Advise on cleaning my tiara please.

Is it real gold/silver/gems or imitation?

I used a soft toothbrush & mild liquid soap to clean a diamond & gold necklace I wore on my wedding day- I was amazed how filthy it was!

If its only dust, can you use a vacumm cleaner?

If its plated or synthetic metals, the problem with wetting it would be rust. Make sure its dried thoroughly & quickly. I'd use a drying cupboard or even a hair dryer on a low setting to get it dry.

Why do you need to clean it when you haven't worn it yet. Has it tarnished?

I use Haggerties silver cleaner, not the polish but the liquid, you can immerse the item or apply it with a paint brush then rinse off. make sire it dries thoroughly then finish off with a silver cloth if needed. http://www.walshbrothers.co.uk/watch_jewelry/SH350.html

Lisa it is second hand. It hasn't tarnished, but just the stone particularly need a clean. It is a Jo Barnes, and I am not sure what material it is.

I appreciate the advice

Without knowing exactly what the tiara is made of, its hard to say, but generally speaking I use a soft toothbrush and liquid soap (don't use solid soap as any bits that get caught will be hard to get rid of).

Give it a gentle scrub and then rinse really well and make sure you dry thoroughly. If possible, finish with a blast from a hairdryer to make sure there is no dampness left.

The only thing though, is that if the stones are dull because of hairspray, the chances are you'll need to use a solvent to get rid. In this situation I would use a cotton bud and acetone based nail varnish remover, only on the stone, and only if it is crystal, and NEVER if the stone is glued into place as the acetone will most likely dissolve the glue!