The glitz and glamor of jewelry has always enticed women towards them. No matter what type it is - diamond jewelry, pearls, gold jewelry, gemstones, or rhinestones, all women love the razzle and dazzle of jewelry. One of the most prized possession of many women is their rhinestone jewelry. Rhinestones are artificial clear or colored stones made of high luster glass, paste or gem quartz, backed by foil that is intended to simulate diamonds. Earlier natural crystals from the bottom of river Rhine in Germany were substitutes for diamonds and hence the term rhinestones originated. However, like all jewelry, cleaning rhinestone jewelry is crucial for it to keep shining. Like gemstones, it is not uncommon to see rhinestones shining in different colors. This variety of rhinestones are called Aurora Borealis (AB). These types of rhinestones have a special coating which is applied to the surface of a glass stone or bead due to which these rainbow colors are produced. The term Aurora Borealis, as the name suggests, is derived from the Northern Lights Atmospheric phenomena. Usually the stone's cut combined with the overall quality, determine the price. The higher the quality, the more the rhinestone sparkles. In our excitement of owning such beautiful pieces of jewelry, we often forget to maintain our prized possessions. In order to maintain them, jewelry cleaning is an important step. Why Should Rhinestone Jewelry be Cleaned? Due to the presence of foil backing, the greatest threat to the beauty of rhinestone jewelry is moisture. If moisture gets behind the rhinestone, it will result the foil to tarnish and stain which will take away the shine and spark from the rhinestone. And ultimately you will be required to replace it. This is the reason that cleaning of rhinestone jewelry is very important. How to Clean Rhinestone Jewelry Rhinestone jewelry needs to be cleaned on a regular basis and care must be taken that in the process of rhinestone jewelry cleaning, not to damage the stone itself. Cleaning rhinestone is very simple and the results are terrific. Materials Needed: The following materials are needed for cleaning rhinestone jewelry.

• Cotton or muslin cloth
• Paper towels
• Soft bristle brushes
• Hatpin or similar style needle
• Window cleaner
• Hair blow dryer
• Can of compressed air (which is usually used to clean computer parts)

Procedure: The first step is to remove all the loose dust or dirt on the jewelry piece with the help of the can of compressed air. You can do this by using a soft dry make up brush for this step but be careful as bits of dirt can scratch the surface of the stones. Since one of the rhinestone jewelry components is glass, it makes perfect sense to use a glass cleaner like windex. Fold the paper towel until it is folded into a square with four layers. Squirt the paper towel with the glass cleaner. Now take the brush and blot the bristles onto the dampened paper towel. Make sure the brush is not wet because you do not want any moisture seeping into the rhinestones. With gentle swirls of the brush, clean the rhinestone and the setting. Lay the piece onto the cotton cloth and use the hairdryer on low setting to dry it. Once you are sure that it is completely dry, leave it out for an hour for the moisture to completely dry and then pack it up in an airtight bag and store. Rhinestone Jewelry Storing Tips Now that you know all about cleaning jewelry, the following are a few tips for storing them, as they are just as crucial for maintaining the bling in your jewelry.

• Never just jumble your jewelry together in one jewelry box. The pieces will rub against each other causing scratches in the metal, stones and the stones may even pop out. It is best to keep the jewelry in the box that it came in. If storing a pendant and earring set, make sure to fasten the earring and the pendant in their places so that they do not rub against each other.
• Make sure that you store your jewelry in a place where you do not subject it to harsh temperature changes. The metal in the piece expands and contracts which may cause the rhinestone to become loose and fall out.
• Do not store rhinestones in wooden jewelry boxes, as certain kinds of wood, like oak has certain chemicals that react adversely with the metals in costume jewelry.

These were some of the rhinestone jewelry cleaning and storing tips that will let you enjoy your favorite pieces of fashion jewelry in all its glory. Even though rhinestones are cosmetic jewelry, their beauty is something that is unique and exotic.