Queen Elizabeth’s Surprising Hack For Sparkling Jewelry Involves Her Favorite Drink

It is a well-known fact that gin is Queen Elizabeth II’s drink of choice. But fans might not know that Her Majesty has one other use for the alcoholic beverage and it does not involve actually drinking it.

Apparently, the Queen also uses gin to clean some of her favorite pieces of jewelry. Her Majesty’s style advisor and dressmaker revealed that when the monarch wants to quickly clean a piece of the royal jewels without calling in the professionals, her favorite drink would also be her choice of cleaning solution.

“A little gin and water come in handy to give the diamonds extra sparkle - just don’t tell the jeweler!” Angela Kelly wrote in her book “The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser, and the Wardrobe,” according to People.

Part of Kelly’s job is to figure out what Queen Elizabeth is going to wear – including jewelry. Thus, she will carefully choose appropriate pieces of jewelry that Her Majesty is going to wear the day before the actual event to “save myself time in the morning, and also in case, there are any changes to the program,” according to Today.

The jewels are placed on a tray previously owned by Queen Mary for final inspection and cleaning. “A drop of washing-up liquid and water will get rid of any hairspray stains,” Kelly added.

When a more thorough cleaning is necessary, a jeweler will be called in to have the royal jewels professionally cleaned. “The Queen’s jeweler will give the stones a deep clean when necessary, so for me, it’s just a matter of a quick polish and they’re sparkling once more,” Kelly explained.

Kelly, who worked for Her Majesty since 1984, had the monarch’s blessing when she wrote the book. Her official title is Personal Advisor and Curator and is responsible for creating Queen Elizabeth’s iconic looks as well as maintenance for her clothes and jewelry.

Kelly also confirmed in her book that the Queen does have someone to break in her shoes so they’ll already be comfortable by the time she uses them. “As has been reported a lot in the press, a flunky wears in Her Majesty’s shoes to ensure that they are comfortable and that she is always good to go,” Kelly explained.