Most jewelry won’t last a lifetime. So in order to get the most out of it while you still have it, and to enjoy your jewelry, it’s good to take care of your jewelry in order for you to enjoy wearing it for as long as you please. Here are basically a few things to help you understand how jewelry should be worn, stored and properly cleaned.
Here are some simple things you can do to protect your jewelry:
- Jewelry should be worn only after applying makeup, hair spray and perfume.
- After each wearing, wipe with a soft cotton cloth to remove make up and skin oils .
- Jewelry should not be worn in a swimming pool or hot tub. Gemstones and metals including gold may be damaged by the chlorine.
- Remove jewelry when gardening, cleaning or bathing.
- Keep away from chemicals, extreme temperatures, and sunlight.
Some tips on storing your jewelry:
- Store away from heat sources and sunlight. The sun may fade some gemstones.
- Store separately so each piece doesn't scratch the other.
- Store jewelry with silver accents in zip lock plastic bags with anti-tarnish strips to retard tarnish.
How to clean your jewelry:
Use a soft clean cloth, preferably 100% cotton, to wipe clean your jewelry. A clean old T-shirt is perfect. Warm soapy water (mild dish detergent) can also be used but be careful with certain gemstones. Some can lose their polished finish. If you are not certain, only wipe with a soft cloth. An unused toothbrush dipped in soapy water can be used to clean individual beads. Be sure to rinse thoroughly in fresh water, being careful not to leave any soap residue. Pat dry with a clean cloth.
Sterling silver can be cleaned in a variety of ways.
- Commercial silver cleaners: Be sure any gemstones in the jewelry can withstand the chemicals in the cleaner. Read the label, and if in doubt, do not use a chemical cleaner. Some gemstones that cannot be placed in most commercial jewelry cleaners are: pearls, lapis lazuli, malachite, opals, coral, turquoise, and others.
- Ammonia and water: Use a light solution of ammonia and water on an (unused) toothbrush or soft cloth, then rinse thoroughly with water. Ammonia should not be used on the same types of gemstones that should not be cleaned by commercial cleaners.
- Jewelry polishing cloths: Use lightly to restore luster.
How to keep sterling silver from tarnishing:
Wearing your jewelry regularly is the easiest way to keep your silver clean and shiny. Your body oils help keep tarnishing and cleaning to a minimum.
Store jewelry tightly sealed in zip lock bags with no-tarnish strips. Change the no-tarnish strips every 3 to 6 months, depending on how fast jewelry tends to tarnish. The higher the humidity, the faster silver will tarnish.
