Cubic Zirconia CZCubic Zirconia CZCubic Zirconia CZ

Cubic Zirconia Jewelry and Rings: Cleaning and Care

Preventing Scratches

Did you know that even though diamonds are the hardest minerals, they can still be scratched? What could possibly scratch a diamond? Another diamond! The same goes for Cubic Zirconia: only an object harder than a CZ can scratch a CZ. To prevent such scratches, we’d like to educate you about different objects that you may come into contact with and how they will affect your jewelry (including CZ, gemstones and the metals used in your jewelry).

The Moh’s Scale of Hardness ranks minerals, materials, metals and Gemstones on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best and the most durable). Cubic Zirconia ranks at an 8.5 hardness on the Moh’s scale and only objects that have the same or higher number can scratch it.

1          Talc
1.5       Lead
2          Gypsum
2.5       Silver, 24K Pure Gold, Zinc, Aluminum
2.75     18K Yellow Gold
3          Copper, Brass, Bronze
3 to 4   14K Yellow Gold
4          Flurite, Nickel
4.5       Platinum, Palladium, Variscite, Steel
5          Iron, Turquoise
5.5       Opal
6          Titanium
6.5       Garnet, Peridot, Tanzanite, Stainless Steel
7          Glass, Quartz
7.5       Emerald, Beryl, Morganite, Aquamarine, Tungsten
8          Topaz, Hardened Steel, Sandpaper
8.5       Cubic Zirconia
9          Emery Cloth/Emery Board, Corundum, Ruby, Sapphire, scratch proof glass on watches, Tungsten Carbide,
9.25     Moissanite
9.5       Diamond coated drill pieces and files
10        Diamond

We recommend that when you put your CZ jewelry in your jewelry box, you separate it from other Cubic Zirconia, Ruby, Sapphire, and diamond jewelry.  Don't jumble your jewelry pieces in a drawer or jewelry case where they can easily scratch one another.

 

Avoid

Hard Knocks: Try not to wear your Cubic Zirconia when it will be struck sharply. Even though CZ are very hard, they still have thin edges and points that can fracture if they are hit hard enough.  And if the CZ can take the hit, your precious metal likely won't come out without a ding or two.

Harsh Chemicals / Ammonia / Bleach / Household Cleaners: Both cause a chemical reaction that disintegrates the alloys in the jewelry over time. Remove your rings when disinfecting your house.

Chlorine: Whether it is found in bleach used for cleaning or in the swimming pool, chlorine can degrade gold jewelry to the point of disintegration (stress corrosion cracking). So, keep your gold jewelry out of the pool and hot tub.

Saltwater: Exposure to salt water can erode soldered joints on gold and Platinum jewelry, such as the connection between the prongs and the band of your ring. It is recommended to remove any precious metal jewelry prior to swimming in a saltwater pool or the ocean.

Cosmetics: Hairspray, perfumes and lotion can contain chemicals that can often damage jewelry, especially white gold and Platinum. Even gentle bar soaps can leave a residue on your jewelry, blocking the light from entering your CZ and diminishing their brilliance. Putting jewelry on after applying these materials will limit exposure to jewelry and any potential damage.

Proper Cleaning

Any jewelry can easily acquire a buildup of dirt, makeup and other materials that diminish its brightness, especially if it's worn every day. 

Simple cleaning with a soft bristle brush (like a tooth brush), 2/3 warm water (not hot!), and 1/3 a very mild detergent (like dish soap) will keep jewelry well maintained and in excellent wearable condition.

Take special care to not pull or damage any of the prongs holding the gems while you're using the brush.  

Repair

Even for the most careful of us, from time to time it may be necessary have a repair performed on your jewelry. Here are our guidelines for shipping your jewelry to CubicZirconia.com for repair:

  • Use two boxes to secure your jewelry: a smaller inner box to hold the jewelry securely, and a larger outer shipping box to take the brunt of the travel. The inner box might be the box your jewelry came in, like the padded ring box. 
  • Pack the shipping box with packing material to protect the inner box during shipping; seal the outer box completely with tape. The United States Postal Service provides free shipping boxes, or you can use your own box with any shipping carrier.
  • Eliminate all information on the shipping box that refers to jewelry, jeweler, or Cubic Zirconia. You don’t want to attract unwanted attention to your shipment for any reason during its journey.
  • Insure the shipment for the full value of your jewelry. We recommend using USPS Priority Mail Express (insured values up to $25,000) or USPS Registered Mail (insured values up to $50,000); both services allow you to choose the package value and add insurance in increments of your choice for a nominal fee.
  • Use a shipping method that provides tracking information and require a signature on delivery. Not only will this will give you peace of mind, but protect you against loss or theft.
  • Don't use a drop box, it’s worth the few extra minutes to take your package inside to the counter. Some carriers won’t guarantee your shipment, or worse, won’t honor the insurance value of your shipment if they do not scan the package directly from your hands.

