Top Tips On How To Take Care Of Your Jewellery To Make It Last

Jewellery is frequently an investment, with many people attaching significant sentimental significance to their pieces. As a result, it is critical to take care of your jewellery so that it continues to look its best for many years. Whether you're cleaning a diamond engagement ring, a treasured pearl necklace, or a gold bracelet, follow our instructions on how to take care of your jewellery with confidence.

How to Take Care of Your Jewellery?

We had a very glum customer recently who had worn her much-loved bracelet every day, on her two-week honeymoon (The Bahamas. She had a lovely time).

• She had worn it in the hot tub.
  The harsh hot tub chemicals and hot jets had completely discoloured it and damaged the enamel.
• She had worn it in the hotel swimming pool.
  Chlorine is a corrosive chemical that is not good for gold or silver.
• She had worn it at the beach.
  Sand is abrasive, so wearing your silver bracelet at the beach is like rubbing it with sandpaper.
• She had worn it in the sea.
  Salt air can harm jewellery – especially rose gold jewellery which contains copper.
• She had worn it to sunbathe.
  Suntan cream can also cause a chemical reaction with skin which will cause silver to tarnish.

We managed to bring her bracelet back to life, but most of us are guilty of having some dull, tarnished jewellery and not doing anything about it.

Here are some quick tips to keep the shine in your silver.

Silver jewellery ages and that is part of its charm. However, tarnish is not welcome.

How Do You Get Rid of Tarnish and What Causes It?

♦ Tarnish is the result of a chemical reaction. It can be caused by things like wearing your jewellery in unsuitable places (see above). It can also be caused by air which contains elements that react with silver. Remove tarnish quickly and easily
♦ The best and easiest way is to wear it as the oils in the skin can help to clean the jewellery.
♦ The next best way is to buy a polishing cloth and gently rub the tarnish off.
♦ You can use water and mild detergent on a toothbrush for hard-to-get-to tarnish; pat dry and leave somewhere warm to dry completely.
♦ If your silver is heavily tarnished and does not have gemstones then you can try a silver dip but make sure you rinse it off properly with cold water, pat dry and leave somewhere warm to dry completely.

Be gentle. Too much enthusiasm and rubbing may not be a good thing!

Now that your jewellery is clean, let’s keep it that way.

♦ Don’t keep your jewellery in the bathroom as humidity speeds up tarnishing.
♦ Keep your jewellery in a fabric-lined jewellery box or pouch.
♦ Put your jewellery on last, after you have put on hairspray, body lotion, and perfume.
♦ Take it off before you go swimming, to the gym (sweat can cause tarnishing) or jump in the hot tub. But enjoy it. Jewellery should be treasured and worn. Like everything, it just needs a little love.

Be Careful With Light And Heat

The durability and colour of a coloured gemstone can be impacted by light and heat, much like the sun's damaging rays can injure human skin. Excessive exposure to them over time can also cause some jewels, like amethyst, kunzite, topaz, and shell cameos, to fade or sustain damage. Under intense light exposure, pearls and other fragile materials like ivory will fade. Amber, in particular, can discolour over time if exposed to excessive light, as can other jewels. Certain gems can also break due to extreme heat or abrupt temperature fluctuations. The natural moisture that these jewels require to maintain their lustre can be readily removed by heat. For example, pearls can tarnish, dry out, and shatter. Opals may lose their colour play, get microscopic cracks, and turn brown or white.

Keep Your Jewellery Away From Chemicals

Chemical exposure can tarnish or discolour coloured gems as well as precious metals like platinum, silver, and gold. The surface of your pearls and other delicate or porous stones (like turquoise) may be irreparably harmed by chemicals found in commonplace items like hairspray, lotion, perfume, or other cosmetics. Fine jewellery should be taken off when using home cleansers or jumping into a chlorinated swimming pool. Ammonia, which is present in many of these cleansers, can be too strong for antique or delicate stones. Another popular household solvent that can pit or harm gold alloys is chlorine bleach.

Give Teated Gems Special Care

A lot of coloured gemstones undergo regular treatments to enhance their colour and clarity. Solvents, heat, steam, ultrasonic cleaners, and other elements can all harm these treatments. The first step in taking care of your gem is to find out if it has been treated. This is where a GIA report comes in handy; it includes vital details about your diamond and any treatments that can be detected.

Use Ultrasonic Cleaners With Caution

Not all jewels and jewellery can be securely cleaned in a professional ultrasonic cleaner, even though you can get one for $150 or less.

It is not recommended to clean using ultrasonic cleaners.

• Gemstones that have surface-reaching fractures and have been filled with a material that resembles glass, oil, or resin
• Natural gem materials like amber, coral, pearls, or ivory
• gems covered in a non-permanent material, like wax or plastic
• A few jewels with thermal treatment
• Gems that, whether treated or not, are vulnerable to heat and temperature fluctuations. Tanzanite, fluorite, iolite, kunzite, lapis lazuli, malachite, opal, topaz, turquoise, zircon, and other feldspar (sunstone and moonstone) are a few of these gems.

Furthermore, the machine's vibration has the occasional tendency to chip or shake loose gems or diamonds set with their girdles in contact.

It is advisable to leave this kind of cleaning to jewellery experts who are knowledgeable about various gem materials and know when and how to use an ultrasonic cleaner properly.

The Safest Cleaning Methods Are The Easiest

Most coloured gems can be cleaned with warm water, mild dish soap (no detergents), and a soft brush. A pulsed-water dental cleaning tool and a soft, lint-free towel can also be utilised. To remove cleaning chemicals, rinse your jewellery in a glass of water, as rinsing directly in the sink risks losing loose stones - or perhaps an entire piece of jewellery.

Soft gems, like pearls, are readily scratched. Clean them gently with a new, clean makeup brush and warm, soapy water. Place a string of pearls on a towel to dry. Avoid touching your wet silk thread until it is scorched, as it can stretch and attract dirt.

Safely Store Your Jewellery

Proper jewellery preservation is frequently disregarded. Avoid storing jewellery in drawers or on top of dressers, since this can lead to scratches and damage.

Most jewellery pieces come in a box or pouch from the retailer, which is ideal for storing them. Sterling silver, for example, should be stored in a tarnish-resistant bag or cloth. Jewellery boxes with individually padded holes for rings and posts for hanging necklaces and bracelets are also suitable.

Pearls and opals absorb moisture from the air, thus storing them in a dry place, such as a safe deposit box, can sometimes cause more harm than benefit.

When travelling, pack your jewellery in a separate box or case to protect it from scratches or other impact damage.

Hope now you know all about how to take care of your jewellery.

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