How do I clean my silver and pearl bird's nest necklace?
December 16, 2009 2:55 PM Subscribe
How do I clean my silver and pearl bird's nest necklace?
I have a bird's nest necklace made out of silver wire with pearls. After wearing it every day for, oh, about a year, it's not looking so good. Not only is it really tarnished, it also looks kind of gunky, probably from my sunscreen. (Side question: is it just me, or does silver tarnish crazy fast in Chicago?) I can't even wear it anymore because it looks so grungy.
But I have no idea how to clean it! I can't dip it in silver polish because of the pearls; my silver-cleaning cloth is of no use because it only rubs the very exterior of the nest and doesn't get into all of the little nooks and crannies. Is there some kind of pearl-safe silver dip I can use? Can I take it to a jeweler and let them deal with it? Or is this just a necklace with a limited lifespan?
I have a bird's nest necklace made out of silver wire with pearls. After wearing it every day for, oh, about a year, it's not looking so good. Not only is it really tarnished, it also looks kind of gunky, probably from my sunscreen. (Side question: is it just me, or does silver tarnish crazy fast in Chicago?) I can't even wear it anymore because it looks so grungy.
But I have no idea how to clean it! I can't dip it in silver polish because of the pearls; my silver-cleaning cloth is of no use because it only rubs the very exterior of the nest and doesn't get into all of the little nooks and crannies. Is there some kind of pearl-safe silver dip I can use? Can I take it to a jeweler and let them deal with it? Or is this just a necklace with a limited lifespan?
There are commercial silver dips that are safe for pearls. It will say that very prominently on the label.
You could try the baking-soda-and-aluminum method for cleaning the silver--that shouldn't hurt the pearls as long as you don't use very hot water.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:43 PM on December 16, 2009
You could try the baking-soda-and-aluminum method for cleaning the silver--that shouldn't hurt the pearls as long as you don't use very hot water.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:43 PM on December 16, 2009
Just chiming in to second taking this to a jeweler. It will probably only be a couple of dollars if anything at all, and then you'll have a chance to get some professional advice on the matter.
posted by snsranch at 5:18 PM on December 16, 2009
posted by snsranch at 5:18 PM on December 16, 2009
Best answer: Take this to a jeweler. Pearls are really, really delicate and sensitive to their surroundings. My boyfriend, who is a jeweler, always says they are the last thing you put on, after you have been washed, dried, lotioned and powdered. They last long if they are constantly in damp environments/getting wet, so I would be hesitant to try the baking soda and aluminum method on it.
posted by piratebowling at 8:03 PM on December 16, 2009
posted by piratebowling at 8:03 PM on December 16, 2009
toothpaste and toothbrush. Not the toothbrush you are currently into, for obvious reasons.
posted by lucky25 at 10:22 PM on December 16, 2009
posted by lucky25 at 10:22 PM on December 16, 2009
Definitely don't use toothpaste anywhere near the pearls. Pearls plus abrasives = very sad pearls.
piratebowling, you may have a good point about the baking soda water being tough on the pearls just because it's water--I was thinking about it not being an abrasive of any kind, but as you so rightly point out, pearls should get wet as infrequently as possible. H'mmmmmmm.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:43 PM on December 16, 2009
piratebowling, you may have a good point about the baking soda water being tough on the pearls just because it's water--I was thinking about it not being an abrasive of any kind, but as you so rightly point out, pearls should get wet as infrequently as possible. H'mmmmmmm.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:43 PM on December 16, 2009
Best answer: After searching around a bit more I foun out a couple more things.
1) It looks like silver dips are too abrasive.
2) This forum states that the aluminum/baking soda routine uses boiling water, which is definitely risky for pearls. They also seemed to think that chemically, it would probably mess up the luster.
3) Near the end of the thread, someone chimed in with a sonic jewelry cleaner suitable for pearls and other porous stones (but only if used for short amounts of time) as well as non-porous stones, silver and gold. Depending on how many pearl and porous stone jewelry you have, it many be worth the investment.
posted by piratebowling at 6:05 AM on December 17, 2009
1) It looks like silver dips are too abrasive.
2) This forum states that the aluminum/baking soda routine uses boiling water, which is definitely risky for pearls. They also seemed to think that chemically, it would probably mess up the luster.
3) Near the end of the thread, someone chimed in with a sonic jewelry cleaner suitable for pearls and other porous stones (but only if used for short amounts of time) as well as non-porous stones, silver and gold. Depending on how many pearl and porous stone jewelry you have, it many be worth the investment.
posted by piratebowling at 6:05 AM on December 17, 2009
Take it to a jeweler. The Jared chain will do a free cleaning as of the last time I was there. It took about 3 minutes.
From here on out, don't get your silver wet and try to do a brief polishing after each wear. Consider white gold for future jewelry.
posted by WeekendJen at 12:33 PM on December 17, 2009
From here on out, don't get your silver wet and try to do a brief polishing after each wear. Consider white gold for future jewelry.
posted by WeekendJen at 12:33 PM on December 17, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by amro at 3:03 PM on December 16, 2009