 

a mixture of ⅓ mild dish soap ⅓ ammonia ⅓ water with a soft bristled tooth brush works great.
When using a toothbrush take special care to not pull or damage any of the prongs holding the gems. - See more at: http://www.dandrhouseofdiamonds.com/2014/08/25/5-things-consider-cleaning-jewelry/#sthash.dMqQIDPA.dpuf

Q: If the cubic zirconia stone I ordered from you broke or got chipped, or becomes discolored, will you replace it?

Q: Does CubicZirconia.com require jewelry inspections to keep my warranty? Do you offer jewelry inspections? How often should I do it?

Q: I heard that toothpaste can be used to clean jewelry items. Is this true?

Q: Are floor/glass cleaners, ammonia, bleach or other ‘home remedies’ effective or safe for cleaning jewelry?

Q: Can I submerge my CubicZirconia.com jewelry in a commercial jewelry/diamond/gemstone cleaning fluid?

Q: Can I get my cubic zirconia jewelry wet? Swimming? Washing my hands? Showering?

Q: Can I wear my CubicZirconia.com jewelry every day?

Q: What should I avoid while wearing my cubic zirconia jewelry?

Q: Will the sterling silver option for your jewelry discolor/tarnish quickly after normal wear?

Q: Help! I followed your cleaning instructions, but part of my jewelry still has a tarnish showing. What do I do now? Can I try one of those heavy-duty industrial “chemical dip” cleaners?

Q: What’s the proper way to store or keep my jewelry items?

Q: How do I untangle my chain?

Q: What's the best way to travel with my jewelry so it doesn't get damaged or tangled?

Q: What's the best way to keep my ring or earrings safe while I take it off to swim/work-out etc?

Q: How do I keep my jewelry safe if I need to send/mail it for repair?

Q: How often should I expect my CubicZirconia.com jewelry to need some kind of structural repair?

Q: How often should I polish my cubic zirconia jewelry’s precious metal?

Q: How often should I clean my cubic zirconia jewelry?

Q: How do I clean my CubicZirconia.com jewelry?

Q: What is the best way to clean sterling silver cubic zirconia jewelry?

Q: What is the best way to clean gold cubic zirconia jewelry?

Q: What is the best way to clean palladium cubic zirconia jewelry?

Q: What is the best way to clean platinum cubic zirconia jewelry?

Q: What is it and how often should I rhodium-plate my white gold or sterling silver jewelry?

A: We warranty all stones with a LIFETIME guarantee against breaking or chipping under normal wear. With normal use plus proper care and cleaning as described in this FAQ, your Cubic Zirconia stone should never chip, scratch or discolor. If there's ever a problem with your stone, we'll fix it or replace it at no cost. Just ship it to us and we’ll take care of your exchange. Guarantee details here.

A: Unlike many jewelers, we do not require a jewelry inspection every year or six months for your CubicZirconia.com purchase to remain under warranty. We do, however, suggest having your fine cubic zirconia jewelry piece inspected every 12 months to prevent wear and ensure stone security (especially tiny prong-set micropavé and small prong-set pavé accent stones). It’s just smart to let us find and fix any possible issues while they are still small problems.


We offer warranty inspections pretty inexpensively to past customers, combined with a service we call the “Jewelry Spa Treatment”. The inspection plus jewelry spa treatment package includes:

  • insured shipping label for sending your jewelry from you to our Repair Facility - full inspection to make sure your jewelry is in good structural shape
  • thorough cleaning of your jewelry (including removing any light tarnishing) - tightening of any prongs on your jewelry
  • final polish of all precious metal - insured shipping of your jewelry back to you from our Repair Facility

You can buy the Inspection + Spa Treatment package at the link provided whenever you want.


