One of the most treasured forms of personal expression and adornments is jewellery. Jewellery is the way to go when you want to accessorise your outfits and express your style, whether it’s an elegant diamond necklace, some gem-studded earnings, precious rings and bracelets, or just a simple charm.
However, all fine jewellery loses its lustre over time. Silver and many other metals will tarnish over time. Debris and daily dust will cause gemstones to appear dull and dirty. A daily jewellery cleaning routine and jewellery care best practices can extend the lifespan of your ornaments and preserve their appearance for many years.
Let’s look at some jewellery care tips to help you keep your fine jewellery looking beautiful.
Keep your jewellery in a dry place.
This may be an obvious tip, but everyone has been guilty of putting their jewellery in a drawer or bedside table. It is best that you keep your jewellery in a fabric-lined case with compartments and dividers. If you do not have a jewellery case, wrap each piece of jewellery in soft tissue or paper before storing it in a drawer. This will keep your hair from scratching and tangling.
Get anti-tarnish bags or cloth for sterling silver jewellery to minimise exposure to air and moisture.
Avoid using harmful chemicals.
Certain metals and coloured gems can be harmed by hairspray, lotion, and perfume. Precious metals like gold, platinum, and silver are highly vulnerable to discolouration from everyday household cleaning products. Set your jewellery aside when getting dressed in the morning or preparing for a night out. Another option is to leave your jewellery inside its case until you’re ready to wear it.
For routine cleaning, use gentle cleaners.
Warm water, gentle soap, and a soft brush are some of the best jewellery cleaning methods. However, ultrasonic jewellery cleaning has grown in popularity among jewellery enthusiasts seeking a more thorough approach to cleaning their jewellery.
If you’re thinking about ultrasonic cleaning, it’s best to hand your jewellery to learned jewellers who know how to apply this technology safely. When misused, ultrasonic cleaning can cause gems to become loose or chip. Furthermore, organic gemstones such as pearls, coral, ivory, and amber should not be ultrasonically cleaned. The same is true for gems affected by heat and temperature changes, such as tanzanite, moonstone, opal, turquoise, and topaz.
When in doubt, remove it.
The pool is not the best place to store your fine jewellery. The gym isn’t either. Even while you are cooking or doing household tasks, keep your jewellery in a secure location. This will not only protect your pieces from dangerous chemicals and debris build-up, but it will also prevent jewellery loss. Finding your ring at the bottom of a pool drain is a nightmare you should never have to live through.
Conclusion
Tarnishing is one of the most frequent issues with fine jewellery. This is due to a variety of factors. The best way to avoid this situation is to remove your jewellery before bed and after exercising.
Wearing pearls while bathing is not permitted! Avoid exposing them to chlorine (pools), salt water, household chemicals, and other harsh substances that can permanently damage their appearance.
Another tip is to avoid removing any pieces until all surfaces have been thoroughly dry-cleaned. This will remove dirt particles on the surface that may cause staining later on.
