The Queen's Secret to Sparkling Crown Jewels Is in Your Liquor Cabinet

There's no need to overthink your jewelry cleaning routine. No special cloths, no toothpaste hacks, no taking things into stores for that weird steam treatment. Everything you need happens to be what you might be putting in your martini. According to Angela Kelly, the queen's longtime dresser and author of The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser and the Wardrobe, all you need to keep your baubles looking their best is gin. It's what she uses for the queen's diamonds and the crown jewels, so it's definitely all you need to be reaching for.

"A little gin and water come in handy to give the diamonds extra sparkle," Kelly explains. "Just don't tell the jeweler!"

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Kelly adds that it's not just gin — she only uses the hard stuff for touch-ups. Any intensive cleaning is done by the pros, she says: "The Queen’s jeweller 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."

Cosmopolitan adds that keeping the jewels looking their best is part of Kelly's job, in addition to keeping the queen's entire wardrobe in tip-top shape. She wrote her book with the queen's blessing and also received a one-of-a-kind title, Personal Advisor and Curator (The Queen’s Jewellery, Insignias, and Wardrobe) and In-House Designer, so you know all her advice is stamped with the royal seal of approval.

Another tidbit that she's offered involves how the queen gets ready for big events. Unsurprisingly, the queen has her entire outfit laid out for her, jewels included. What does come as a surprise may be the historical tidbit that comes along with the queen's daily OOTD: all the bling comes presented on a tray that dates back to Queen Mary.