RECOMMENDED for white gold and sterling silver: For an additional $25.00, your jewelry treatment spa treatment package can include re-rhodium plating for your sterling silver or white gold jewelry. For an explanation, see FAQ question “What is it and how often should I rhodium-plate my white gold or sterling silver jewelry?.


Plus, once every year or two as a customer appreciation gift, we even offer an annual “Free Jewelry Spa Week” where we do all that for free (just pay shipping). The best way to be notified of that is just to join our email newsletter!

A: You should never use toothpaste to clean your fine jewelry items. Toothpaste is actually quite abrasive and the substance has a higher number on the Moh’s Scale of mineral hardness than gold, platinum, palladium and silver (see FAQ question “What is the Mohs Scale of mineral hardness? Where does cubic zirconia rank?” for full explanation). That means toothpaste can actually damage/scratch precious metals! Plus, the flavor-oil chemicals often added to toothpaste are corrosive to metals over time.


This is one of the first questions answered on our Care and Cleaning FAQ for a reason: the damage of ‘cleaning’ with toothpaste can be devastating to fine jewelry. We really aren’t sure how this falsehood of cleaning jewelry with toothpaste keeps getting passed around, but it may have something to do with simple confusion from the fact that jewelry CAN be cleaned with a light scrubbing by a toothbrush. So in summary: toothpaste NO, soft-bristle toothbrush OK. Looking for a fine jewelry cleaning liquid? You can buy a fine jewelry cleaner for less than US$25 bucks in plenty of department stores. Or buy one from us even cheaper at this link.


A: You should never use so-called ‘home remedies’ such as toothpaste, ammonia, bleach, or floor and glass cleaners for cleaning your fine jewelry. These substances are intended for other purposes, but not designed or safe for use in cleaning fine jewelry. To be safe, please see FAQ question “How do I clean my cubic zirconia jewelry?”.


For every online wahoo claiming home remedy XYZ worked for their piece of jewelry, trust us...you could probably find three more who will never admit how badly they messed up their jewelry using Ajax or Clorox or whatever. And that’s not even to mention the people who published something online saying “it worked!” when using a home remedy made their jewelry shine/sparkle the day of treatment...but a month later the piece was falling apart from corrosion. It’s just not worth it to even try stuff like this on jewelry you paid good money for, okay? You can buy a fine jewelry cleaner for less than US$25 bucks in plenty of department stores. Or buy one from us even cheaper at this link


A: Without reviewing the exact brand or product, we cannot make a blanket statement recommending that. There are literally hundreds of these products on the market for $US25 bucks or less, and others that cost an arm and a leg. Some help clean one kind of jewelry while completely ruining another kind. It is true, however, that you can clean most gemstones and most artificial stones in most commercial jewelry/diamond cleaning solutions. And that includes our 5A cubic zirconia. But again, we cannot say for sure without reviewing the brand of jewelry/diamond/gemstone cleaning fluid. And there’s no guarantee that just because something won’t harm a real or artificial gemstone, that it won’t harm the other materials the jewelry piece is made from (like the gold/silver/platinum). And vice versa. It’s just too iffy to trust one cleaning fluid for every kind of jewelry.


To help our staff answer questions of this nature, we contracted with a jewelry-cleanser manufacturer that makes a jewelry cleaning liquid we can recommend. This jewelry cleaning liquid is made to work with our kinds of jewelry (platinum, gold, palladium or sterling silver paired with 5A cubic zirconia stones). The maker sells us some at a good, wholesale-discounted price we can pass along to you fairly cheaply (less than US$15 bucks). Regardless of the jewelry cleaning fluid used, we recommend no more than twenty minutes submersion (though be advised that some solutions can ruin certain kinds of jewelry in less than a minute). Does it make sense now why we can’t easily answer this question about a random type of cleaning fluid? And be careful not to submerge pearls, emeralds, opals or anything glued-in or inlaid.


A: Most fine jewelry and rings can withstand many years of getting wet with normal water-- such as when you wash your hands or take a shower-- without any/much adverse consequences. The cleaning agents you choose to wash your hands with, however, may not be as safe. Keep that in mind, and if you’re in doubt about the contents of the soap/cleaning agent, it’s best to keep your jewelry safe and take it off. Additionally, since the minerals in ‘tap water’ vary from region to region, we give the following recommendation: if you feel the water is unsafe to drink, it is probably also unsafe for your fine jewelry. If you would not ingest the tap water, we would recommend that you remove your jewelry when washing your hands or showering.


