5 Steps to being a jewellery care pro
Before I start, I need to make a confession.. I’m not great at looking after my own jewellery. Yep, I know that’s not ideal for a jeweller. I’ll meticulously sand, polish and wrap your jewellery into beautiful keepsake packages, but my own jewellery is a different matter. It sits squished amongst a few little random jewellery boxes in a mix of slightly tangled chains and individual studs who’s mates have been long lost... However, I do know the best ways to look after your jewellery and keep it in the best state it can be, so if you’d like some top tips (& what I should be doing) then read on!
……………….
Ok so whilst I may not be great at storing my own jewellery, I’m not a totally lost cause when it comes to keeping jewellery in its best state. Here are the big 5 to help you on your way to becoming a jewellery care guru.
……………….
1) Don’t sleep in your jewellery
I know it’s tempting to leave it on (especially after a night drinking prosecco when all your effort was used making a toasty when you got in) but actually, this is a really good way to bend, squish (technical term) and ultimately weaken your jewellery. This is particularly true for anything with a chain, hoop earrings or drop earrings. Studs are also not great to sleep in as the backs can actually become embedded in your ear! (Seriously- this happens! If you do find yourself in this position I’d recommend consulting a doctor).
2) Don’t wear your jewellery in a swimming pool or hot tub.
Whilst you may have got away with this one at times, the chlorine content in pools and hot tubs can differ and those that are stronger can tarnish your jewellery (and turn it brown/black). This isn’t permanent however, and can be fixed with bicarbonate of soda (see here for video on how to clean your silver jewellery). There are also a lot of gemstones that really dislike being exposed to any sort of chemicals so I’d pay particular attention to these.
Another reason not to wear your jewellery in a pool is you could lose it.. rings and studs can easily come off in a pool and are much more likely to fall out without you realising. I recently witnessed a friend's child shouting in pain whilst at a swimming pool. He quickly pulled himself to the side whilst in obvious pain and then reached down to retrieve a diamond stud from his foot! So I can confirm this is definitely one to follow!
The following gemstones in particulare are sensitive to steam and harsh chemicals : Opals, pearls, coral, emeralds, tanzanite, lapis, amber, turquoise, garnet, topaz and and peridot.
3) Don't expose your jewellery to chemicals
Any lotions, moisturisers, shower gel, soaps, shampoo, suncream, perfume and cleaning products all come under this ‘don't’. It's important to remove your jewellery whilst your skin is exposed to any of these. Certain chemicals can react to silver, gold and gemstones so try to remember this to avoid putting them through any scary science experiment! (Just make sure you remember where you've put your jewellery if you've removed them)!
4) Remove your jewellery before you exercise
The obvious part here is theres a risk of injury if you wear your jewellery to the gym or when working out. It can become trapped in equipment and cause real harm (I won't go into all the possible scary things that could go wrong, but it's the same reason you'd tie your hair back when leaning over a whisk)!
Believe it or not, our own sweat also contains chemicals which can tarnish our lovely silver and gold too. Certain gemstones are particularly vulnerable to chemicals so I'd leave your favourite pearl set at home when going for a run.
5) Storing your jewellery properly
I can tell you first hand it's so much better to store your jewellery properly. That means keeping your earrings in pairs and storing chains individually and carefully separated from each other. It's also good to avoid direct sunlight as this can also tarnish your jewellery. Speaking of which… I really must go and sort out the tangled mess in my jewellery box!