How to clean and store your raw gemstone jewelry

With proper cleaning, care and storage your sterling silver and raw gemstone jewelry will remain beautiful for generations to come. Here is what you need to know to ensure your raw gemstone jewelry is always organized, clean, and ready to wear.

DIY Sterling Silver Cleanser

You can use a microfiber cloth, EVOO, and lemon juice to clean and remove tarnish from your sterling silver. If sanitation is the goal you can wipe your handmade artisan jewelry clean with rubbing alcohol. While there are a variety of other DIY cleaning solutions avoid using anything with baking soda as many gemstones are porous (such as pearly, opals, amber and turquoise) and can be damaged by abrasive cleaners. All you need to do is mix the ingredients below in a plastic, wooden, or ceramic bowl:

• ½ cup of EVOO
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• Microfiber cleaning cloth

Dip the cloth in and polish your silver. It’s ok the mixture gets on your gemstones, just don’t submerge your jewelry in the solution. For intricate designs use a soft-bristled infant toothbrush to get in the cracks and crevices. Rinse clean with warm water and allow your jewelry to dry thoroughly before storing.

What Not To Do With Your Rough cut Gemstone Jewelry

If your jewelry gets wet take it off, dry it off, and allow it to air dry before you store it. Always take your raw gemstone jewelry off before working out. While you can wear your sterling silver jewelry in hot and humid weather, if it comes in contact with sweat it’s best to take it off until you cool back down. Store your jewelry in a temperature-controlled environment and in a manner that is both tangle and scratch-free.  To shop for rough cut gemstone jewelry, click here

How To Store And Organize Your Rings, Earrings And Bracelets

You can always return your jewelry to the box or bag it came in, but this can make it hard to find what you want when you want it. Here are a few organized and creative ways to store your jewelry.

• Jewelry boxes come in all shapes and sizes. The key is in finding one with the compartments you require for your personal collection.
• If you have a jewelry drawer or shelf, you can keep earrings and small bracelets organized in bead organizers and ice cube trays.
• Invest in a ring or earring organizer.
• Hang a decorative chain and drape French wire hook earrings from the loops in the chain.

How To Store And Organize Your Necklaces

It is always best to hang your necklaces or lay them flat in a tangle-free box.

• Necklace organizers are great but if your collection is large it might not fit everything.
• Tiny hooks can be installed in your closet for easy access.
• Invest in a miniature rod to hang necklaces and bracelets
• Get a piece of corkboard and hang your necklaces from push pins.
• Hang a decorative chain on the wall and drape your necklaces from the chain.

If your jewelry collection is large you can separate items by season or by how often you wear each item. For example, you may have a small jewelry box or decorative dish for your wedding ring and the earrings you wear almost every day but utilize the solutions above for the rest of your collection. Shop SitaraCollections.com for the best handmade rough cut gemstone jewelry online.