If you’re planning to swim or shower, it’s better to just take off and store your jewelry first. Prolonged exposure to chlorinated water (pool swimming), or saltwater (ocean swimming) can and will be harmful to your jewelry. You may even be surprised how many people lose their jewelry while swimming because the ring just slips off in the water and they don’t notice until it’s too late. So we recommend that you take your jewelry off before swimming or submerging in water. Not only will it be safer for the jewelry, it will also prevent you from losing it! To summarize: remove your CubicZirconia.com rings and other jewelry before washing your hands with astringent chemicals or unsafe tapwater, showering, swimming in a pool or swimming in the ocean. Removing your clothes, though? That’s optional. By the way, we’d give the same advice if your precious metal jewelry were set with ANY real or artificial gemstone (not just cubic zirconia).


The only real exception to “don’t get your jewelry wet!” advice would be for a few moments during a gentle jewelry cleaning such as that described in the answer to FAQ “How do I clean my cubic zirconia jewelry?”.


A: Yes, subject to removal during activities listed in FAQ question “What should I avoid while wearing my cubic zirconia jewelry?”. Fine jewelers typically recommend jewelry to be worn every day-- such as engagement rings or wedding rings-- should be made featuring stones with no less than a Moh's scale rank of 7.0 (see FAQ question “What is the Moh’s Scale of mineral hardness? Where does cubic zirconia rank?” for a definition). Believe it or not, that’s because fine particles of minerals and rocks in the air (what we call “dust”) can actually scratch jewelry made with stones that are softer than the floating rock particles!


Our 5A (AAAAA) cubic zirconia stones rate an 8.5 on the Moh's scale of mineral hardness, just below diamond (10.0), moissanite (9.25), ruby (9.0) and sapphire (9.0). Our CZ stones are harder than aquamarine, morganite and emerald (each 7.5-8) and harder than amethyst, citrine, garnet, quartz, and tourmaline (each 7-7.5). Indeed, our 5A diamond-quality cubic zirconia stones are harder than most other colored birthstones! Cool, huh? (Wikipedia: Source).


All those listed with ranks 7.0 and above are great options for daily-wear jewelry (including our cubic zirconia with proper care and cleaning as stated in this FAQ). While we love and some of our team personally wear jewelry made of peridot, tanzanite, opal and jade (each 6-7 on the Moh’s scale)...it's tough to recommend jewelry made from these materials for "daily" wear jewelry like an engagement ring or wedding ring.

Please note: this answer applies to rings, wedding bands, bridal sets, earrings, and pendants.


A: For longest-lasting cubic zirconia jewelry (or actually jewelry of any kind, including diamond jewelry), we invite you to familiarize yourself with these things to avoid… Avoid These Things When Wearing Your Fine Cubic Zirconia Jewelry


Follow our care and cleaning FAQ’s simple rules for proper and regular care, and avoid letting your jewelry encounter these harmful substances and situations too much, and there’s no reason your fine cubic zirconia jewelry from CubicZirconia.com can’t last you a lifetime.


Looking for a way to keep your jewelry safe while swimming, exercising, playing sports, gardening or working with your hands? See the FAQ answer to question “What's the best way to keep my ring or earrings safe while I take it off to swim/work-out etc?”.


A: Of all the precious metals we use in our products, sterling silver is the most prone to tarnishing. It will also tarnish more quickly than other precious metals. But that is not to say it will ‘tarnish quickly’ with normal wear. Allow us a minute or two to explain the factors that will cause our sterling silver jewelry to tarnish more quickly than it should, when you read this short blog post: Will normal wear ‘tarnish’/discolor your sterling silver cubic zirconia jewelry over time?


For concerns about gold jewelry tarnishing, please allow us to give you a more in-depth explanation at this blog link: Will normal wear ‘tarnish’/discolor Gold jewelry more or less than Sterling silver jewelry?


A: This can sometimes happen, especially with certain more-intricate pieces of jewelry (such as those with many halo-style accents, tiny prong-set micropavé and small prong-set pavé accent stones). It’s likelier with sterling silver than with our other jewelry. What happens is that the metal in that section of a ring can show a tarnish (patina) even after a thorough cleaning using the instructions in our “What is the best way to clean silver jewelry?” FAQ question. If that describes your difficulty, you're probably doing a great job at keeping the rest of the ring tarnish-free, it’s just that the area under the stones and halo can be tough to clean because it is difficult to reach.


