Caring for your jewelry

I now realise that caring for your jewelry does not have to be rocket science! I have learnt 3 simple steps that I would like to share with you.

1. Protect your jewelry
2. Store your jewelry safely
3. Clean your jewelry

 How to protect your jewelry

• Put your makeup, lotion, hair spray and perfume on before your jewelry.
• Take off your jewelry when you are cleaning the house, doing the laundry, bathing, showering or gardening.
• Keep your jewelry away from chemicals, extreme temperatures (hot or cold!) and sunlight.
• Don’t wear your jewelry in a swimming pool or hot tub as chlorine can damage gemstones and metals including gold.
• Wipe your jewelry with a soft, lint-free cloth to remove makeup and skin oils after wearing them.

 How to store your jewelry 

• Store your jewelry away from heat sources and sunlight. The sun may fade some gemstones.
• Store each piece separately so your jewelry does not scratch.
• Store your silver jewelry or jewelry with silver accents in a zip lock bag with anti-tarnish strips to reduce tarnishing. You can also store them in material bags or in a jewelry box.
• Store your jewelry in a dry location with low humidity. Humid and damp conditions  causes tarnish in silver.
• Store your jewelry according to any special care instructions provided with your jewelry.
• You chains and necklaces should lay flat to avoid kinks in them.
• Consider the security and accessibility of the location you choose for your jewelry.

Little Black Dress Hanging Jewellery Organiser
from aplaceforeverything

 How to clean your jewelry

• Most jewelry can be safely cleaned using a clean 100% cotton or lint-free cloth. An old T-shirt will even do!
• Sterling silver will polish up by rubbing or buffing it with a soft cotton cloth.
• Warm soapy water (use a mild dish detergent) can also be used however be careful with certain gemstones as they could lose their color. Rinse and pat dry with a clean cloth.
• If you are not certain about using chemicals on you jewelry, act with caution and just wipe your jewelry with a soft cloth. 

Lint free cloths

Read my blog post Jewelry organisation and Jewelry Amoire for ideas on how to store your treasured jewelry.