Once you are satisfied the sterling silver ring is well cleaned, rinse it out. If you were cleaning more than on a CZ ring or jewelry, rinse each piece individually. Rinse the ring in a bowl of clean, warm water rather than hot water.
Pat dry the ring using a soft and clean, lint-free cloth or a sterling silver jewelry polishing cloth. You could also buy the small pieces of cloth that are often used to clean eyeglasses because they don’t fray and will not leave strings on the ring or the CZ stones.
If, after drying the ring, you notice that it’s not cleaned as well as you’d hoped, you’d want to repeat the cleaning steps above with a new batch of warm soapy water. Perhaps you could let the ring sit in the water for 5 more minutes instead of 2 minutes.
Whatever the outcome, be patient and remember that the ring will take time to be sparkly again, especially if it hadn’t been cleaned for a long time.
Method 2 – Cleaning the CZ Sterling Silver Ring Using the Professional Jewelry Cleaning Liquid
If option 1 above doesn’t work for you, if your sterling silver ring is heavily tarnished needs a proven remedy, you may have to use one of the professional jewelry cleaning liquids.
But before you buy the cleaning liquid, you’d want to make sure that the cleaning liquid has been well-formulated for use on any kind of jewelry needing cleaning.
This is a very important consideration because there are many jewelry cleaning liquids on the market today, but they are all made differently, and some may have harsh ingredients that would damage the ring or any other kind of jewelry you wish to clean.
To choose the best jewelry cleaning liquid, consider getting the cleaning liquid that is recommended for use on different kinds of jewelry, and also one which wouldn’t be damaged by the chemicals.
Also, opt for the cleaning liquids that also come with polishing cloths. To ensure the best cleaning performance on your sterling silver ring with cubic zirconia stones, we recommend buying the jewelry cleaning liquid from reputable sites like CubicZirconia.com.
Method 3 – Ultrasonic Cleaner
Thanks to the high level of hardness of the cubic zirconia and sterling silver, you will be happy to know that you can clean the ring easily in the ultrasonic cleaner.
The ring will withstand the heat and pressure in the machine, and it won’t be damaged. Just inspect the ring well before putting it in the ultrasonic cleaner because you don’t want the stones to be knocked out.
Method 4 – Using Steam Cleaner
This is a jewelry cleaning method that has grown significantly popular in recent years, owing to the fact that steam cleaners are used to clean just about every household item and appliance today.
Steam will work well on your sterling silver jewelry by liquefying most of the gunk, as well as bacteria and contaminants that would be hiding in the nooks and crannies of your CZ ring, without damaging the CZ stone.
Method 5 – polishing cloths
To get rid of tarnish on the sterling silver and brighten the CZ stones, you will need a polishing cloth. The polishing cloths are often made of a very soft cotton fiber that will not damage the ring. It’s a simple but most effective cleaning method for your sterling silver CZ ring.
How to store and care for your silver rings with cubic Zirconia
- Keep the rings in a jewelry pouch to prevent scratching of the CZ. You could also set them aside on one section of the jewelry case.
- Also, make use of foam settings and a soft cloth to keep the pieces apart and to prevent them from rubbing against each other.
- Take the rings off whenever you wash your hands or when applying lotion
- Remove the rings when doing chores around the house
- Don’t swim with the ring on
- Wear the ring last after using your skin and body care products and when they’ve dried out.
Conclusion
There are many ways of cleaning the CZ sterling silver rings, as seen above, but you can always opt for the simplest of the above – warm water and dishwashing liquid because it works.
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Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.