Our repair shop management uses a product called Tarn-X for hard-to-reach tarnish near/under stones. However, we do not really recommend regular consumers without jewelry training to use that or any other industrial chemical dip cleaner, for these reasons. To summarize the info at that link: it can be dangerous to breathe in the fumes, and mistakes are common if you aren’t sure what you’re doing and/or don’t have the proper materials. If you’ve tried the instructions in our FAQ and gotten less-than-happy results, please give us a call or contact us online before trying something else like Tarn-X or another industrial chemical dip.


A: First, always store your jewelry in a cool, dry place. Second, store your jewelry pieces individually. Sorry, but in most cases “grandma’s jewelry organizer” where everything is jumbled together is a BIG NO-NO. Jewelry is made of many materials and many of those materials will SCRATCH EACH OTHER AT THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH. Even a diamond can be scratched by another diamond. Here in this blog post “How to store your fine cubic zirconia jewelry safely” we discuss why jumbling your jewelry together is a bad idea...and how specifically to store and keep rings, necklaces, pendants and earrings safe and looking new longer.


A: It can be really frustrating to get your chain all kinked up. Before you have a meltdown like Grandpa with the Christmas tree lights all knotted up in the holiday decorations box he swears he neatly put away last year...take a deep break because we’ve got your back. In order to safely untangle your chain without damage, you will need two fine-point needles and a dab of baby oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil.


Got those things? OK let’s get started. First, place the chain on a flat surface. Trying to do this while holding the chain up may tangle it further. Second, unclasp the chain so there’s a full range of flexibility. Third, wet your finger in it and rub the knot/tangled part with a little bit of the oil.


Fourth, using the two needles, start loosening the problem from the center of the knot/tangle outward using small movements. You want to focus on the center of the knot/tangle and expand your efforts from there as it rewards you with additional looseness/slack in the metal. Once the knot/tangle is starting to loosen, follow each thread of metal and move each as you go. Go slowly because patience is the key here (just like with Christmas lights!).


Once your chain is tangle-free, dip the oily part in a mixture of warm soapy water such as that made following the instructions provided on our blog post here: How to Clean your Fine Cubic Zirconia Jewelry. And when clean, dry thoroughly with a jewelry polishing cloth, shammy cloth or absorbent toweling that doesn’t have any scratchy parts or loose strings (i.e. not paper towels, toilet paper, Brillo pads etc).


A: Always store your jewelry in a cool, dry place. Whenever possible, store your jewelry pieces in their individual felt/leather-lined box or felt/velvet/cloth bag even when traveling. For a more detailed answer, see FAQ question “What’s the proper way to store or keep my jewelry items?”. In an ideal world, that would be how you’d store fine jewelry even while traveling. A close second place would be a jewelry “travel roll” such as that sold by the company Leatherology (long recommended by the world’s biggest insurer of fine jewelry).


If individualized packaging in the recommended style of containers is not possible, use soft and clean lint-free cloth to store individual jewelry pieces separately. Or a Zip-lock bag individually for each piece of jewelry is better than letting items knock around against each other with no protection in between. If nothing else can be found to use, even wrapping individual jewelry items in soft paper napkins or tissue paper before storing them to travel with is better than nothing to help prevent your jewelry items from scratching one another. Just make sure to be careful when unwrapping them lest pieces of paper get lodged in between prongs.


A: Great idea, smart customer! Beyond protecting your fine jewelry from sweat, saltwater, chlorine and all kinds of other substances you can come into contact with during these activities...you’re more likely to lose a ring or earrings at the gym, swimming or on the playing field than anywhere else. So when swimming, exercising, playing sports, gardening or working with your hands…just take it off! But where to put your jewelry? Safely tucked into a locked locker sounds like a good idea, if it’s possible (and that helps protect from one danger: theft). But what about the other danger of scratching?


How about snugging the jewelry in a safe, padded compartment that fits on your keychain? We didn’t invent this product, but it’s pretty cool: The Lion Latch.



Just remove the Lion Latch’s cap, and drop in your ring, earrings, necklace or other small jewelry, put the cap back on and hook the carabiner through the hole at the top. The lid is screw-type to avoid opening when you don’t want and the container is sturdy enough to protect your jewelry. Clip to a purse, backpack or belt-loop. And, it’s less than US$10!


