Years ago I was at John Noyes Jewelers on Balboa Island, and I remarked about how sparkling Sheila Noyes's ring looked. She said that every night when she brushed her teeth, she would brush her ring especially the underside. I went directly home and tried it. (With another tooth brush than my own, I might add.) It worked so well that a friend later that day remarked at how shiny it was.
Before
Before
After
The tourmaline "dinner ring" above was passed down to my sister, Virginia, in Atlanta. (Don't ask me why she got the ring and I got nada. Oh the plight of the "middle child".) Anyway Virginia did exactly as she was told (used a toothbrush and toothpaste to scrub it with all her might) and voila, she has a ring that sparkles and and shines! Try it. You'll be amazed!
Mr. Clean
When I was talking to my good friend Lara Lanfried from Newport Beach about this little trick, she said she uses Mr. Clean. All you do is soak your jewelry in Mr. Clean for a few hours then brush it with a toothbrush before rinsing. I didn't know Mr. Clean even existed anymore, but as you can see below, it does exist and it works wonders.
Windex? Really?
In order to use any of these tricks on rings you have to get them off first. For me that's quite a feat. Again my jeweler knows the answer: Windex. He has some behind the counter and whips it out whenever he sees me coming. Try it. This is much better than soap because soap makes your ring all dull and of course we don't want that.
Fun Saying
One of my favorite sayings is: "Playing Possum." One time I was cuddled up in bed laying super still. My husband said, "Are you okay?" I laughed and said, "I'm playing possum". He had never heard that saying! I love all the color in the speech of a Southerner. One of the most fun things about visiting my friends and family in Alabama is hearing the expressions that naturally come tumbling out of their mouths.