The Complete Guide to Cleaning Your Jewellery & Watches at Home (Australia 2026)
Your jewellery and watches aren’t just accessories—they’re investments. Whether it’s an engagement ring you wear every day or a premium automatic watch that only comes out on weekends, sweat, lotions, and environmental dust dull their shine faster than you realise. Knowing exactly how to clean jewellery properly doesn't just restore its sparkle; it prevents long-term damage to delicate metals and complicated watch components.
At a Glance: The Essentials
- How to clean gold jewellery
- How to clean silver jewellery
- How to clean diamond rings
- How to clean delicate jewellery
- How to clean a watch at home
- When to use an ultrasonic cleaner
- Preventing tarnish
How to Clean Gold Jewellery at Home
Gold is naturally soft. Even 18k alloys can easily pick up micro-scratches from rough handling or abrasive DIY solutions like toothpaste. If you want to know how to clean gold jewellery safely, the rule is simple: use a non-abrasive liquid dip that breaks down skin oils without scrubbing.
Connoisseurs Fine Jewellery Cleaner 250ml Dip Tray and Brush
JEWELLERY CARE · GOLD & PLATINUM · HOME CLEANING
✓ Best For: Routine cleaning of gold, platinum, and hard gemstones.
This ammonia-free formula acts fast to dissolve the daily grime that dulls your gold pieces. The built-in dip tray allows you to submerge chains and rings without getting your hands messy, while the included soft-bristle brush gets into the tight spaces behind stone settings.
If you wear gold daily, this is the most reliable way to keep it looking factory-fresh without risking the abrasions caused by household remedies. It just works.
- Volume: 250ml
- Format: Liquid dip with tray & brush
- Safe for: Gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies
- Price: RRP $30.00
How to Clean Silver Jewellery and Remove Tarnish
Unlike gold, sterling silver actively reacts with the air, moisture, and your skin, leading to a dark tarnish over time. Knowing how to clean silver jewellery isn't just about removing dirt; it's about reversing oxidation. For heavily tarnished pieces, a dedicated silver dip is the only thing that pulls the dark oxidisation out of the intricate links of a chain or bracelet.
Connoisseurs Silver Jewellery Cleaner 250ml Dip Tray
JEWELLERY CARE · STERLING SILVER · TARNISH REMOVAL
✓ Best For: Stripping heavy oxidation and tarnish from silver chains and rings.
This specialized silver dip physically breaks the bond of tarnish on sterling silver in seconds. You simply place your tarnished piece into the tray, lower it into the solution for exactly 10 seconds, and rinse it under warm water.
It's the fastest way to bring black, oxidised silver back to a brilliant shine. Note that this should only be used on sterling silver—not on stones or antiqued pieces where the dark patina is intentional.
- Volume: 250ml
- Format: Fast-acting liquid dip
- Safe for: Sterling silver only
- Price: RRP $30.00
How to Clean Diamond Rings
Diamonds naturally attract grease. Lotions, cooking oils, and everyday handling coat the pavilion (the underside) of the diamond, blocking light from reflecting through the top. If your engagement ring looks dull, it’s not the stone—it’s just dirty.
Connoisseurs Diamond Dazzle Stik On The Go
JEWELLERY CARE · DIAMONDS · TRAVEL
✓ Best For: Precision cleaning of engagement rings and diamond settings anywhere.
This pen-sized cleaner uses a specialised gel with micro-fine cleansers and polymers that fill in tiny scratches on settings. You simply twist the cap to dispense the gel into the brush tip, then scrub around the diamond and directly underneath the setting where grime gets trapped.
Because it fits in a handbag or desk drawer, it's the perfect tool for restoring your ring's fire right before a meeting or a night out. Hard to fault at this price.
- Volume: 1.5ml
- Format: Gel pen with brush tip
- Safe for: Diamonds, precious stones, gold, platinum
- Price: RRP $30.00
How to Clean Delicate and Costume Jewellery
Pearls, opals, turquoise, and costume jewellery require extreme care. The ammonia-based cleaners used for diamonds will damage the porous surface of a pearl or strip the finish off costume metals. For these, you need a gentler approach.
Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner 250ml
JEWELLERY CARE · SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES · COSTUME
✓ Best For: Pearls, opals, and non-precious costume pieces.
