If you usually only buy cheap jewelry, you might be confused about how to take care of your finer pieces like engagement rings and silver pieces you’ve inherited or invested in. However, don’t worry. If you want to keep your fine jewelry in top shape for many years to come, here are a few tips that might come in handy. Follow these tips and take good care of your precious items.
1. Know your jewelry
Before you try to clean your jewelry, it’s important to know what kind of materials you have on your hands. If you do certain things to certain materials, you can permanently damage them, so get informed. If you’re not sure what you’re dealing with, it’s best to skip aggressive cleaning. For instance, the process known as blooming is a technique in which a piece of jewelry has been dipped in acid that makes the yellow in gold pop. If you polish such pieces, you can remove the finish and ruin the look of the jewelry. It’s best not to agitate the material if you don’t know how it behaves—soap and water is all you need if you get it dirty.
2. Avoid chemicals
If you want to prevent a lot of damage to your jewelry, make sure to always put it on last when getting ready and take it off first when you come back home and get ready for bed. Why? Well, chemicals in things like hair spray, perfume and lotions can all harm and dirty up your pieces. Also, when you’re pulling off your sweater or taking off your pants, you can easily yank a chain off your neck or catch a ring on the buttons and cause damage. If you’re going shopping to try on some new clothes, it’s the safest to leave your nice jewelry at home. In case you forget, make sure not to leave each dressing room without checking whether you have all your jewelry on.
3. Give it a quick clean
Many people think that they need expensive cleaning solutions to clean their jewelry, but that’s not true. You can easily clean your pieces at home with only a few ingredients. If you need a good explanation on how to clean sterling silver, check here and you’ll get plenty of useful information. In most cases, they recommend using warm water and a soft cloth to remove oils, dust and makeup. If you do this after every wear, it will prevent the buildup of any sort of tarnish. Before storing it, make sure that your jewelry is dry. You don’t have to do this every day, though, but if you wash special-occasion jewelry every time you wear it, it will be a time saver in the long run.
4. Keep it in a proper jewelry box
When you’re not wearing your pieces, it’s recommended that you wear it in a closed box that doesn’t allow too much oxygen. Old-school jewelry boxes are your safest bet. They also allow you to keep all your jewelry in the same place, yet separated in little compartments. This way, they will not rub and damage each other, yet you will have a good overview of what you own. Pro tip: put a piece of chalk or a baggy of silica inside to absorb extra moisture, just remember to change it every few months.
5. Keep it away from the sun
It’s also important to keep your jewelry away from sunlight. Sun’s rays can have a deteriorating effect on some materials and can ruin your nice pieces. For instance, the color of some gems can change or fade if constantly exposed to direct sunlight. Also, try to keep your jewelry box away from heating vents and other sources of heat.
6. Avoid wearing it in certain situations
If you want your pieces to last forever, you should avoid wearing them while sleeping, showering or working out. Also, leave them at home when visiting a hair salon. Take them off while cleaning since chemicals in cleaning products can damage the finish, plus, you can easily lose them. When you’re tanning or sunbathing at the beach, it’s also recommended that you leave your precious jewelry at home to prevent fading.
As you can see, you can easily keep your nice jewelry pieces in perfect condition, all you need is these above mentioned tips. This way, your jewelry will last forever and you will be able to leave a valuable gift to your kids or grandkids.
