Caring for your jewelry is a must. Jewelry often holds a special place in our lives symbolizing moments and relationships. Whether it’s a family heirloom or an engagement ring or just your favorite piece of everyday jewelry, you want to make sure that you take care of it so that you can even pass it down to generations after you.
Proper care and maintenance is key if you want to safeguard your jewelry and preserve its value as well. Take a look at these tips on how to clean and care for those cherished pieces of jewelry.
Regular Cleansing
Regular cleansing is essential but you need to make sure that you are doing it in a gentle way. For most pieces, all you are going to need is some warm water and some mild soap to get it clean.
In most cases, a soft toothbrush can gently scrub away oils. Rinse everything with clean water and dry it with a dry, soft cloth. The cloth should be lint-free.
Avoid using toothpaste or any other abrasive material that is out there; you don’t want to scratch your jewelry.
Cleaning Gemstones
When you are cleaning gemstones you have to consider the fact that different stones will require different types of care. For example, if you are cleaning diamonds and sapphires it is going to be very hard for you to clean them using the warm water and soap method.
However, if it is a stone such as a pearl, emerald, or opal, you have a better chance of success when using this kind of treatment. Whatever you do, make sure you avoid soaking the stones at all costs. Just wipe them with a damp cloth.
Ultrasonic Cleaners
Ultrasonic cleaners have become very popular for cleaning intricate types of jewelry. However, they’re not suitable for all jewelry. Delicate stones like emeralds and pearls will be damaged by the ultrasonic waves.
Before you use this type of cleaner because it is convenient and easy to use you should always check if your jewelry is safe for ultrasonic cleaning.
Storing Your Jewelry
Storing your jewelry properly is critical if you want to prevent tangling, scratches, and any other type of damage. Make sure that you use a jewelry box that has different compartments for each piece of jewelry. You should always avoid piling your jewelry together, as this can cause scratches and breakage.
You can try storing your jewelry by size to make things easier. Often when you have body piercings you will have to use a body piercing size chart like this one to select the jewelry that’s right for your piercing. A great way to make sure everything is neat and organized is the separate smaller and bigger pieces.
Use Anti Tarnish Strips
For silver jewelry, tarnish can be a very big issue. Make sure that you store silver pieces with anti-tarnish strips or in tarnish-resistant cloth to minimize the exposure to air and moisture. This is the best way to preserve them.
Keep Away from Chemicals
Chemicals are going to be one of the main culprits when it comes to damaging your jewelry. Be sure to keep your jewelry as far away from certain harmful chemicals as possible.
Believe it or not, some of the compounds in perfumes can be damaging. Be careful how you spray them after applying them to your pieces.
You should also be wary of body spray after you put on your jewelry.
Preventative Measures
It is always a good idea to remove your jewelry during certain activities. If you’re going swimming, gardening, or exercising, you may need to do this. Remember that chlorine and salt water can damage metal and stones. Physical activities while wearing your jewelry are risky, as it may get knocked off your wrist or whatever else you may wear it on.
Regular Inspections
It’s important that you regularly inspect jewelry for signs of wear and tear. Look at the stones and make sure that they’re not getting loose. Check the prongs and the clasp. You have to become a bit of an inspector gadget if you want to make sure that they are properly taken care of.
If you can detect problems early, you can prevent significant loss or damage.
Taking care of your jewelry is definitely not something that you should shy away from, it’s the only way to preserve what you hold dear and cherish. You will never regret putting in that extra bit of effort to make sure that your jewelry keeps shining.
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