The heat and pressure from the steam removes the majority of oils and dirt that form on jewelry from daily wear. Never clean pearls, emeralds, or opals in ultrasonic cleaners. The problem with this method, however, is finding the time to visit a jewelry store on a regular basis, and very few people can afford to purchase ultrasonic and steam machines. There are liquid jar jewelry cleaners available that will remove some of the oils and dirt, although they require several minutes of hand scrubbing with a small brush. Be sure to read any warnings about what types of jewelry can be cleaned using the liquid cleaners.
Toothpaste is another material that some people use to clean jewelry.
This method still requires several minutes of hand-cleaning each item, and it is very difficult to reach under gemstones in their mounting. Small, ultrasonic jewelry cleaning machines that are used at home are also available. These cleaners can be used with hard stones, but fragile gold and silver pieces, enameled jewelry, pearls , opals , or emeralds should never be cleaned in them. Foil-backed stones and emeralds are best cleaned by professionals. When in doubt, consult a professional before cleaning your jewelry.