A: Even for the most careful of us, from time to time it may be necessary to have a repair performed on your jewelry. Here are our guidelines for shipping your jewelry to CubicZirconia.com for repair:

  • Use two boxes to secure your jewelry: a smaller inner padded envelope or bag to hold the jewelry securely, and a larger outer shipping box to take the brunt of the travel. We do NOT recommend using a padded shipping envelope as the outer packaging. The inner padded envelope could even be something as simple as a paper towel and a ziploc bag, securely fastened.
  • Pack the shipping box with packing material to protect the inner package during shipping; seal the outer box completely with tape. The United States Postal Service provides free shipping boxes, or you can use your own box with any shipping carrier.
  • Eliminate and/or do not write any information on the shipping box that refers to jewelry, jeweler, silver, gold, palladium, platinum, gemstones or Cubic Zirconia. You don’t want to attract unwanted attention to your shipment for any reason during its journey.
  • Insure the shipment for the full value of your jewelry. We recommend using USPS Priority Mail Express (insured values up to $25,000) or USPS Registered Mail (insured values up to $50,000); both services allow you to choose the package value and add insurance in increments of your choice for a nominal fee.
  • Use a shipping method that provides tracking information and select a service that requires a signature on delivery. Not only will this will give you peace of mind, but protect you against loss or theft.
  • Don't use a postal drop box; it’s worth the few extra minutes to take your package inside to the counter. Some carriers won’t guarantee your shipment time, or worse, won’t honor the insurance value of your shipment if they do not scan the package directly from your hands.

A: For wedding bands, earrings or pendants, the answer is not much and none is likely to need structural repair in your lifetime of normal wear (though pendant bails may need to be built up on occasion). For rings worn daily or in rougher conditions, you can expect to need your prongs built up and tightened every 5-10 years for sterling silver or 18k gold; every 10-15 years for 10k gold or 14k gold; every 10-20 years for palladium and once or twice in a lifetime for platinum. These are averages and may vary based on lifestyle.


A: Yes, we know that there are ring polishing machines sold to the public. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that the ease and convenience of those machines often causes some customers to over-polish their jewelry. You shouldn’t be polishing your precious metal jewelry more frequently than once or twice a year. We do not suggest more regular polishing than that as microscopic amounts of metal are removed each time, making the band, prongs, and all metal parts thinner over time.


Be sure when you polish your jewelry to use a special professional polishing cloth made for your specific kind of jewelry, based on the precious metal (e.g. sterling silver, palladium, gold, or platinum). Plenty of department stores and jewelry shops sell these, or you can get one from us.


While not a “polishing” per se, it is recommended that white gold and silver metal jewelry be rhodium-plated again every 12-36 months to protect it from normal wear and tear and refresh the white color. For an explanation, see FAQ question “What is it and how often should I rhodium-plate my white gold or sterling silver jewelry?.


We offer a polishing service pretty inexpensively to past customers, combined with a package we call the “Jewelry Spa Treatment”. The inspection plus jewelry spa treatment package includes:

  • insured shipping label for sending your jewelry from you to our Repair Facility
  • full inspection to make sure your jewelry is in good structural shape
  • thorough cleaning of your jewelry (including removing any light tarnishing)
  • tightening of any prongs on your jewelry
  • final polish of all precious metal
  • insured shipping of your jewelry back to you from our Repair Facility

You can buy the Inspection + Spa Treatment package at the link provided whenever you want.


RECOMMENDED for white gold and sterling silver: For an additional $25.00, your jewelry treatment spa treatment package can include re-rhodium plating for your sterling silver or white gold jewelry.


Plus, once every year or two as a customer appreciation gift, we even offer an annual “Free Jewelry Spa Treatment Week” where we do all that for free (just pay shipping). The best way to be notified of that is just to join our email newsletter!


A: How often you clean your jewelry depends on how often you wear any given piece of jewelry. For rings, pendants, necklaces, bracelets and earrings that you wear daily, we recommend you clean them at least once a week; at the very least, clean these jewelry items every other week for longest-lasting wear. This will help prevent the build-up of grime from sweat, dirt, body/hair oils, makeup and dust (any jewelry can easily acquire a buildup of such substances that will diminish its brightness-- especially if it is jewelry worn every day). For jewelry purchased from CubicZirconia.com, see FAQ questionHow do I clean my cubic zirconia jewelry?” for instructions to make your own jewelry cleaner solution, or for tougher jobs we recommend and sell this jewelry cleaning liquid for use on cubic zirconia jewelry made from platinum, palladium, gold, or sterling silver.


