Before beginning, you need to keep a few points in mind. First of all, if you are unsure about cleaning a certain piece, play it safe -- leave it alone. You can always take it to a jewelry store to have it cleaned. Yes, this will cost you some money, but does that really compare to the possiblity of ruining a piece of fine jewelry? I thought not. Secondly, you need to examine each piece carefully before you begin cleaning. Look for loose stones, cracks and breaks, or loose fittings. If you find any, set these pieces aside; attempting to clean them anyway could damage them further and perhaps irreparably. These pieces can also be cleaned by a jeweler. Finally, never attempt to clean opals or pearls as water will damage them.

You will need several items to clean all your jewelry properly. I will first describe a general cleaning method useful with many pieces. For this, you will need to find a large bowl, some mild dish soap, a chamois cloth and a clean, soft-bristled toothbrush. Never use harsh chemicals to clean jewelry as they may damage them. For instance, bleach can damage metal pieces on jewelry; even jewelry cleaning chemicals should be avoided and used only if you are absolutely certain that it will not ruin your jewelry. Depending on the type of jewelry to be cleaned, you may also need ammonia, hot water, rubbing alcohol or window cleaner.

A quick note on the cleaning cloth you use. It doesn't have to be a chamois cloth. I used to have a special cloth just for cleaning jewelry which worked great. Also, I've heard of people just using tissues; I've never tried this method myself, but if you don't have anything else, it might be worth a try. Just make sure they aren't those tissues with lotion in them!

Now that you have all your supplies and jewelry gathered together in one place, you can begin. You need to wash jewelry in the bowl and not in the sink so that nothing gets lost down the drain. So fill the bowl with warm water a little squirt of your dishwashing soap -- use a very mild liquid soap for this. Only clean one piece at a time to avoid having one piece damage another. Just put each piece in the bowl of soapy water and allow it to soak for several minutes. Then take it out and brush it gently with the toothbrush to get into all those little nooks, crannies and crevices. Don't scrub the jewelry! Just brush gently and then dry with your cloth.

This method works well for a great many pieces of jewelry, including imitation gold and silver and the following stones: diamonds, saphhires, rubies, amber, emeralds and amethysts. For other pieces of jewelry, use the following cleaning methods as applicable. If you aren't sure what something is made of don't try cleaning it yourself.

 Though these can be cleaned using the method above, there are other ways as well that are safe and effective. I always used the above method on my jewelry, but the following was recommended to my at one point by a jeweler and I have tried it. I think it works well, but I don't use it often...I tend to go with the previous cleaning method because it "feels" more thorough to me. I think it just depends on what your comfortable using on your jewelry...and maybe what you happen to have sitting in your cupboards at home.

Diamonds, rubies and sapphires can all be cleaned in the following manner. Mix 1 tablespoon of ammonia into 1 cup of hot water. Dip the piece into the solution and get it thoroughly wet. Remove and dip into a small cup of rubbing alcohol. Gently pat dry. Simple and easy!

 Gold jewelry can be cleaned with mild dishsoap and warm water, as descibed above in the first section. Alternately, you can soak it in a mixture of ammonia and water. Use a ratio of 1 part ammonia to 6 parts water to clean thoroughly without damaging. You must be sure to soak the jewelry for only one minute or less. When done, use warm water to rinse and dry.

Silver can be cleaned with silver dip or polish. This is probably what most people use and both work fine though some people say they prefer the polish for a "smoother" finish. Don't have any silver dip or polish at home? Don't bother running to the store. You can use any non-gel toothpaste and a slightly dampened cloth to clean silver! Just rub it on and polish it up, finishing with a dry cloth.

 Opals and pearls should never be soaked or washed. Moisture ruins opals and pearls will no longer be "pearly". Instead, wipe opals and pearls with a soft, dry cloth. If there is dirt and debris caught in the jewelry, you can soft brush it with a soft-bristled toothbrush. As a reminder, pearls will become discolored if they get things such as hairspray, makeup or perfume on them. So be careful where you store them; don't leave them laying out in the open where stuff might settle and ruin them.

Onyx is another common jewelry material and is very delicate. Onyx is very porous and will absorb the slightest bit of moisture, even while you hold it. When you clean it, hold it in your hand with a cloth and wipe lightly with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol.

The last jewelry cleaning tip I will provide today is for mother of pearl. Mother of pearl wiped with the original dishsoap and warm water solution found at the beginning of this article. Use a soft cloth and rinse the item off when you are done. Dry thoroughly. If your mother of pearl jewelry has been incorrectly cleaned or maintained through the years, it will have lost its shine and cleaning it will not correct this. Again, this is an issue for an experienced jeweler.

Using these directions and cleaning tips will help keep your jewelry looking fresh, new and beautiful for years on end. Feel free to clean jewelry as often as needed; usually it doesn't need to be done more than once a year or so, but don't hesitate to clean a piece if it has become dirty or lost it's shine or luster. Remember, some cleaning methods are not safe on certain mater