Easy Ring Cleaning

by Judy Larson

If you're like me, you have jewelry that you don't often remove, so the stones often lose their sparkle. We frequently use lotions and creams on our hands in the dryer winter months. The parts under the settings close to the fingers can become clogged with all manner of things that just won't rinse away. Even a trip to a jewelry store that will clean your rings for free can't remove all the build-up behind the stones.

Instructions

When I remembered using the Steven James dryer agitation method for metal etching, I decided to try something similar to clean my diamond wedding rings as well as a diamond tennis bracelet I seldom remove. It worked like a charm!

When you are ready to do laundry, find a short wide mouth jar or small plastic container with a lid to use as a cleaning container. Place jewelry in the bottom, cover with an inch of warm--never hot--water, and then put a drop or two of Dawn dish liquid into the water. Replace the lid. There is no need to agitate the solution. The dryer will do this for you. Place the jar on the dryer. When the dryer is on, it provides gentle agitation and a bit of warmth. Cleaning can be sped up with the addition of gentle heat. I clean my jewelry when I am working on a metal clay piece and am using a dehydrator. A mug warmer would also work. If you feel the need, do a quick swirl of the jewelry in the water between loads of laundry. When done with laundry, the jewelry is CLEAN! A quick rinse and the pieces are ready to wear again. Note: If rings are especially clogged, they may need several laundry days of cleaning to finally remove all that clogs the settings.

Do not use this method on any gemstones that must be treated with great care, such as pearls, mother of pearl, coral, and turquoise. The length of time in a soapy solution could harm the stones. Of course, cleaning with soap and water for a short time and then rinsing and drying is just fine for these stones.

Judy Larson's Easy Ring Cleaning - , General Education, , easy ring cleaning

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PROFESSIONAL QUALITY RING MANDREL 1-16

MAN-295.00

MAN-295.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
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Price: $24.95
Gold Club Price: $18.71

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Small Rawhide Hammer 1 Inch - Pack of 1

G3-1

G3-1
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
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Price: $21.95
Gold Club Price: $16.46

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Category: General Education
Technique(s): General Education

Reviews

Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!

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