For jewelry items you don’t wear regularly, we recommend you clean them after wearing them to remove any oils or debris -- just before storing them away. Please note that “cleaning” is not the same as “polishing” the precious metal, which should be done no more than once or twice a year (details: “How often should I polish my cubic zirconia jewelry’s precious metal?” FAQ question).


While not a “cleaning” per se, it is recommended that white gold and silver metal jewelry be rhodium-plated again every 12-36 months to protect it from normal wear and tear and refresh the white color. For an explanation, see FAQ question “What is it and how often should I rhodium-plate my white gold or sterling silver jewelry?”.


A: High-quality cubic zirconia stones can get dirty from day-to-day wear, just like diamonds and other gemstones, so you do have to clean them from time to time to maintain their original luster and brilliance. If a stone is dirty, it will not reflect light and therefore will look dull. The same goes for precious metals platinum, palladium, gold, and sterling silver (such as what we use in making our CubicZirconia.com jewelry); you want to clean these metals from time to time to keep your jewelry in the best shape.


Yet most so-called ‘home-remedies’ for cleaning jewelry are bunk. And most commercial cleaning liquids can’t handle every kind of jewelry-- some they help, some they damage-- or aren’t sold to consumers (jewelers only), only work with diamonds, or cost an arm and a leg. But not to worry.


There are two simple ways to clean your CubicZirconia.com jewelry yourself, at home. One method is basically free, and the other will cost you less than US$15 bucks. With one or both of these simple, inexpensive methods you’ll be able to keep your CubicZirconia.com jewelry well-maintained, looking shiny/sparkly and in excellent wearable condition. We recommend cleaning daily-wear rings, earrings, and pendants from CubicZirconia.com every week or at most every two weeks. We discuss both methods in this blog post: How to Clean your Fine Cubic Zirconia Jewelry Safely, Cheaply and Effectively.


A: Sterling Silver is durable and reasonably easy to care for but as a precious metal it will occasionally require cleaning. You should never use so-called ‘home remedies’ such as toothpaste, ammonia, bleach, or floor and glass cleaners for cleaning your sterling silver jewelry. You clean sterling silver cubic zirconia jewelry pretty much the same as all jewelry from CubicZirconia.com. There are just a few small things to keep in mind due to the specific metal type (sterling silver versus gold, palladium, or platinum). In order to keep your sterling silver cubic zirconia jewelry looking like new, clean with warm soapy water and a soft-bristled brush following the instructions provided on our blog post here: How to Clean your Fine Cubic Zirconia Jewelry-- with the following notes added


Cleaning sterling silver cubic zirconia jewelry (specific extra notes):

  1. We never recommend using liquid cleaners (including the liquid jewelry cleaner we sell, specifically made for sterling silver jewelry) unless the item is tarnished.
  2. Always use a professional polishing cloth after cleaning discolored sterling silver jewelry. The professional polishing cloth is designed to put a polish and protective coating back on the jewelry; a failure to do so can let sterling silver become discolored again within a matter of days. Additionally, we recommend using a polishing cloth specifically made for sterling silver. It has a dry chemical “treatment” inside of the cloth to remove any oxidation or tarnish that gets on the jewelry. You can buy a treated fine jewelry polishing cloth here.
  3. It is also recommended that sterling silver jewelry be rhodium plated every so often to protect it from normal wear and tear. For an explanation, see FAQ question “What is it and how often should I rhodium-plate my white gold or sterling silver jewelry?”.

Also, since all silver jewelry tarnishes over time -- a dulling that naturally occurs when silver reacts with sulfur or hydrogen sulfide in the ambient air-- you should give special care cleaning if you want long-lasting brilliance and shine. Regular cleanings of all your sterling silver items will prevent tarnish and keep your jewelry bright and sparkling. Tarnish is most easily removed when it first becomes visible.


A: We make and sell fine cubic zirconia jewelry paired with 10 karat gold, 14 karat gold and 18 karat gold (higher gold content with increasing softness and decreasing durability). Gold is reasonably easy to care for but it as a precious metal it will occasionally require cleaning. You should never use so-called ‘home remedies’ such as toothpaste, ammonia, bleach, or floor and glass cleaners for cleaning your gold jewelry. You clean gold cubic zirconia jewelry pretty much the same as all jewelry from CubicZirconia.com. There are just a few small things to keep in mind due to the specific metal type (gold versus sterling silver, palladium, or platinum). In order to keep your gold cubic zirconia jewelry looking like new, clean with warm soapy water and a soft-bristled brush following the instructions provided on our blog post here: How to Clean your Fine Cubic Zirconia Jewelry-- with the following notes added.


