If your bling is looking a little blah, it might just need a good cleaning. But jewelry cleaners can be costly and may contain ingredients that you don't want near your skin and might even damage your jewelry in the long run.
Most commercial jewelry cleaning products include strong alkaline ingredients such as sodium metasilicate or ammonium hydroxide, surfectants, and drying components such as butoxyethanol or isopropyl alcohol.
DIY Jewelry Cleaning
Whichever type of jewellery you own, gentle cleaning and maintenance is necessary to keep its shine. Air and water oxidize metals and can make them dull. 
Here is a basic recipe for jewelry cleaner made with ingredients you already have at home. It can be used to clean most metals, including stainless steel, silver, gold, nickel and platinum, and for stones, too, including diamonds. It isn't recommended for pearls. Prepare it in a glass container about the size of a small baby food jar. The solution can be used repeatedly, so seal the jar tightly after use and store it until next time. Make sure to label the jar before putting it away.
You'll need:
1 tsp dishwashing detergent (made with all natural ingredients and phosphate-free, of course)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup warm water
Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar and stir until well mixed. 
Soak your jewelry in the solution for up to thirty minutes. Remove the items from the solution, and using soft toothbrush or small bristeled brush, gently brush around stones and in crevices. Rinse jewelry well with fresh water and pat to dry with a clean, dry cloth. 
Now sit back and admire how your chains, bracelets, and rings shine and your diamonds sparkle.
Photos: Lisa Tsakos
