Fine jewellery is another asset everyone can enjoy – from dazzling design to sensational value. But of course, just like any other asset, its value can decrease if not taken care of properly. That’s why knowing how to care for your jewellery earlier is essential.
There are various ways to care for your jewellery such as storing it properly, cleaning it, avoiding damaging chemicals and many more that work for both precious gems and metals. Doing these simple steps can help you out tremendously since this can potentially maintain your jewellery’s shine, colour, texture and value.
So before making your first big jewellery purchase or start wearing your grandmother’s precious heirloom, consider knowing the simple ways to care for jewellery! So if you’re ready to become a responsible jewellery owner, here are some care tips to follow:
1. Storing your jewellery
Where you store your jewellery plays a huge role in jewellery care. This is where it spends most of its time, other than your hands, neck and ears. Everyone is to blame for skipping this stage! Because there may be days when you simply leave it on your sink, nightstand, vanity, or even the coffee table in your living room.
Skipping this step can potentially cause tangling, and scratching and can even tarnish your jewellery. So here is what you can do:
- Keep it in a divided compartment separated from other pieces of jewellery.
- Make sure to store it using a fabric-based jewellery box or wrap it around any jewellery cloth, tissue or any soft cloth you might have.
- Wipe your jewellery clean with a jewellery cloth, tissue or any soft cloth before storing to remove dirt and moisture.
2. Clean it from time to time
Another step that most people forget is cleaning their jewellery. This is because, unlike clothes, jewellery doesn’t smell, stain or show signs of dirt after frequent uses. So people tend to shrug off until irreversible damages start to show such as dirt build-up that can lead to stains, signs of wear and tarnish.
So to prevent your fine jewellery from stains, tarnish and signs of wear, consider knowing how to clean it. You can take it to a jewellery shop that does ultrasonic cleaning or clean it yourself. Here is a basic and easy method you can try out that is not only safe but also effective:
- Create a cleaning solution by mixing warm water and mild dish soap.
- Then, soak your pieces in the solution for 5 to 10 minutes depending on how dirty it is.
- After, grab a soft-bristled toothbrush and scrub. This will help remove deep-seated dirt.
- Afterwards, rinse your jewellery with room temperature water.
- Once sud-free, wipe it dry with a tissue or a soft cloth.
3. Insure your jewellery
Another way to care for your jewellery is by insuring it! You’re only human and aren’t exempted from disasters like losing your jewellery in a natural calamity, burglary, misplacing it or damaging it. That’s why it’s always a great idea to have a safety net to fall back on when unfortunate incidents occur.
But before anything else, get your jewellery appraised. Knowing how much your pieces are worth will make the process of insuring it much easier. All you have to do is bring it to a professional appraiser, then they’ll examine your pieces and can tell you how much each one values. Another thing you can also consider is getting a second opinion.
So to get the right coverage that suits you, try hiring an insurance advisor. They’ll be the ones helping you understand the coverage you’re going to get since getting insurance by yourself can be a tedious job where you’re faced with new laws, insurance terminology and so on.
4. Keep away from damaging chemicals
Gems and metals can react badly to certain kinds of chemicals that will cause tarnishing, discolouring and thinning. So if you choose to wear your jewellery out, try keeping away from lotions, hairsprays, rubbing alcohol, chlorine, bleach, perfumes and anything that’s acidic.
So to keep your jewellery away from damaging chemicals effectively, these are tips you can follow:
- Wear your jewellery after you’ve dressed up.
- Remove it when washing your hands or going for a swim.
- Removing your pieces while you’re out and setting them aside somewhere random can expose them to other chemicals so always store them away safely like a jewellery pouch.
Takeaway
Simply practice these care tips each day and soon you’ll catch a habit of doing it every day without even noticing it. And although some of the steps can be quite tedious, this will all pay off later on and you’ll be rewarded with jewellery that looks like it’s never aged a day!