Top 5 Ways You Can Make Your Jewellery Last Longer
Just like you work really hard to nourish your skin, hair and nails, it is extremely important to nourish and pamper your precious and delicate jewellery to ensure it retains its sheen for a long time.
Here are few tips to take care of your jewellery at home:
1. Remove Your Jewellery Before Bathing
Always remove your jewellery before taking a shower because soap can form a film on it and make it appear dull and discolored. Also, avoid swimming with your jewellery on because chlorinated water can react with the metals and cause structural changes too.
2. Keep your Jewellery Dry and Clean
One of the best advice to keep the sparkle and beauty of your jewellery is to keep them dirt free and dry. Whether it is a necklace, ring, bracelet or earrings, exposing jewellery to any type of chemical products such as lotions, perfumes, oils or even water is an undeniable accelerator for tarnishing. So clean them, or at least wipe them with a soft cloth to remove any residues and sweat that can accelerate oxidation. At all costs avoid cleaners that contain acid, alcohol, vinegar or ammonia, since they can damage your jewellery, and always make sure that they are completely clean and dry before storing.
3. Store Your Jewellery Sensibly
For extra protection, keep your jewellery in airtight or zip-lock bags to avoid them from oxidizing. Anti-tarnish strips or silica gel packs absorb moisture and sulphur in the air that cause jewellery to lose its shine; these are easily available in stores. Jewellery bags made of felt (which look pretty, though not airtight) also help in keeping your valuables from tarnishing quickly.
4. Know when to clean with ammonia
Ammonia is a powerful cleaner, but, chemically, it has a caustic effect. Although, ammonia is a good option for occasional but not frequent cleaning. You can clean your diamonds regularly using any commercial jewellery cleaner, a mix of ammonia and water, or a mild detergent. Immerse the jewellery into the solution and use a soft brush to dislodge grime from under the setting.
5. Store each piece separately
Remember, when storing jewellery keep each piece separate. Gold, silver, and other metals can scratch each other, and stones and enamel can fracture when they hit one another. Take extra care of softer stones, such as opals, emeralds, and aquamarines also pearls. Keep everything in its box, ideally custom fitted original packaging.
Jewellery storing tips when travelling
- Nothing beats the 7 day pill box when it comes to travelling with jewellery. It’s small; it’s strong and keeps all your jewellery super organized.
- A toilet paper roll is a great way to organize your bracelets at home as well as when you are traveling to your favorite destination. But remember not to carry all your bracelets on a single vacation.