Take good care of your jewelry
When it comes to your clothes you check the manufacturer’s instructions before the first cleaning so that you know what temperature to wash them in or whether to have them dry cleaned so that your clothes don’t lose shape or color and last longer looking like new. As for your shoes, you regularly use shoe polish to protect them and take them to be repaired as soon as the soles get worn out. But with jewelry, you simply buy it and wear it, not worrying about taking proper care of your pieces, which is a mistake as it can lead to your jewelry getting scratched, tarnished even broken. So take a look in your jewelry box and get to work.
If you have never done it before, it’s time to clean everything from your diamond rings to amber broaches, because when you wear jewelry, it gets dirty from the environment as well as the oils on your skin. The simplest way to clean your jewelry, whether it’s precious stones or costume pieces is to soak it for a couple of minutes in a bowl filled with lukewarm water and very mild soap. Once it’s soaked, rinse it thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry with a cotton cloth. Make sure to rinse your pieces over a bowl, as you wouldn’t want to be taking your plumbing apart should the water wash an earring out of your hands.
After cleaning and patting the jewelry dry, place it on a clean, dry cotton cloth so that the hard to get places can dry out completely. It’s especially important when it comes to necklaces on a string, as both the string and the inside of each bead need to dry out completely before storing; otherwise your piece could start growing mold, which is dangerous not only for your jewelry but also for your health.
With your pieces clean and dry, it’s time to store them properly. It’s a good idea to keep each piece separately since for example diamond jewelry can scratch other stones, gold chains can tangle up and small earrings can get lost in the jewelry box. If you have a box that lets you keep pieces separated from one another, use that but don’t over fill it. Original jeweler boxes might come in handy, especially that they are typically lined with anti-tarnish cloth. If you don’t have the original boxes anymore and your own box usually resembles a mess, cut 100% cotton to small pieces and wrap each piece of jewelry in a cloth. You might want to place each pouch in a small zip lock bag to keep your jewelry separated and protected.
Cleaning and storage are important to keep your jewelry in good condition, but you also need to learn to protect it on an everyday basis. Don’t expose your jewelry to water too much, always taking it off before dishwashing or a shower, and most definitely before going into a pool or ocean. Try not to treat it with any chemicals, including cosmetics, so stick with the rule last one on first one off, which will help you keep the pieces clear of hairspray, perfume or makeup remover, which can be harmful to your jewelry. And when you’re done with a piece for the day, you don’t have to clean it thoroughly, but give it a soft wipe to remove skin oils and have it looking perfect the next time you reach for it.
