Jewellery Cleaning Guide

All pieces at Lulu and Boo are handmade from recycled solid gold and sterling silver with any gemstones being ethically mined. Each item is lovingly made and intended to be treasured by their recipient. They are designed to last you a lifetime. To keep your Lulu and Boo jewellery in excellent condition, it's essential to keep it clean and protect it from damage. Here are our top tips for maintaining your jewellery.

Upkeep of your daily staples:

You might wear a piece of jewellery every day. A treasured necklace, pair of earrings or ring that gets worn regularly will naturally need cleaning more often. We recommend that your daily staples should be cleaned around once a month to keep them at their best. This may seem a lot but products like jewellery cleaning wipes are widely available and allow you to keep your pieces looking great without having to book into the jewellers.


If your item is set with gem stones, soaking in a bowl of warm water with a non-abrasive soap product (rather than over the sink where you might risk losing a stone down the plughole!) is the gentlest way to remove dirt from the setting and shine up the gem.

Things to Avoid

  1. Wearing jewellery in the bath, shower or swimming pool. This increases the risk of tarnishing.
  2. Wearing jewellery while doing DIY or gardening. This increases the risk of your pieces getting dirty but also poses a risk of injury so be careful.
  3. Exposing your jewellery to harsh household cleaning products – Perhaps invest in a good pair of marigolds for the cleaning chores!
  4. Letting your jewellery come into contact with substances like perfume, hairspray, makeup or lotions greatly increases the chance of tarnishing. Remove your jewellery before applying your perfume or body sprays.

Cleaning Tips by Metal Type

  • Sterling Silver

    Silver tends to appear darker as it tarnishes over time, a reaction caused by exposure to sunlight and moisture. This doesn’t damage the silver itself and can actually be prevented by wearing your sterling silver jewellery regularly. When storing sterling silver pieces, choose an airtight, dry container away from direct sunlight to prevent tarnishing.

    Again, silver cleaning cloths are a great way to restore the colour of your silver, or a bowl of warm water and washing up liquid/baby shampoo, or a white vinegar and water solution. The key is to not use anything abrasive to soak or scrub as this will likely scratch the surface of the silver.

  • Gold

    Depending on how many carats your gold jewellery is will affect how it will age over time. Pure gold (24ct) is far less likely to tarnish than gold mixed with alloys, but the purity also affects the softness of the metal, so 18ct and 9ct pieces although more likely to tarnish, aren’t as susceptible to marks and scratches. Lulu and Boo pieces are either 9ct gold jewellery or 18ct gold jewellery.

    Like silver, you can gently clean gold jewellery using a mix of warm water, a mild detergent and a soft cloth. After cleaning, be sure to rinse thoroughly and dry with a lint-free cloth. For tougher tarnishes, a very soft toothbrush, can help reach those small, hard-to-clean areas – use gentle strokes and take care not to press too hard.

  • White Gold

    White gold is an alloy, it can be rhodium-plated (rhodium being part of the platinum family) which gives it the distinctive white appearance. Maintenance and cleaning is much the same as yellow gold. However, over time it may require professional re-plating to restore its original brightness. Avoid exposing white gold to harsh chemicals, such as chlorine or bleach, as this can damage the metal and dull its finish.

  • Platinum

    Platinum is highly durable and resistant to tarnish, but it can develop a patina over time. If you prefer a high-shine finish, you can have it professionally polished to restore its original lustre. Again, avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive materials that could scratch the surface.

Storage Tips

Proper storage is key to keeping your pieces at their best. The best option is always to store your jewellery in the original boxes, but we appreciate that this can be impractical and requires a lot of space! You can Choose a jewellery box to store multiple pieces in one place but remember not to overcrowd it as this could inadvertently damage your pieces. 

A jewellery roll is a great option when travelling, or if you have a capsule collection of regular favourites. You can buy a Lulu and Boo jewellery roll for this very purpose, and we offer a free roll with purchases over £500. Taking your jewellery off at the end of the day and popping it into a roll for safekeeping until the morning will help to keep your favourites safe. 

Finally, we always recommend that you take off all your jewellery before going to bed and leave off putting it on until after you’ve dressed, applied makeup, hair products and perfumes - make it the icing on the cake of your glow up! 

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