Cleaning gold cubic zirconia jewelry (specific extra notes):

  1. Be careful to clean 18 karat gold, especially when using any bristles or brushes. It is among the softest gold commercially made into jewelry and can scratch or score quite easily with sharp or abrasive objects.
  2. Always use a professional polishing cloth after cleaning gold jewelry. The professional polishing cloth is designed to put a polish and protective coating back on the jewelry. Additionally, we recommend using a polishing cloth specifically made for gold. You can buy a gold jewelry polishing cloth from us here.
  3. It is also recommended that white gold jewelry be rhodium plated every so often to protect it from normal wear and tear and refresh the white color. For an explanation, see FAQ question “What is it and how often should I rhodium-plate my white gold or sterling silver jewelry?. Regular cleanings of all your gold jewelry will prevent tarnish and keep your jewelry bright and sparkling. Tarnish is most easily removed when it first becomes visible.

A: Palladium is reasonably easy to care for but as a precious metal it will occasionally require cleaning. You should never use so-called ‘home remedies’ such as toothpaste, ammonia, bleach, or floor and glass cleaners for cleaning your palladium jewelry. You clean palladium cubic zirconia jewelry pretty much the same as all jewelry from CubicZirconia.com. There are just a few small things to keep in mind due to the specific metal type (palladium versus sterling silver, gold, or platinum). In order to keep your palladium cubic zirconia jewelry looking like new, clean with warm soapy water and a soft-bristled brush following the instructions provided on our blog post here: How to Clean your Fine Cubic Zirconia Jewelry-- with the following notes added.


Cleaning palladium cubic zirconia jewelry (specific extra notes):

  1. Always use a professional polishing cloth after cleaning palladium jewelry. The professional polishing cloth is designed to put a polish and protective coating back on the jewelry. You can buy a palladium polishing cloth from us here.

Regular cleanings of all palladium jewelry will prevent patina and keep your jewelry bright and sparkling. Patina is most easily removed when it first becomes visible.


A: As among the most durable precious metals, platinum is reasonably easy to care for but it will occasionally require cleaning. You should never use so-called ‘home remedies’ such as toothpaste, ammonia, bleach, or floor and glass cleaners for cleaning your platinum jewelry. You clean platinum cubic zirconia jewelry pretty much the same as all jewelry from CubicZirconia.com. There are just a few small things to keep in mind due to the specific metal type (platinum versus sterling silver, gold, or palladium). In order to keep your platinum cubic zirconia jewelry looking like new, clean with warm soapy water and a soft-bristled brush following the instructions provided on our blog post here: How to Clean your Fine Cubic Zirconia Jewelry-- with the following notes added.


Cleaning platinum cubic zirconia jewelry (specific extra notes):

  1. Always use a professional polishing cloth after cleaning platinum jewelry. The professional polishing cloth is designed to put a polish and protective coating back on the jewelry. You can buy a platinum polishing cloth from us here.

Please note that, unlike other metals used to create fine jewelry, while platinum does not ‘tarnish’ or fade it can and does over a lifetime of wear take on a distinctive ‘patina’ with age. Regular cleanings of all platinum jewelry will remove the patina (if you desire) and keep your jewelry bright and sparkling.


A: In a blog post linked to below, we’ve fully explained what rhodium is, why rhodium-plating is popular with fine jewelry (and fine jewelry customers!), when to do it and how much it costs...and altogether probably provided more rhodium-related info than you’ll ever want to know: Everything you wanted to know about “Rhodium Plating” white metal jewelry (what, why, how, when & how much). We even cover the drawbacks to rhodium-plating -- mainly the ongoing maintenance cost and effort-- to help our customers wanting white precious metal jewelry to make the best possible decision.


Please note that rhodium-plating for extra protection and shine comes standard on all fine sterling silver and white gold jewelry created by CubicZirconia.com. However, if you prefer the softer, warm tones of white gold that has not been rhodium-plated, please contact us before purchase so that we can make that modification when you place your order.


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