Jewelry care

24. 05. 2022

I know that once you fall in love with jewelry, you will never want to take it off. However, there are times you’ll have to, as proper jewelry maintenance requires you to clean your pieces frequently.

To ensure your jewelry stays vibrant and like-new for years to come, I’ve put together a shor jewelry care guide and also I made a short video how to do it.

When remove your jewelry

While you may want to keep your jewelry on for all occasions, there are times we recommend you remove them. Proper jewelry care and maintenance includes avoiding wearing your jewelry during these activities:

• Sleeping
• Swimming
• Sweating
• Showering and bathing
• Working manualy (on the garden, cleaning the house….)

 

Cleaning Your Jewelry

My recommendation is to clean your jewelry with a mild soap and warm water. Don’t leave the pieces submerged, just do a quick splash. Prolonged exposure to water is a no-no for gemstone jewelry.

Use a baby brush or teeth brush with soft bristles and avoid scrubbing too hard. Promptly dry your jewelry afterwards. For precious metals, using a designated jeweler’s cloth is best. You can clean almost all jewelry this way. However, still consider the type of stone and how sensitive it is before starting (such as opal, turquoise, apatite and pearls).

After removing your jewelry, make sure you wipe off any trace of makeup with a soft, lint-free cloth, such as pure cotton. Another tip is to clean your jewelry OVER a bowl of water to avoid losing any gems if they become loose in their setting.

Different Approaches for Different Jewelry

Make sure to review recommended jewelry care instructions for the specific type of stones and metals in your piece. Natural stones have different durability levels, depending on the type. Among the hardest are diamonds, rubies, and sapphires – these stones are best at resisting scratches and chipping. Gemstones such as opals, moonstone, amber, and turquoise are soft and require extra care when cleaning. Soaking them in water for a long time can also damage their shine and polish.

Using Ultrasonic Cleaners

While you can purchase professional ultrasonic cleaners for under $100, we don’t recommend you clean most of our pieces in this machine. Don’t use ultrasonic cleaners for:

• Soft and porous gemstones, such as pearls or amber, also oregone sunstone, labradorite, turqoise, emeralds
• Any closed back bezel gemstonesGems susceptible to temperature changes and heat, such as turquoise, opal, and moonstone 

Protect Your Jewelry from Heat, Light, and Chemicals

Jewelry care requires you to protect your pieces from anything that can impact them negatively. Heat and light from the sun can easily change your gemstones' color, shine, and durability. Sudden temperature changes can also lead to fractures in the stone.

Most chemicals can damage or discolor precious metals and some gems. Even everyday chemicals in cosmetics, hand sanitizers, swimming pools, hairsprays, perfume, and lotions can impact jewelry. This includes discoloring wedding bands made from gold or white gold over time.

Ways to Safely Store Your Jewelry

To avoid scratches on your jewelry, don’t throw them on top of your dresser or into a drawer. Sterling silver should be kept in an anti-tarnish bag or cloth. Avoid storing pearls and opals in a safe deposit box, since they draw moisture from the air.

If you are traveling with your jewelry, keep them wrapped in jewelry tissue and carry each piece separately. Putting your jewelry in a single box or pouch can create scratches when they bump against each other.

Energetic cleaning

For information about energetic cleaning and charging of your jewelry please watch my video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBVgfm0Z0bU