5 Jewellery Care Myths Social Media Keeps Getting Wrong

Social media has made it easier than ever to find quick cleaning tips for almost anything, including jewellery. Unfortunately, a popular video, a sparkling before-and-after result or thousands of views do not necessarily mean the advice is safe.

Many of these so-called jewellery-cleaning "hacks" overlook some important factors. Not every piece of jewellery is made in the same way. Your piece may combine a gemstone with gold, silver or platinum, have a plated finish, contain a treated gemstone, or include adhesives and settings worn through years of use.

These techniques might appear to brighten a diamond or improve the look of a piece of jewellery, but what is really happening can be a very different story. Over time, repeatedly using the wrong cleaning method may gradually scratch, wear or weaken your jewellery, leaving you with a much greater cost to have it restored.

And if a TikTok, Instagram, YouTube or Facebook video starts with the words, "Your jeweller doesn't want you to know this," there is usually a good reason. It is not because we are hiding secrets; it is because we do not want you destroying your jewellery.

Before trying the latest viral cleaning method, here are five common jewellery care myths and what you should know instead.

 

Myth 1: Toothpaste Is a Safe Way to Clean Diamonds and Jewellery

Toothpaste is one of the most persistent jewellery-cleaning recommendations online and, personally, one of my pet peeves. The idea seems reasonable: toothpaste removes stains from teeth, so surely it can polish dirt and residue from jewellery as well.

The problem is that toothpaste generally contains small abrasive particles. They may be great for removing plaque and polishing our teeth, but they are not good for precious metals. Even when combined with gentle brushing, those abrasive particles can scratch the metal. While they may not affect the diamond itself, they can scratch softer gemstones and gradually wear the setting holding your stones in place.

Another issue we see all too frequently in the workshop is that people do not thoroughly remove all the toothpaste. It dries on the diamond and metal, causing a milky white film to build up across the jewellery. The diamond or gemstone becomes dull, the metal loses its lustre, and your once-beautiful piece of jewellery is left looking flat and lifeless.

 

What should you do instead?

 

Okay, so we know jewellery needs a clean from time to time and we cannot always pop into our local jeweller. How can you give your jewellery a clean at home without damaging the piece?

 

We already have a complete step-by-step guide explaining how I clean jewellery at home, so rather than give you a shorter and slightly different method here, follow our How I Clean Jewellery – DIY Home Guide.

 

The guide begins with inspecting your jewellery and washing your hands, then preparing two bowls of lukewarm water: one with a small amount of mild dishwashing liquid and the other with clean water. For suitable gold and silver jewellery, place one or two pieces into the soapy water for one to two minutes to help loosen dirt and grease. Remove one piece, brush it gently with a soft-bristle toothbrush without pressing too hard, rinse it in the clean water and inspect it again. Repeat the process if needed, pat it dry, allow it to air dry on a hand towel and finish with a polishing cloth once it is completely dry.

 

Opals, turquoise and pearls require a modified method and should not be soaked. For opal and turquoise jewellery, dip the toothbrush into the soapy water and clean the metal without scrubbing the stone, then wipe the stone gently with a damp cloth. Pearls should be cleaned with a slightly damp soft cloth, gently working around each pearl before laying the piece flat and allowing it to air dry completely.

 

If the piece has not been worn for a long time, is an heirloom, has not been inspected recently or gives you any cause for concern, I recommend having it assessed before cleaning it. At Jewels of St Leon, we are always happy for you to drop in so we can have a look at your jewellery.

 

Myth 2: Boiling Jewellery Gives It a Safe, Deep Clean

This is one that has the potential to cause a lot of heartbreak. Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are full of videos showing rings and other pieces of jewellery being placed into bubbling, boiling water, and the results can look amazing. Grease and residue lift away, the jewellery regains its lustre and the entire piece appears visibly brighter. So how could this possibly be unsafe?

While metal-only jewellery can survive the boiling process, the question then becomes: is it required or necessary? Honestly, it is not.

As a jeweller, watching these videos and seeing jewellery containing gemstones dropped into boiling water is a real concern. That extreme heat and rapid temperature change can damage many gemstones. This is called thermal shock and may cause fractures, while boiling water can strip away, alter or damage some fillers, coatings and other gemstone treatments. Pearls, turquoise, and emeralds are among the pieces requiring particular care.

Tanzanite is another gemstone that should never be placed into boiling water. Very high temperatures or sudden temperature changes may cause it to crack. A stone that appears perfectly fine before cleaning can be damaged simply because it does not respond well to rapid changes in temperature.

Different materials respond to heat differently, which is precisely why a one-minute social-media demonstration cannot establish whether the technique is safe for your jewellery.

 

What should you do instead?

 

Start with the method appropriate for your piece in our DIY Home Guide linked under Myth 1. If stubborn grime remains, do not increase the temperature or move to boiling water. That is the point to stop and have the piece professionally cleaned. More heat does not make the process safer or more effective, particularly when you may not know whether a gemstone is natural, treated, assembled or glued.

 

Myth 3: Vinegar, Lemon Juice and Other Natural Cleaners Are Safe for Jewellery

Scrolling through TikTok and YouTube and watching people demonstrate their DIY jewellery-cleaning hacks using vinegar, lemon juice and other "natural" alternatives makes me cringe. Just because an ingredient is used around food does not mean you should assume it is gentle enough to clean your jewellery.

Two ingredients I regularly see recommended are vinegar and lemon juice. Both are acidic, and both can react with your gold and silver jewellery - and not in a good way. The citric acid in lemon juice and the acetic acid in vinegar react with the base metals mixed with gold and silver to make jewellery. Continued use can cause discolouration and damage and, over time, may weaken the jewellery. It can also affect plated finishes.

