Cleaning wire-wrapped or cold fusion jewelry can be tricky. Due to the complex nature of the many weaves and coils used in modern wire-wrap jewelry styles, dirt, grit and grime can penetrate into the coils and weaves and be tricky to get out. Using abrasive cleaners can damage the wires in some of these delicate weaves or possibly scratch the stones used in the wire-wrapped piece of jewelry. Some stones used in wire-wrapped jewelry can react with modern cleaning solutions, so it's not always a good idea to use harsh chemical cleaners to clean your wire-wrapped jewelry either. This leaves us with the problem of how to clean the inevitable dirt and gunk that will show up from every day wear of a piece of wire-wrapped jewelry! Don't despair, there are some great methods to produce stunning results out there, and I'm here to help you learn how to use them to keep your cold fusion jewelry looking as blinging as it did on the day you bought it.
The first method I recommend using is a good old toothbrush, hot water and soap. The only time I would recommend not ever using water is if your have a mineral like Halite, which is essentially salt and can disintegrate under water. Here's what you do. Use a soft bristle toothbrush, the kind recommended for sensitive teeth. Rub the soap on your wire-wrapped jewelry with your hands. Use a mild dish detergent such as Dawn. Using the hot water coming out of your tap and soft circular brushing motions, scrub the nooks and crannies of the wire wrap, taking care not to hit any of the stones or wire coils and weaves with the hard plastic of the toothbrush. Take special care around any tight areas of the weaving, using the pressure of the tap water to blow out any particles. Be sure to rinse througoghly and let your wire-wrapped jewelry dry completely. Patting dry with a towel with a low pile is a great way to dry your freshly cleaned jewelry. This method is great for any particles that get trapped in the doesn't do much to combat tarnishing, which I will cover below.
Tarnishing is a function of the sulfur in your environment reacting with the metals in your wire-wrapped jewelry. As a general rule of thumb, tarnishing occurs unless your wire wrap is made exclusively from gold and platinum wire. Since most wire wraps are not made exclusively from these materials this means you will sooner or later be dealing with tarnish. To start with, prevention is always better, as it's easier to prevent than fix. Keeping your wire wrap in a cool dry place is a good start. An airtight jewelry box can be a wonderful place to keep your wire-wrapped jewelry as it keeps out the air that contains the sulfur that is causing the tarnish, just make sure to put it in a cool, dark and dry place. Jewelry polishing cloths can be a great tool to combat tarnish once it occurs. There are many types of cloths, some that come with jewelers rouge applied or those that you need to apply the jewelers rouge to yourself. We'll assume you are using the cloth with rouge pre-applied. First, take the cloth that has the rouge on it and rub the wire wrap in your hand. The rouge can transfer to your hands and clothing so make sure not to touch anything but the wire wrap with the cloth. Rub the whole wire wrap down, paying special attention to go with the grain of the coils and weaves, following the wire patterns. After rubbing the whole wire wrap down with the rouge cloth, switch to the polishing cloth. After polishing the wire wrap, your fingerprints will show up when you touch the piece, so you can combat this by using the chain that you wear the wire wrap with as a way to hold the wire wrap without touching it with your fingers. Holding the wire wrap with the chain, buff the rouge you applied with the polishing cloth, which will remove the tarnish and leave a high finish on the wire wrap. Once done, try not to touch the wire wrap with your hands as this will undo the work you have just finished.
As a last resort, to remove really stubborn tarnish or to get into the nooks and crannies of your wire wrap that a brush cannot reach, you can use metal cleaners. There are many different products available and the one you ultimately choose is up to you. Some cleaners are damaging to certain stones, including opals, selenite, amber, chrysoprase and others. Proceed with care when using any of these cleaners, read all warnings and directions and remember, when in doubt- only use water and soap. This will insure that you will not damage your wire-wrapped jewelry while cleaning it. If you ever are not sure about something or think it might damage your jewelry, wait to make sure or better yet take it to your local jeweler and have them recommend how to clean it.
Hopefully the tips I've provided you will help you keep your wire-wrapped jewelry clean and beautiful for years to come. If you need more information, or would just like to chat about new jewelry styles, feel free to drop me a line!
