How to look after your jewellery

Though it is always advised for you to get your Jewellery inspected and refreshed by a jeweller, there are many things you can do on your own to care for and protect your jewellery. Every piece of jewellery in an investment and a memory and it can be maintained like new by avoiding some very real problems that arise from improper storage, heat, light and exposure to harmful chemicals.

Rather than having you to read the whole post and giving you the most valuable tip at the last, let me give you the most valuable tip right in the beginning. This is most often overlooked - it is the way you properly store the jewellery at the end of each day. Precious metals and gemstones possess varying levels of hardness. In addition, some pieces possess sharper corners or design elements than others. For these reasons, one must avoid the temptation to simply toss one’s jewellery together in a drawer or box. Piling one’s jewellery together will most certainly result in scratches and even fractured gemstones.  Here are some tips that will help you with storage:

Avoid Chlorine

• All gold can be damaged by chlorine commonly used in pools and spas. Even a very small amount of diluted chlorine can be harmful to all metals and should be avoided, so please remember to keep your jewellery away before entering pools and spas.
• Chlorine may also be present in many common household products such as bleach, detergent and cleaners. Be sure to use gloves of remove jewellery when you are cleaning.

 Storing Your Jewellery

• Remove rings before performing household chores, such as cleaning, gardening or working with hand tools.
• ​Jewellery should be stored separately to avoid scratches and damage from other jewellery, coins or sharp objects. It is best to store your jewellery in a jewellery box or in individual cases/pouches.
• Bead jewellery and pearls should be stored in a flat pouch. Avoid storing pearls in plastic bags, the dryness is not good for pearls.
• Never leave jewellery carelessly beside sink as it can very easily slip down the drain.
• Do not sleep in your jewellery, remember to remove them.
• When traveling, give care to packing your jewellery items. Protect your pieces from scratches and impact damage by using padding. 

 Cleaning Your Jewellery

• When cleaning your own jewellery, do remember that gold and silver are susceptible to damage from exposure to chemicals found in many household cleaning agents. A water pick or toothpick may be used to clean the hard to reach places, while a soft, lint-free cloth works well for drying and polishing. 
• Clean ear wires in rubbing alcohol. Use a soft polishing cloth to clean your pearls and gemstone jewellery.
• Avoid wearing jewellery when spraying hair spray, perfume, and when coloring your hair etc. as the chemical agents can cause them to become dull. 
• Grease can be easily removed from gold jewellery by dipping it in rubbing alcohol.
• Don’t rub precious metal with anything other than a fine piece of felt or polishing cloth to prevent scratching from fibers.