How to care for jewelry
Jewelry can be one of our most cherished possessions. They are often gifts from loved ones, heirloom pieces, witnesses to life changing events, keepers of priceless memories. As such, it is important to know how to help your favorite items keep their beauty for decades to come.
Taking care of jewelry is a fairly simple task. The following rules will help you protect your jewelry from its worst enemies and learn basic jewelry cleaning techniques.
However if you only remember one rule from this article, let it be this:
Jewelry is the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off!
Jewelry's worst enemies
Chemicals
Use makeup, hairspray, body lotions etc
before putting on your jewelry.
These products contain harmful chemicals that can damage gemstones, silver and gold.
Avoid chlorine damage by taking off your jewelry before going into the pool.
Take off your jewelry before cleaning the house or kitchen. Modern cleaning supplies can damage delicate metals, gemstones and organic gems (like pearls, corals, amber
)
Heat & light
Avoid exposure to excessive heat and light. Take off your jewelry before going into a steam or the beach.
Scratching
Take off your jewelry before performing strenuous housework, to prevent scratches and tearing.
Store your jewelry in individual jewelry boxes (such as provided by GeliozGems.com) or bags, to avoid scratching.
In addition to protecting jewelry from chemicals, light, heat and scratching, it is best to clean your jewelry periodically. Usually once a year or as needed.
How to clean jewelry
Gold and gold filled jewelry can be cleaned using mild soapy water and an unused makeup brush.
Silver jewelry can be cleaned using commercial silver cleansers, or even some tooth paste and a brush.
When cleaning gold/gold filled/silver jewelry, make sure to choose a method that is compatible with the stones in the jewelry.
Gemstones vary in their ability to withstand cleansers. To be on the safe side, use water and an unused makeup brush to clean gemstones and organic gems (pearls, corals, amber).
Another gentle way to clean delicate gemstones (such as onyx, opal, turquoise, malachite etc
) is wiping them with a soft and moist cloth. These gemstones can absorb chemicals (even mild soap), which can cause discoloration.
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