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Jewelry Cleaning of Sterling Silver & Gemstones How I clean my handmade jewelry (safe on all sterling silver jewelry, including those with gemstones and crystals) As for the earwires (the finding that slips through your ear), I recommend using alcohol to sterilize the metal. As for the look/finish of the handmade jewelry, I have discovered a wonderful cleaning system, called Speedbrite, that completely shines your tarnished silver to a brilliant, shiny luster, and rejuvenates your gemstones to their original beauty, all with an odorless, silent process, literally within seconds. It is an ionic cleaning and polishing system that uses polishing agents and gentle soap cleansers to remove tarnish and dirt with a safe bubbling action. These bubbles are formed by the carefully-controlled electrical current (ionic) that passes through metals reducing surface tension of dirt and floating it and tarnish away - instantly, restoring metal luster and stone brilliance without ammonia, acid or heat. 
The reason I love this system, which utilizes ionic currents to clean, is because much of my handmade jewelry is a combination of silver with gemstones and crystals. Because of the intricate patterns and wire-wrapping that I do in my handmade jewelry designs, it would be very difficult with a polishing cloth to clean all of the little nooks and crannies, plus this process does not remove any metal while cleaning tarnish off of the metal. Additionally, many of the silver cleaners on the market, which are fine for all sterling silver pieces, would cause irreparable damage to the appearance and shape of the crystals and gemstones (especially the softer and more porous stones like Turquoise, Pearls and Opals) that are attached. Even though steam cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning are suitable for some handmade jewelry (and machine produced jewelry as well), there are many pieces that would be permanently damaged using these cleaning techniques. For instance, steam cleaning should never be used to clean dyed stones because the stones will lose their color from the intense heat and pressure. Additionally, ultransonic currents can actually burst or break stones. Also, although ultrasonic cleaners are designed to remove heavy film or dirt, these cleaners do not remove tarnish or brighten the metal. The ionic system not only cleans, but actually polishes the metal without removing it, which gives jewelry its renewed brilliance. Additionally, the cleaning solution does not use ammonia, acid or heat. So, after much research, I learned that the ionic cleaning process is the safest cleaning system to use, especially for my handmade jewelry pieces. Also, from personal experience, this is the most effective cleaning solution I have found, considering the time, ease of use and money involved in cleaning handmade jewelry (or any other kind for that matter). The standard size Speedbrite can hold several pieces of jewelry at one time. I originally purchased the mini-Speedbrite at www.fdjtool.com for a very reasonable price. The mini system is the same as the standard, however it is just smaller , holds less jewelry and is very economical. However, after 14 months, it did begin to leak (after the warranty had expired). I called the manufacturer and they were willing to switch out the metal plate without charge if I shipped it to their repair department, however, I wanted to upgrade to the regular size anyway so that I could easily clean necklaces as well. I still LOVE this product!! This site gives a great description of the attributes of this new process, and a video showing you exactly how to use the system, so I would recommend that you take a look FYI, this cleaning system also works very well on gold jewelry. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines, including limitations on time the jewelry is kept in the cleaning solution. For sterling silver, you only need to immerse the jewelry for @ 5 seconds!
* I have not been paid for endorsing this product. I just really ♥ it.
**Even though I love the mini-Speedbrite system, I cannot accept responsibility for any damage resulting from this or any other method of cleaning that you may use.
Homemade cleaning solution (for all sterling silver pieces - no gemstones or crystals) The mixture of silver with copper or other metals is actually the cause of the tarnish that you might find on your silver pieces. Silver is very unreactive as a metal, but the alloy known as sterling silver has certain weaknesses to skin oils, atmospheric pollutants, and even common table salt. This causes the silver to oxidize and tarnish, turning your beautiful bright silver to a dull yellow, and then to a blackened color. Sun exposure, damp air or moisture and other chemicals release sulfurs that also cause the sterling silver to tarnish. So, it is best to keep your jewelry enclosed in air tight containers and away from moisture whenever possible. Additionally, wood gives off acids, so you should avoid placing or storing your jewelry on wood. The cheapest and simplest way to clean your silver is to do it yourself. All you need is (1) an aluminum pan (or aluminum foil), (2) boiling water and (3) baking soda. Make sure that if you use an aluminum pan, that you are no longer using the pan to prepare, cook or store food. First, you will place your jewelry in the aluminum pan spread out. Alternatively, you can place your jewelry in a glass or ceramic dish spread out AND put a crumpled up piece of clean aluminum foil in the dish/container with the jewelry. Boil enough water to completely cover all of the jewelry then pour it into the pan, dish or container that has the jewelry placed inside. Finally, sprinkle baking soda over the jewelry which is sitting in the water (just enough to cover the jewelry) and stir it as necessary so that all the baking soda is properly dissolved. The water should start bubbling or fizzling. During this process, you will smell the sulfur odor being released into the air (and attaching itself to the aluminum). This signals that the chemicals are being released from the jewelry that caused the tarnish. After the bubbling reaction ceases, you can rinse all of your jewelry in cold water. Repeat this process as necessary. All jewelry should be dried with a soft 100% cotton cloth, to avoid scratching the precious metal's surface. Store bought cleaning methods Another method to shine up your jewelry is to use a polishing cloth, which will lightly clean the surface of your pieces, although you should be aware that every time you wipe away tarnish, you are also wiping away some of the silver from the jewelry (so be judicious in using your cloth). Secondly, there are relatively inexpensive sterling silver cleaning solutions, aka "dips", on the market that would be safe to use on my all sterling silver jewelry pieces (no crystals or gemstones).
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