Like diamonds, the precious cubic zirconia (CZ) gems need to be cleaned to maintain their original brilliance and luster. Many variables in our surrounding can dull the shine of precious gems: body lotion, perfume, hairspray, perspiration, or just simply, normal everyday wear.

All lotions and soap film are some of the more difficult materials to remove. Just a little of any of these materials on your CZ stone, will take away much of the visual brilliance of the stone. So it is vital to keep your CZ clean to maintain its sparkling diamond look.

A convenient way to clean your CZ jewelry is to use a small brushing device with soft bristles (preferably a toothbrush), along with warm to hot water mixed with a mild liquid dishwashing detergent (such as the brand, Joy), and brush as well as possible to remove any scum build-up.

Then, rinse well in warm to hot water, pat dry with a clean cloth, and take a look. If more cleaning is needed, soak the jewelry piece in hot water, with about 1/3 detergent to 2/3 hot water. (The mix is not critical.) Then, just brush again. When you're done cleaning your jewelry, be sure to dry it well so to keep its brilliant shine.

Avoid exposing your CZ jewelry to abrasive substances such as household chemicals when cleaning with bleach or ammonia, or when swimming in chlorinated water, as these chemicals can damage your jewelry. Although most abrasive cleansers will not damage a CZ stone, they will, however, take the lustrous shine off the metal in which the stone is set.

Gemologists can agree that CZ comes closer than any other gem material to matching the characteristics of a diamond-it's uncanny. As CZ is quickly becoming more popular as a desirable substitute for diamond, it's important to care for it the same way you would a diamond.

So if for some reason you cannot remove the dirt off your CZ jewelry, take it to a jeweler and give it a high-pressure steam clean, as would be done to a diamond. This will remove almost any scum off your jewelry.

When we clean a customer's jewelry and inspect it for wear, and loose or missing stones, we find the jewelry needing repair is most often a jewelry piece that has never been cleaned by the owner. Persistent dirt gets between the metal settings and the stones, causing abrasive wear and eventually, perhaps a loose stone.

One of the most basic rules of jewelry care is to apply all lotions, make-up, hair spray, etc. first, before you put on your jewelry. To minimize scratches and other damage, store your jewelry either in a cloth pouch or in a separate compartment in your jewelry box.

Now that you know how easy it is to care for your CZ, be sure to clean your CZ jewelry regularly-depending on how often you wear it; if you wear it everyday, cleaning it once a week is sufficient.

Follow our simple tips on cleaning cubic zirconia, and you can be certain your CZ jewelry will not only maintain its original brilliance and luster for years to come, but it will continue to sparkle radiantly for you when you wear it, and show it off!

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