How To Clean Ivory Jewelry

Rinse your pieces in a mild soap and water solution if your ivory becomes greasy or soiled.

How to clean ivory jewelry. Use a soft bristled toothbrush to scrub away any remaining grime. Ensure none of the cloths used to clean the piece have been dried with fabric softener as it will transfer to the piece and can cause damage or markings on the surface. When the juice and salt has all been wiped away allow the piece to air dry. Before handling ivory wear clean white cloth gloves. Use the damp cloth to wipe down all surfaces of the ivory item.

I realize this is a general answer since i don t know what the item is. To clean gold jewelry let it soak for 15 minutes in a bowl of warm water with a few squirts of dishwashing soap. If these are not available wash your hands first with soap and water to remove hand oils and dirt. Ivory that is in good condition should be cleaned and wiped gently with a soft clean cloth. Reach into any tight cracks and crevices.

Start off cleaning your ivory by brushing with a paintbrush which is the most delicate method. To clean silver line a bowl with aluminum foil and fill it with hot water and teaspoon of salt. Use this to clean a small inconspicuous area and dry immediately. Dry your ivory immediately to prevent it from splitting or cracking. Some sites recommend cleaning ivory by rubbing it with lemon and setting it in the sun.

Soak a soft cloth in clean water and wring out the excess. Be sure to use a soft clean paintbrush and to work in one direction so that you don t spread dirt or impurities around the surface of the object. Dust ivory using a paintbrush. The glycerin will also help put oil back into the surface and loosen deeper dirt. If dirt remains but no cracks using a solution of 50 ethyl alcohol and 50 distilled water dip a q tip into the solution and blot on a piece of paper towel.

This will bleach the ivory and should not be used on antiques because removing the color will affect the value. Handle ivory with white cotton gloves. White vinyl erasers being very soft are generally used by artists for removing pencil or charcoal marks lines. A bead a carving a tusk or other ivory piece. Since these are also free of contaminants and dye based materials it s pretty safe to clean the ivory.