An ultrasonic jewelry cleaner is an electronic device designed to remove dirt from rings, necklaces and other items of jewelry. These devices are readily found on homes shopping channels or on the internet.

Ultrasonic jewelry cleaners feature two basic parts: a small motor and a cleaning tank. Some cleaners will have a removable basket or cleaning tray. Electronic cleaners can be plugged into standard household outlets.

To begin the cleaning process, the cleaning tank is filled with warm water or a cleaning solution. Cleaning solutions can consist of non-ionic surfactants, detergents or ammonia. Note that cleaning agents with bleach and acids should be avoided.

Place jewelry items in the basket or directly into the cleaning tank.

Turn the machine on. Once on, the machine's motor produces ultrasonic energy which is transmitted with vibrating energy waves. On average, ultrasonic jewelry cleaners emit at least 40,000 sound waves per second.

The vibrating motion of the ultrasonic waves creates microscopic bubbles in the water or cleaning solution in a process called cavitation; millions of tiny bubbles knock into one another and into the items resting in the cleaning tank. The cavitation process gently knocks dirt off the jewelry. The motion is very effective at penetrating the tiny crevices in jewelry that traditional cleaning cloths and topical cleaners cannot easily reach.

After a few moments, the cleaning process is complete. Once the motor is turned off, the dirt and debris from the jewelry will settle and collect at the bottom of the cleaning tank. Remove the basket or jewelry from the cleaning tank and rinse with clean fresh water. You can complete the process by drying the jewelry with a soft cloth.

While the sound waves generate quite a bit of energy in the form of these microscopic bubbles, the units do not pose much threat to jewels. The motion is so small and localized that not enough force is generated to damage settings and stones. Ultrasonic cleaning works best on hard stones set in gold or platinum and is not suggested for opals, pearls emeralds, coral and other very soft stones.