Even more concerning is what these acids may do to gemstones, treatments, adhesives and finishes. Never use vinegar or lemon juice on pearls. Pearls are primarily made from calcium carbonate, which reacts with acid. The surface may gradually dissolve, become pitted and lose its lustre. The liquid may also work into the stringing material and metal fittings used in pearl necklaces and bracelets. (Watch our guide How to Clean your Pearl Jewellery)

Even gemstones that customers normally consider safe may have hidden secrets in the form of treatments. Treatments such as fracture-filling or dyeing can react with the mild acids in lemon juice and vinegar. That reaction may alter the gemstone's appearance, damage or remove the treatment and potentially leave the stone permanently damaged or weakened.

Bicarbonate of soda, tomato sauce, soft drinks and many other household ingredients are also suggested for cleaning jewellery at home. Some introduce abrasive particles that can scratch metal and softer gemstones, while others contain acids, sugars or residues that have no place in jewellery cleaning. A product being natural, familiar or something we eat does not make it suitable for cleaning your jewellery.

 

What should you do instead?

 

Keep pantry ingredients in the kitchen. If the appropriate method from our DIY Home Guide does not remove tarnish, discolouration or stubborn grime, stop before reaching for something stronger. What appears to be dirt may actually be worn plating, an altered finish or another issue that cleaning will not correct, and a jeweller can identify the cause before more damage is done.

 

Myth 4: A Home Ultrasonic Cleaner Is Safe for Every Piece

This is one I have experienced firsthand in the workshop. Affordable home ultrasonic cleaners are increasingly promoted as an easy way to achieve professional-looking results at home. Ultrasonic cleaning can be very effective when used correctly and for the right piece of jewellery, but it is not appropriate for every gemstone or every piece.

If you have seen an ultrasonic cleaner in use, you will know it cleans by sending vibrations through liquid to dislodge dirt and grime from hard-to-reach areas. However, that vibration may expose pre-existing weaknesses. It can loosen stones in worn or damaged settings and may affect gemstones with surface-reaching fractures, certain inclusions or treatments.

With the rise of social-media posts claiming this is an easy way to clean jewellery, and home ultrasonic cleaners becoming cheaper and more readily available, we have seen more clients experience problems after placing unsuitable pieces into them. Ultrasonic cleaners should not be used for every piece of jewellery or every gemstone.

Higher-risk gemstones include pearls, opals, emeralds and turquoise, along with stones people may not immediately consider, such as topaz, tanzanite, peridot and zircon, to name only a few.

Even diamond jewellery is not automatically safe. A diamond with certain fractures, inclusions or treatments may not be suitable for ultrasonic cleaning. The vibration may also dislodge a stone from worn claws. The cleaner cannot inspect the jewellery before beginning its process, which is why jewellers thoroughly inspect a piece before placing it into an ultrasonic cleaner.

 

What should you do instead?

 

Before placing any jewellery into an ultrasonic cleaner, I recommend speaking with your jeweller and having the piece examined. They can assess whether the gemstones are suitable and whether the settings are secure. An ultrasonic cleaner is only as safe as the assessment made before the jewellery is placed into it.

 

Myth 5: Alcohol or Hand Sanitiser Is a Safe Way to Clean Every Piece of Jewellery

 

Alcohol is often recommended online as a quick way to clean and disinfect jewellery and, yes, we do use it at times for specific reasons, such as removing a particular residue, but it is not something we use to clean everyday dirt and grime. Hand sanitiser is also sometimes treated as a convenient jewellery cleaner because it contains alcohol, is already being applied to the hands and appears to evaporate quickly.

As I said, some plain metal jewellery and diamonds are fine with minimal contact with alcohol. However, that does not make alcohol or hand sanitiser a safe cleaning method for every piece of jewellery or every time your jewellery gets a little dirty.

Alcohol can affect some gemstone treatments, particularly the oils or resins used in certain emeralds. It may also affect adhesives used in assembled or glued jewellery and is not suitable for every coated, porous or delicate gemstone.

Hand sanitiser creates another problem. It is formulated for your skin, not your jewellery, and may contain gels, moisturisers, fragrances and other ingredients that do not evaporate cleanly. These ingredients can leave a film across gemstones and metal, attract further dirt and gradually leave the jewellery looking dull rather than clean.

Pearls, opals, turquoise and other delicate materials should not be treated as though they are plain metal or untreated diamond jewellery. Repeatedly using alcohol or sanitiser as a cleaning method is unnecessary and may create avoidable problems.

 

What should you do instead?

 

Where practical, remove your jewellery before applying hand sanitiser and allow your hands to dry before putting it back on. If the piece has been exposed, wipe it gently with a soft, slightly damp cloth and dry it thoroughly. An occasional exposure does not mean your jewellery is ruined, but the important step is to remove any residue rather than repeatedly using sanitiser as a cleaner. Hand sanitiser is for your skin; it should not become part of your jewellery-care routine.

 

The Most Important Jewellery-Care Rule

 

The most important jewellery-care rule is simple: jewellery is precious and should be treated correctly. Do not fall for so-called viral cleaning hacks. Instead, use the cleaning method appropriate for your particular piece, and if your jewellery still looks off after following the correct process, we recommend seeking advice from your jeweller.

Searching for stronger or more extreme jewellery-cleaning hacks is more likely to damage your piece than improve it if you choose the wrong one. Knowing when to stop and seek professional advice is the safest decision you can make.

If you would like advice on caring for a particular piece, contact Jewels of St Leon or visit our Tamworth studio before trying a social-media cleaning method. The right care depends on what your jewellery is actually made from, and preserving it begins with knowing the difference.