Jewellery may be a luxury, but it is also something that we use to mark memorable moments in our lives. We can give luxury jewelry to celebrate a birth, the start of a relationship, marriage, anniversaries, and special birthdays. We even look at jewelry to memorialize the lives of people we have lost. Therefore, caring for your jewelry is no small matter.
While there are many opinions online about the care of jewellery, such an overload of information can feel daunting. Here we summarise some of the top tips available, so you can make all the right choices for our essential oil jewellery.
Take jewellery off at all the right times
Jewellery can be damaged if you wear it as you sleep, in the shower or as you exercise. Therefore, one of the most straightforward care tips is to carefully take off your jewellery at these times. You should also keep your jewellery off while applying lotions and perfumes to your skin, which can tarnish the metal and increase the build-up of grime.
Also, remember the possible impact of household cleaners on your rings, as well as splashes against your watch or bracelets. Therefore, taking off jewellery as you undertake chores can keep it safe.
Give jewellery some TLC
Your jewellery deserves to be checked regularly and to be stored appropriately.
Even though we might be extra careful with our jewellery, if we wear it, there will wear and tear – and we really should wear our most loved jewellery. Checking for damage is a way to avoid small problems developing into catastrophic failures, such as losing a stone or even one of a pair of earrings. Checking for damage involves ensuring that the stone is held securely in place by the claws. If claws are missing, you should put your jewellery in for repair. It also involves checking there isn’t too much or little movement in hinges and that the back of the earrings is solid.
Appropriate storage of your jewellery should go without saying, especially if it is a much-valued piece. However, we all know how easy it is to walk in from a night out and casually toss pieces onto the dressing table – then forget to do something about it. So, buy yourself two or three decent jewellery boxes that will allow you to keep different pieces of jewellery separate. Some metals do not react well when stored with each other, and diamonds, the real ones, have the strength to scratch.
If you are a necklace lover, one of the best storage items you can buy for yourself is a necklace tree. Not only will it stop your necklaces tangling up, but it will help you select the very one that would be perfect to wear for an event. The right jewellery deserves to be showcased in the right way at the most appropriate occasion.
Commit to cleaning
Silver and gold jewellery are liable to tarnish. The lustre that attracted you will begin to fade and then start to go to black. While tarnished gold and silver is easy to clean, it is also a good idea to keep it from happening in the first place. Gold and silver, especially Sterling Silver, will tarnish if stored in a moist environment. Moisture and air will act on the metal. Therefore, if you get soaked in a rainstorm and your jewellery is wet too, you must commit to drying it thoroughly. Another important tip is to use the gel silica packets to draw the damp out of the air in your jewellery box. It will just keep those unique pieces looking stunning for longer.
However, if your gold and silver do become dirty or lose their shine, there are ways you can clean them back to their former glory. Using soapy water and a toothbrush is a surprisingly simple and effective way to clean gold and silver. However, if you really want a shine back, try dipping the jewellery in warm water and then mix it in with some salt. When the salt is dissolved, add some aluminium foil strips to create a reaction in the fluid.
Cleaning resin can be more troublesome. It is not waterproof and does not respond at all well to chemicals and high temperatures. Therefore, to keep resin clean, try some polish and a soft cloth. You should also be careful when cleaning gemstones. Each stone will have a best practice when cleaning. However, most often, a mild detergent and warm water with a microfibre cloth usually work well.
The ultimate care
Ultimately, if you want to keep your investment in your statement pieces sound, you should spend time and money in having it cared for by a jeweller. They will check for damage, repair and offer a professional cleaning service.