Formulated specifically without harsh chemicals, this dip gently floats dirt away from porous stones and plated metals. It includes a dip tray and brush for safe, contactless cleaning.
If you own heirloom pearls or plated fashion pieces, you can't go wrong with this dedicated formula. It cleans effectively while protecting the fragile outer nacre of your stones.
- Volume: 250ml
- Format: Mild liquid dip with tray & brush
- Safe for: Pearls, opals, costume jewellery
- Price: RRP $30.00
How to Clean a Watch at Home
If you're wondering how to clean a watch, remember that moisture is the enemy. Never submerge a watch head, even if it says it's water-resistant. Watch bracelets, however, act like a magnet for dead skin and sweat, which acts as an abrasive paste between the links.
Connoisseurs Watch Cleansing Foam Kit
WATCH CARE · METAL BRACELETS · COMPLETE KIT
✓ Best For: Deep cleaning stainless steel watch bracelets and cases.
This kit provides everything needed to maintain a luxury timepiece. The foaming cleanser stays exactly where you spray it—meaning it won't seep past the crown gaskets into the movement. Use the soft brush to work the foam between the links, then wipe it away.
The included two-ply polishing cloth applies an anti-tarnish barrier while bringing up a high polish on steel and gold. If you own an expensive automatic on a steel bracelet, this is mandatory maintenance to prevent link stretching.
- Volume: 70ml
- Format: Cleansing foam, brush, and 2-ply cloth
- Safe for: Metal watch bands and cases
- Price: RRP $60.00
When to Use an Ultrasonic Cleaner
Ultrasonic cleaners use high-frequency sound waves to create microscopic bubbles in a cleaning solution. When these bubbles collapse, they physically blast dirt out of the most impossible-to-reach crevices of diamond settings and watch bracelets.
Connoisseurs LaSONIC Diamond Dazzler Ultrasonic Cleaner
JEWELLERY CARE · ULTRASONIC · PROFESSIONAL GRADE
✓ Best For: Professional-level cleaning for large diamond collections and metal bands.
Bringing professional jeweller equipment to your bathroom counter, the LaSONIC uses dual tanks for cleaning and rinsing. It features a concentrated electro-sonic action that shakes loose years of built-up grime in minutes.
This is the ultimate tool for hard stones like diamonds and sapphires, or detached metal watch bracelets. Just remember: never put pearls, opals, or a watch head (even a dive watch) into an ultrasonic cleaner.
- Format: Electronic dual-tank ultrasonic machine
- Safe for: Hard gemstones, gold, platinum, metal bracelets
- Price: RRP $150.00
Jewellery Care Tips to Prevent Tarnish
Prevention is always better than a cure. Storing your jewellery exposed to bathroom humidity guarantees it will tarnish quickly. To keep silver and gold bright between deep cleans, use an anti-tarnish wipe.
Connoisseurs Jewellery Dry Wipes 25 Pack
JEWELLERY CARE · PREVENTION · TRAVEL
✓ Best For: Daily wiping of all jewellery to prevent oxidation buildup.
These dry wipes are embedded with an anti-tarnish shield that leaves a microscopic protective barrier on your metals. A quick wipe at the end of the day removes the skin oils that accelerate tarnishing before you put the piece back in its box.
They come in a compact carry case, making them an excellent add-on for travel or keeping in a bedside table. Simple, dry, and highly effective.
- Volume: 25 reusable wipes
- Format: Dry disposable cloths in compact case
- Safe for: All metals and gemstones
- Price: RRP $30.00
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use baking soda to clean my jewellery?
Baking soda is highly abrasive and can scratch softer metals like gold or silver. It is always safer to use a purpose-made, non-abrasive jewellery cleaner.
How often should I clean my watch?
A daily wipe with a soft cloth prevents buildup. For metal bracelets, a deeper clean with a specialised watch foam every few months keeps links free from grime.
Is an ultrasonic cleaner safe for all gemstones?
No. Ultrasonic cleaners are perfect for hard stones like diamonds and sapphires, but they can shatter porous stones like pearls, opals, and emeralds.
Your collection deserves proper maintenance. Shop the full range of Connoisseurs jewellery and watch care products here to keep your investments looking as brilliant as the day you bought them.