So you have a few treasured pieces of jewelry; you either wear them every day or save them for special occasions to create a stunning look.
Either way, these pieces may start looking dull over time. You can always bring them into a jeweler to get them cleaned and polished, but that can add up. It’s best to save those cleanings for when you really need them.
To help you save money and preserve your beautiful pieces, here are 7 essential tips you need to know for fine jewelry care.
1. Avoid Situations Where You Can Damage Your Jewelry
As they say for a lot of situations, prevention is key.
Although it might be tempting to wear your gorgeous ring everywhere, it might not be a good idea to wear it to the gym or while you’re doing hard labor, where it has plenty of chances to get damaged. Even the strongest gemstones can chip, including diamonds!
So if you know you may be doing some activities, it’s best to leave your jewelry at home. It can also get in the way of a good training session, so there’s really no downside to reserving your jewelry for more special occasions.
2. Avoid Getting Chemicals on Your Jewelry
Your morning routine may look like this: spritzing of perfume, lathering of lotion, and spraying your hair or face with beauty products. All of the list items have chemicals in them that can interact with the metal or gemstones on your jewelry. This may either damage or dull your pieces, causing them to look old prematurely.
Before you come into contact with any chemicals (this includes when you’re cleaning), make sure you’re not wearing any of your favorite pieces. By practicing this jewelry care tip alone, it can make a huge difference in how your jewelry looks over time.
3. Clean It Properly
What makes jewelry pieces so unique is the different types of materials it can be made from. Whether it’s stainless steel, gold, diamond, sapphire, or pearl, those elements combined together make eye-catching pieces.
You need to pay close attention to the elements that make your jewelry so special. Certain chemicals will react with specific metals and change their color; they can also damage gemstones like the ones found on Gemvara pieces.
A general rule of thumb for cleaning is to use mild soap and warm water. You can even use a soft brush to get out small pieces of debris. If you want to use any other chemical cleaners, be sure to do thorough research to be certain they’re safe to use on your jewelry.
4. Store Your Jewelry Safely
You might not think twice about storing all your jewelry together in one box or bag—it saves space, after all. But again, the metals can tarnish and the gemstones can scratch one another.
Make a wise investment and purchase a good jewelry box. These usually come with anti-tarnish cloth on the slots so you can space your pieces a good distance away from one another. Plus, the metal on your jewelry will stay looking as good as new.
Another added benefit of a jewelry box is you have a neat display for your room. If anyone ever wants to see your pieces, all you have to do is pull it out and they can view everything all at once.
5. Keep Gemstones Out of the Sun
If your jewelry box has a clear top, think about either getting a different one or placing a cloth on top of the lid. Certain gems, like amethyst, topaz, and opal, can change colors if you’ve exposed it to enough UV rays.
Although not all gemstones react to sunlight, it’s best to keep all your jewelry out of the sun’s reach. That way, you’re 100% sure you’re preserving their original looks.
6. Use Free Maintenance if You Have It
When you purchase jewelry, sometimes, the jeweler will offer free maintenance checks. Most will offer a free annual checkup to make sure everything is working out for you.
When you bring it by the jeweler, they’ll polish it up for you and inspect it thoroughly for any damage. If there’s anything awry, they’ll advise you on the best course of action to take. They can also assess your current maintenance routine at home and confirm whether or not you’re doing anything wrong.
7. Consider Getting Insurance
While most pieces jewelry you own may cost only a couple hundred dollars at the most, some of them may be of higher value. With those, you might want to look into getting insurance for them in case anything ever happens. That way, if an unfortunate event occurs and you lose your treasured items, you’ll have some compensation to buy yourself some more.
An insurer can go through the details with you, but generally, you can choose one of two options: homeowners (or renters) insurance or jewelry insurance. There’ll be differences in the coverage between the two, so make sure you fully understand what each policy entails before choosing one.
Practice Good Jewelry Care
With these 7 essential tips for jewelry care under your belt, you’ll be able to take care of all your favorite pieces for years to come. As you can see, the key things to keeping your jewelry in good condition are proper cleaning and avoiding situations that can damage your pieces.
In the future, you may even be able to pass on not only your jewelry, but also your tips to your daughters so they can take good care of these treasured items when they inherit them. We hope these tips have been helpful!
Need some inspiration for your next ring or bracelet? Then check out our blog on 10 hot styles for jewelry!
