When discussing jewelry, the topic of cleaning or polishing your jewelry to like new condition is often brought up. However, there seems to be a bit of confusion on the terms as many people use them to talk about the same thing. What many people may not know is that there is a difference between cleaning and polishing jewelry and knowing the difference can ensure that you know what will be done with your jewelry. 

 There are two different ways to clean or polish your jewelry. You can do it yourself with the many DIY methods available, or your can have a professional jewelry shop such as All In Faith, do a professional clean or polish. Before sending off your jewelry to be cleaned or polished, let’s look at the differences between the two to get you more familiarized with the processes.

Jewelry cleaning refers to an actual deep cleaning of the jewelry to remove any dirt, grease, lotions, or skin oil from the jewelry. Diamonds are notoriously attracted to grease, so ensuring that your diamonds are professionally cleaned can help ensure that they are thoroughly cleaned. Most jewelry cleaners use an ultrasonic cleaner which uses vibrations to shake the foreign materials off of your jewelry. The vibrations do not scratch gold or platinum making it safe for use with most jewelry.

When having your jewelry polished, your ring will look just about brand new thanks to the very thorough process. The jeweler will use a polishing wheel to buff out the jewelry to bring back that magnificent shine that your jewelry had when it was new. Since the polishing wheels removes a thin layer of gold each time, it is recommended to not have your gold jewelry polished more than twice a year.

Now that you know the difference between the two types of jewelry maintenance, you can choose to have yours done professionally, or take care of it yourself at home. There are many different methods that you can use to polish your own jewelry, but having a professional use a polishing wheels is going to yield the best results, especially with intricate pieces. When it comes to cleaning your jewelry, there are various cleaning supplies and machined that you can purchase to clean your jewelry at home. It really comes down to your budget and your level of handiness.

Keeping your jewelry clean is going to be dependent on what you do in your day to day lifestyle. For those who are exposed to chemicals, lotions, soaps, or other abrasive liquids, taking your jewelry off can help keep your jewelry clean. Making sure that you store your jewelry in a jewelry box or out of the way of dirt and contaminants can also help keep your jewelry cleaner, especially if you do not wear them very often. Lastly, lightly cleaning them with a jewelry cleaner every now and then can ensure that they stay clean all year round.