How to Clean Stud Earrings

Co-authored by Nicole Wegman

Last Updated: December 12, 2021 References

One of the most common types of earrings are stud earrings. Stud earrings can collect the oils from your face and ears. They can also pick up dirt and other residue. Use peroxide to clean stud earrings with precious metals or clear gems like amethyst and diamonds. Studs with porous gems like pearls and turquoise should be treated more gently, and silver studs should be polished to remove tarnish.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Cleaning Common Stud Earrings

1
Fill a container with peroxide. You can find peroxide in a lot of stores. It’s usually found in the first aid aisle and should be clear. Pour some into a small bowl so that the bottom of the bowl is just covered.^{[1]
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2
Let your earrings soak. Place your earrings in the peroxide and let them soak for fifteen to twenty minutes.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Nicole Wegman
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.} If it’s been quite a while (over six months) since you last cleaned your earrings, you might want to leave them in longer.^{[3]
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3
Brush your earrings with a jewelry brush. If you don’t have a jewelry brush, a clean toothbrush will work just as well.^{[4]
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Nicole Wegman
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.} Gently brush your earrings, being sure to get into any cracks or crevices.^{[5]
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4
Rinse your earrings. You can rinse your earrings by holding them under warm running water.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Nicole Wegman
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.} Or dip them in a bowl of clear warm water.^{[7]
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5
Let your earrings air dry. Lay your earrings out on a piece of paper towel and let them air dry. This will take up to an hour, depending on the size of the stud.^{[8]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Cleansing Studs with Precious Metals or Gems

1
Fill a medium sized bowl with ammonia and water. Pour ¼ cup (2 ounces) of ammonia into a bowl and then fill it the rest of the way with clear, warm water. Be careful not to splash the ammonia out of the bowl – it can burn your skin.^{[9]
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Fill another bowl with warm water and dish soap. In a separate bowl, mix warm water and a few squirts of dish soap. You’ll need this to wash your earrings after they’ve been in the ammonia.^{[10]
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3
Let the earrings soak in the ammonia for twenty minutes. Place your earrings carefully in the bowl with ammonia in it. Don’t drop them, as this can cause splashing. Let them soak for twenty minutes.^{[11]
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4
Use gloves to remove the earrings from the ammonia. You should wear rubber gloves – the kind you use for housecleaning are fine – when dealing with ammonia. After you put on a pair of rubber gloves, carefully remove your earrings from the bowl of ammonia. Then place them in the second bowl with soap and water.^{[12]
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5
Scrub the earrings with a jewelry brush. Swirl your earrings around in the soap and water mixture and then gently scrub with them a toothbrush. Make sure you clean both the gemstones (if there are any) and the metal of your earrings.^{[13]
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Rinse the earrings in warm water. Once you’ve cleaned your earrings, rinse them in warm water, either under a faucet or in a bowl. Then lay them out to dry.^{[14]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Washing Studs with Porous Gemstones

1
Mix a cleaning solution. Cleaners like peroxide and ammonia are too harsh to use on porous gemstones like pearls. Mix a gentler cleaning solution by adding three drops of mild dish soap to one cup (8 ounces) of clear, warm water. Then swirl it around to mix it.^{[15]
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Dip a cloth into the mixture. Dip just the corner of a clean cloth into the cleaning mixture. You’ll need the rest of the cloth to dry the jewelry later.^{[16]
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Wipe your earrings. Gently wipe the gemstones in your earrings with the corner of the cloth dipped into the soap and water mixture. Make sure that you work the cloth into any crevices in the earrings, particularly around any metal prongs that might be holding gems in place.^{[17]
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4
Scrub the metal with a jewelry brush. Dip a jewelry brush into the soap and water mixture and scrub the metal on your stud earrings. Be careful not to scrub the gems, since porous gems scratch easily.^{[18]
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5
Wipe the soap away with clear water. Dip another corner of the cloth into clear, clean water, and wipe the soap off of your earrings. Make sure you get soap out of any of the crevices in the earrings.^{[19]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Polishing Silver Studs

1
Mix a baking soda paste. How much water and baking soda you need will depend upon how many pairs of earrings you’re polishing. But you should mix enough baking soda with water to make a thin paste. It should be thick enough that it doesn't run off of your earrings.^{[20]
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Rub the paste in with a cloth. Using the baking soda paste as a polish, rub it into your silver studs with a clean cloth. You should see some of the tarnish coming off as you rub the paste in.^{[21]
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Use a toothbrush to get into etched silver earrings. If your silver studs have any etched-in designs, dip a toothbrush into the baking soda paste and rub it into the design. The bristles will ensure the paste gets into the design, rather than being layered over the top.^{[22]
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Rinse under running warm water. When you’re finished rubbing in the baking soda, rinse your earrings under warm running water. You may have to rub at the earrings to make sure all of the baking soda comes off.^{[23]
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Pat dry with a clean cloth. Once you’ve rinsed your silver earrings clean, pat them dry with a clean cloth. You can leave them out to air dry, too.^{[24]
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Expert Q&A

Question

How often should I clean my stud earrings?

Nicole Wegman
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
Nicole Wegman is the Founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, a New York City-based fine jewelry brand. Specializing in engagement ring and wedding band trends, Ring Concierge creates a luxury experience catered towards millennials. Ring Concierge offers engagement rings along with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. Nicole's work and Ring Concierge have been featured in Vogue, Glamour, Who What Wear, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and Cosmopolitan. Nicole is a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Accredited Jewelry Professional and holds a BS in Fiber Science and Apparel Design from Cornell University.

Nicole Wegman

Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge

Expert Answer

It is best to clean your stud earrings weekly. You can use any jewelry cleaner for it.
Question

Why should I clean my diamond studs frequently?

Nicole Wegman
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
Nicole Wegman is the Founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, a New York City-based fine jewelry brand. Specializing in engagement ring and wedding band trends, Ring Concierge creates a luxury experience catered towards millennials. Ring Concierge offers engagement rings along with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. Nicole's work and Ring Concierge have been featured in Vogue, Glamour, Who What Wear, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and Cosmopolitan. Nicole is a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Accredited Jewelry Professional and holds a BS in Fiber Science and Apparel Design from Cornell University.

Nicole Wegman

Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge

Expert Answer

Lotions and natural oils stick to the diamond and make it cloudy. It is necessary to clean them frequently so that they sparkle.
Question

How do you clean stud earrings?

Nicole Wegman
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
Nicole Wegman is the Founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, a New York City-based fine jewelry brand. Specializing in engagement ring and wedding band trends, Ring Concierge creates a luxury experience catered towards millennials. Ring Concierge offers engagement rings along with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. Nicole's work and Ring Concierge have been featured in Vogue, Glamour, Who What Wear, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and Cosmopolitan. Nicole is a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Accredited Jewelry Professional and holds a BS in Fiber Science and Apparel Design from Cornell University.

Nicole Wegman

Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge

Expert Answer

You can soak them for a few minutes in a cleaning solution and then scrub them with a small brush. After that, wash them with warm water.

Warnings

Do not use any of the above methods for cleaning pearl stud earrings. They should be cleaned using water and mild soap.

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Don’t use toothpaste to clean silver earrings. Some toothpaste might have baking soda in it, but the other ingredients in toothpaste will damage the silver.

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