Even the best quality jewelry requires special care to keep it looking great. Whether you own mostly costume pieces or you have an extensive fine jewelry wardrobe, knowing how to care for your treasures is essential.
From proper storage to gentle cleaning, taking good care of your jewelry can help you get the most out of your collection.
To help you take care of your jewelry to prevent tarnishing, scratches and dullness, we present to you 5 TIPS ON TAKING CARE OF JEWELRY
5 Tips On Taking Care Of Jewelry
1. KNOW WHEN TO REMOVE YOUR JEWELRY
No matter what materials are involved, jewelry is delicate. You should always remove your jewelry when working with your hands or engaging in activities that involve chemicals or abrasives.
Take off your jewelry before any of the following, swimming in water that has been treated with chlorine, cleaning your home, working in the garden, playing sports, especially contact sports.
Although occasional exposure to hand and body lotion won’t damage most fine jewelry, it can destroy the finish on costume pieces.
In addition, build-up of lotion products can lead to more frequent cleaning of your valuable items. It’s best to put lotion on your hands or body after you’ve taken your jewelry off at night.
2. PUT YOUR JEWELRY ON LAST
It’s tempting to put your jewelry on as you get dressed in the morning or prepare for a night out. However, it’s better to wait until you’re completely ready before donning your jewels.
Whether you’re wearing diamonds or rhinestones, the chemicals from make-up, hair products, and perfume can damage your pieces.
It’s best to think of jewelry as the finishing touch for your look.
3. STORE YOUR PIECES SEPARATELY
No matter how careful you are when wearing your jewelry, it can also sustain damage during storage. Often, this comes from pieces knocking together or getting tangled.
Particularly vulnerable materials which includes pearls, wood, plastic, precious metals, and some gemstones. The best way to solve this problem is to store your items so they can’t touch one another.
Also, keep gold jewelry separately from silver jewelry. Gold scratches easily, so keep them in individual soft cloth bags or the original boxes they came in.
4. CLEAN AND ALLOW YOUR JEWELRY TO DRY COMPLETELY BEFORE PUTTING IT AWAY
If you clean your jewelry, it may seem sufficient to pat it dry with a non-tarnish cloth and then store it. However, small amounts of moisture, oil or dust left over from cleaning can destroy your collection.
Wait at least an hour after cleaning any piece before you put it back in your jewelry box or case. This will give the moisture enough time to fully evaporate.
For pieces that are dull, filmy, or starting to discolor, mix a few drops of mild dish soap with warm water and rub the jewelry with a soft cloth. Rinse in cool water and buff with a cloth until dry.
For pearls and other porous stones, use a small makeup brush dipped in shampoo and water to clean, then use a damp cloth to wipe the pearl.
5. KNOW WHEN TO CALL A PROFESSIONAL
Cleaning and minor repairs are something most people can accomplish at home; however, there are some repairs that are best left to professional jewelers.
If you encounter the following issues, take your jewelry to someone who can help with loose gems in fine jewelry or vintage costume pieces, deep scratches, dust or dirt build-up you can’t reach, broken clasps or chain links and lost parts.
