
We Tested the 5 Best Jewelry Cleaners to Get Tarnished Rings and Necklaces Looking Like New
No one likes seeing their once glistening precious jewels turn dull. You should confidently be able to wear your jewelry for years without having to say, “This old thing?” Fortunately, with the help of quality jewelry cleaners, you actually can!
I’ve had my fair share of sterling silver necklaces whose chains have turned green or gold rings that have tarnished into a less than desirable copper color. I ended up hiding them in my jewelry box and buying shiny new replacements instead. Then, I realized there was a better solution.
To help keep jewelry in tip-top shape, we’ve spent 12 hours testing a dozen popular jewelry cleaners on six different metals and gemstones. And while we know you can also make a homemade jewelry cleaner, we think these jewelry cleaning picks are easy and ideal for general bling upkeep.
Out of all the jewelry cleaners we’ve tested, the Connoisseurs Dazzle Drops is our top choice regarding its effectiveness, versatility, and overall value. Whether you want a hands-off cleaning solution or one to spruce up the delicate parts of your ring, Connoisseurs drops are perfect for both.
Along with the concentrate solution drops, this compact kit comes with a soft bristle cleaning brush and a scooper to help dip your jewelry into the container. Plus, it’s good for up to 80 cleanings.
The container is on the small side, so it may not fit your larger jewelry pieces. However, the good thing is that you can add drops directly onto the brush and clean your jewelry that way. If you do decide to soak your jewelry, we advise giving your pieces a good scrub before rinsing.
What Our Tester Said
The Dazzle Drops jewelry cleaner did a good job cleaning the dirty rings. I was able to remove all debris for two silver rings,” says our tester.
The Connoisseurs Dazzle Drops cleaned our dirty rings instantly. This cleaner is easy to use, the instructions are easy to follow, and we appreciate the ammonia-free formula. It’s not compatible with porous gemstones like opal and pearl, but it’s great for diamonds, platinum, gold, and more.
Cleaning Method: Liquid | Suitable For: Gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, stone | Cleaning Time: 1-2 minutes | Amount: 1-ounce (80 cleanings)
How Often Should You Clean Your Jewelry?
Most formulas are gentle enough to use daily, but as a guideline, aim for once a week, and pay attention to dirt and grime buildup around your stones, gems, and bands.
This gentle jewelry cleaner is ideal for those with skin sensitivities and a jewelry stash filled with gold, silver, diamonds, and rubies. And with 8 ounces of product, you’ll get a lot of uses, all for just under $10.
This liquid cleaner doesn’t have multiple application methods like our best overall pick, but thanks to its included dipping basket, you won’t have to get your hands dirty. Just let your jewelry soak for three minutes, scrub away any leftover debris, and rinse.
Brilliant encourages polishing your jewels with a cloth after rinsing, but you’ll have to buy one separately. We found our rings to still be heavily tarnished after letting them soak for three minutes, so you may need to use the included brush for extra cleaning.
Overall, the Brilliant Jewelry Cleaner is great for light jewelry spruce-ups that aren’t heavily tarnished. Plus, its affordable price tag and gentle, bleach-free formula is a bonus.
Cleaning Method: Liquid | Suitable For: Gold, platinum, silver, diamonds, rubies, sapphire, non-porous gems | Cleaning Time: 3 minutes | Amount: 8 ounces
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Ideal for gold and delicate stones
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Includes polymers to reduce visible scratches
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Includes dipping tray for 30-second results
While you may want to take your fine, exceptional pieces to professionals, there are highly effective cleaners made for delicate gems, like the Connoisseurs Premium Edition Cleaner. We love it for its 30-second results and ease of use.
Like the Connoisseurs Drops (our best overall), this cleaner involves a 30-second soak. However, the container is designed with a dipping tray that lowers straight into the solution, which we found is an effective method to clean jewelry.
You get 9.6 ounces of product, which can be long-lasting if you’re an infrequent jewelry cleaner like us. This is an ideal pick if you’re looking to clean gold-plated jewelry or diamonds.
However, be careful with the jewels you clean because this fine cleaner isn’t suitable for soft, porous pieces like pearls and opals. For that, we recommend the brand’s delicate jewelry cleaner instead.
Cleaning Method: Liquid | Suitable For: Gold, diamonds, precious stones | Cleaning Time: 30 seconds | Amount: 9.6 ounces
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Includes polishing cloth
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Safe for fine jewelry, including pearls and opal
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Effective on sterling silver and brass oxidation
If you need a cleaner specifically for your most precious rings, we highly recommend investing in Made By Mary’s Restore Jewelry Cleaner. It’s a little higher in price than our other picks, but it’s a long-lasting solution you’ll be able to use on most metals. It also comes with a handy polishing cloth.
This cleaner has a similar application method to our fine jewelry cleaner pick, in a sense that you soak your jewelry in a dipping tray, however, we like the Made by Mary one specifically for rings.
The container is a bit small, but we could comfortably fit three of our rings on the tray just fine. The instructions say to let them soak for two minutes, then wipe with the soft cloth and small brush that is provided. Getting them perfectly clean was impossible due to our rings’ small cracks and crevices, but it wasn’t visible to the naked eye.
