A lovely piece of real jewellery can be a beautiful addition to your wardrobe. But it is also a great investment that needs to be taken care of properly, which includes cleaning, and repairing it when necessary. Here are a few tips for taking proper care of your jewellery.
It is essential to keep your jewellery clean; some pieces such as sterling silver will lose their lustre and become dull, if they are not cleaned from time to time. To clean silver, use a soft cloth and silver cleaner. For gold jewellery, use a soft cloth and regular dishwashing soap. Pearl jewellery can be simply wiped down with a soft cloth, and gemstones can be cleaned with a damp cloth.
If your jewellery needs repair, there are certain kits and replacement parts, that can be found in jewellery stores or online. If you do not feel that you can repair it at home, then take it to a professional jeweller, don’t take the chance of ruining your favourite piece.
Try to keep your jewellery in a velvet lined box, free from tangles, and in their own groups, silver with silver, and gold with gold. It might also help to keep rings, brooches, necklaces, and earrings separated as well.
Be especially gentle and careful, when handling heirloom and antique jewellery. Make sure it is also kept clean, and in good repair. It will be a treasure for years to come.
It is important to understand that the better the quality of jewellery that is purchased, the less chance it will require regular maintenance and care. Always ask the jeweller of any guides or care equipment that they may have available before buying.
In this day and age it is almost impossible to tell people not to bang their jewellery, avoid sharp blows etc because the more conscious we are of such things, the more likely they will happen. However, if possible, it is advisable that you avoid such things. The more active your life is, the harder it is to do this.
Try to only wear jewellery items for appropriate tasks and avoid wearing it when undertaking certain activities such as sports, cleaning, cooking, gardening etc. Also try to avoid any chemicals such as paints, liquids etc and never wear jewellery when swimming as the chlorine may cause damage. With continued care, jewellery should last for many years. By taking a few extra minutes of care you can safe guard your jewels for longer.
Try not to wear too many jewels at the one time and if they do become tangled, it is best to use a pin to gently rearrange them. This is especially the case with chains as they can rub off each other and cause scratches. Also, it is best to avoid wearing jewellery in water but most of all when the water is of a hot temperature. This is because it could loosen the settings of certain jewels.
It is known that beauty products can affect the state of jewellery. This could be from perfume, hairspray etc. by doing this, it can affect the colour of some jewels. Therefore, it is advised that you do this before putting on your jeweller. Another form of beauty products that can affect your jewels is hand cream.
Always try to store your jewellery in some kind of silk pouch, on its own and not with other items of jewellery as this could cause scratches or marks. Try not to wear jewellery when in bed and always store in a cool and dry place.
Gold jewellery is very easy to keep clean and fresh. However, gold should not come into contact with bleaches and chlorine because it can weaken the gold's structure, which can lead to breakage. Gold jewellery can appear dull if not worn regularly and also benefits from being cleaned regularly.
When cleaning jewellery, try to use the official manufactured solution. See your jeweller for more details.
When caring for cultured pearls, it is important to understand that they are more delicate than the metals associated with other forms of jewellery. Therefore, extra special care is required to ensure that they remain clear and fresh. As with other jewels, perfume and hair spray could possibly dull the lustre of a pearl. Body oils and cosmetics can also damage a pearls thread, which the pearls rest upon. If this happens, it is best to have them restrung by your local jeweller. In fact, it is advisable that you have your pearls restrung once a year to avoid breakage.
When caring platinum, take your platinum piece to a qualified jeweller for polishing if visible scratches appear. Any scratches on platinum are only a minor displacement of the metal meaning none of its volume is lost.
Take care of your investments and they will remain beautiful for years to come.
