Cleaning rhinestone and glass crystal jewelry can be an easy process, provided you use a little bit of caution--and a lot of common sense!

Rhinestones generally photograph a lot better after they've been cleaned.  Since the goal is to make the jewelry look as desirable as possible, it's to your advantage to make your pieces SPARKLE!

...And all you need is a an old soft toothbrush, mild glass cleaner, a large bowl, & a strainer.

CLEANING RHINESTONES:

 First of all, examine the piece--or pieces. 

 Here's where common sense comes in: Are the rhinestones glued-in or prong (hand) set?  Are the stones open-backed or closed?  And are the stones foiled or unfoiled?

If they're prong set, you can simply use a soft toothbrush dipped in water & a mild glass cleaner to lightly scrub around the prongs.  If the piece is open-backed & UNFOILED, it's a good idea to lightly scrub under the mountings, too--just like you would clean both the inside & the outside of a drinking glass.

And it's a good idea to do this over a large bowl, or use a strainer if you do it over the sink, just in case a stone falls out.

But if the prong-set piece is open-backed & FOILED, try not to apply any pressure against the foil back, since it will peel away.  It's also not a good idea to get the backing wet.  If you do, pat it dry as quickly as possible.

(**Remember, vintage costume jewelry was meant to be disposable, so pieces weren't made to last forever. If a piece might be ruined by cleaning it, it's best to err on the side of caution.  Use your judgment:  maybe the piece just needs to be wiped down with a soft, slightly damp cloth.)

You can then lightly rinse the piece with cool water, pat it dry with a paper towel & put it UPSIDE down on a paper towel or a regular cloth towel.  It's best to dry it upside down so that moisture doesn't run into the foil backing , break it down & ruin it. 

 You can also use a hair dryer on a low setting to dry the piece.  In damp or humid climates, I highly recommend using a hair dryer!  You want to get the piece dried as quickly as you can.

If the rhinestones are GLUED in, using a strainer or a large bowl is imperative.  Stones fall out.  Some can be re-glued, but if the stones have lost their foil backing, you will need to completely replace the stone to avoid that hazy, dull, dead look that comes from a bad glue job.

And here's a tip:  Once a stone is dead, or dark or discolored (yellow), no amount of cleaning will bring it back to life again, so learn to spot the pieces that can be improved by cleaning--and the ones that are a lost cause!

If your piece has PEARLS in addition to rhinestones, be very careful, as the coating (lustre) can peel right off.  Again, this might be a case where you simply wipe the piece down with a slightly damp cloth.

CLEANING GLASS CRYSTAL

Again, examine the piece. 

If it's a necklace, check to see if it's strung on string--or on chain--or on wire.

If it's strung on string, DON'T immerse it in water, unless you want to be picking up crystals all over the sink & the floor!  Just spray a soft cloth or paper towel with a mixture of glass cleaner & water, & wipe the crystals down. 

 Crystals tend to get really hazy & dusty & it's amazing what a difference this can make!

If your necklace is strung on wire or chain, use CAUTION, but you might be able to spray your glass cleaner/water mixture directly onto the piece, then rinse it & pat it dry.

I've even used chandelier cleaner on glass crystals to good effect.  Just don't use too much!

Generally crystal pins & earrings are strung on wire, so they can be lightly scrubbed with a toothbrush & rinsed, but again, if your earrings or pin has PEARLS in addition to crystals, be VERY careful.

......Here's to making ALL of your jewelry SPARKLE!