What Our Tester Said
“My personal jewelry is sterling silver and brass, and it did a good job of getting the worst of the oxidation cleaned up,” our tester says.
We highly recommend following the brand’s included cleaning chart to see how to best clean your jewelry depending on its material. For example, opal and jade gemstones can be lightly buffed with the outer cloth and not the inner cloth. The inner polish cloth is best for cleaning stainless steel and sterling silver.
Cleaning Method: Liquid | Suitable For: Gold, silver, diamonds, pearls, and more | Cleaning Time: 2 minutes | Amount: 4 ounces
If your jewelry has lost its glistening effect, consider snagging a bottle of Grandma’s Secret Jewelry Cleaner for added shine. Its bleach and ammonia-free formula is safe to use on gold, silver, sapphire, and other non-porous jewelry.
Since this is a spray cleaner, it’s great for on-the-go cleaning or for cleaning pieces that need a quick spritz. For an everyday clean, simply spray the solution directly onto your jewelry, let it saturate for 15 seconds, rinse, dry with a polishing cloth, and voila.
If your jewels are heavily tarnished, you can add some of the solution to a bowl and let your pieces soak for 10 minutes for a nice, deep clean. Just note this spray made us cough and has a similar smell to Windex, so the aerosol formula may be too strong for some.
Cleaning Method: Spray | Suitable For: Gold, silver, sapphire, non-porous jewelry | Cleaning Time: 15 seconds | Amount: 3 ounces
The Connoisseurs Dazzle Drops is our overall best pick for its versatile application and effective cleaning results. If you want to bring life back into your jewels with added shine, we recommend Grandma’s Secret Jewelry Cleaner (our best spray pick). This spray cleaner is portable, effective, and takes just a few minutes to work its magic.
How We Tested the Jewelry Cleaners
We evaluated 12 jewelry cleaners in the lab by putting them through a slew of tests on three different ring types, including a diamond white gold ring, a sterling silver moissanite, and a cubic zirconia gold plated ring.
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Cleaning Effectiveness: We dirtied up all three rings with one drop of body oil, a lotion and sand mixture, and rubbed deodorant, focusing on the rings’ crevices. We then followed each manufacturer’s cleaning instructions and inspected each ring with a magnifying glass to see how well the solution lifted the dirt and debris.
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Size: For devices and kits, we evaluated the size of each cleaner’s container by noting how many jewelry pieces it can hold and clean at once. For solution cleaners, we estimated the amount of cleaning sessions the solution might have based on the formula type and its size.
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Design: We evaluated the process of using each jewelry cleaner based on its design. For solutions, we noted how much was needed, the application method, and whether or not it was a soaking solution or if it could be instantly wiped off. For cleaners with an included basket, we evaluated the size of the basket or tray, the container’s size, and whether smaller items could fall through.
What to Look for in a Jewelry Cleaner
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Consider Jewelry Type
The first step in finding the best jewelry cleaner for your accessories is to pick a cleaner that’s compatible with your jewelry’s material, as some cleaners’ formula may be too harsh and damage your precious gems.
For example, our best overall, the Connoisseurs Dazzle Drops, is great for most jewelry types, including gold, silver, platinum, and diamonds, but it’s not ideal for porous gemstones, like opal, pearl, and soft stones. Instead, we’d recommend our best cleaner for rings for delicate pieces.
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The type of jewelry, such as earrings, necklaces, and rings also play a role. For smaller pieces, we’d recommend cleaner kits with a dipping tray or basket, like our best overall and best for fine jewelry picks. The baskets are large enough for you to clean multiple small jewelry pieces at once. The kits also include small bristle brushes to scrub intricate parts.
We also recommend using spray cleaners like Grandma’s Secret Jewelry Cleaner (our best for shine pick) for larger jewelry, like necklaces and bracelets.
Think About Cleaning Method
In our tested list, you’ll notice two main cleaning methods: a liquid dip and a spray. Both are effective in their own ways, but the method you choose all comes down to how much time you have and the severity of your tarnished pieces.
For quick cleaning, we recommend trying a spray like our best shine pick, Grandma’s Secret Jewelry Cleaner, which only needs a few spritz of solution. Then, you just leave it on for 15 seconds before wiping. However, if your jewelry has a lot of dirt, you may need to follow up with a scrub or let it soak in the solution for a few minutes.
If you have enough time to give your precious gems a thorough deep clean, the Connoisseurs Dazzle Drops (our overall best) and the Made by Mary Restore Jewelry Cleaner (our best for rings pick) are liquid dips that soften and break down tarnish and buildup within minutes.
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Why Trust The Spruce?
I’m Kenedee Fowler, a writer for The Spruce. I have helped work on our entire library of articles on the best cleaning products for your home. For this guide, I took a deep dive into our jewelry cleaner insights and handpicked five cleaners with the best formulas, results, and cleaning times. I also included solutions compatible with various jewelry types.
Our Experts:
Michelle Lau, editor at The Spruce