People spend a tremendous amount of money on their jewellery. In order to keep your trinkets and adornments valuable it’s important to know the basics about storage, use, and cleaning. Bad habits are usually formed by a lack of knowledge about proper gold and silver care. There are simple solutions to upkeep, most of which involve reminding yourself about the dangers of common wear and tear.
Know when to sport it and when not to
Most people damage valuable earrings, rings and necklaces simply by forgetting to remove them for activities throughout the day. Keep in mind that being active while wearing jewellery isn’t just dangerous to your valuables, but to you as well. Playing sport can cause particular damage to silver and gold. The friction with rubber balls, scratches from rough housing, and excessive sweat can all cause problems. Other recreational activities like swimming or using the Jacuzzi aren’t good either. Chlorine can have a dramatic effect on the look and strength of your accessories, so remember to remove them before taking a dip.
Jewellery and housework don’t mix
The heat and grease involved in cooking can also be damaging. Not to mention your jewellery doesn’t get cleaned as often as your hands do, and rings are a dream for germs and bacteria. It’s important to remove all pieces during cooking to avoid damage and germs.
Keep your jewellery in mind when you’re doing chores or any sort of physical labour. It’s very common for it to be scratched while cleaning, moving large objects or working in the garden. If you have morning chores or a labour-intensive job, it’s probably best to wear your piece after you’ve completed your tasks. Even the most basic cleaning products can destroy your jewellery with abrasive chemicals.
Makeup before you jewel up
Maybe you’re not a swimmer and your career involves minimal cleaning and labour, but there’s still risk every day. Women who wear makeup would do well to put on their accessories after applying. Even makeup can cause damage and applying it after you’ve put a necklace or earrings on can result in debris coating gold, silver, or any other metal. Putting it on should be one of the last things you do before leaving the house.
Strip down before bathing
The same can be said of bathing. You want to be sure you aren’t exposing your bracelets or other pendants to corrosive soaps or dirty water. This part of the caring process seems obvious, but people make the mistake of washing their faces with bracelets and earrings on daily, causing damage to their gold and silver.
Be sure to polish up nice
Cleaning and polishing is another good way to preserve its value and avoid damage. Be very careful using household products to clean any adornment. Rubbing alcohol is occasionally okay, but there are store bought solutions that are much more highly recommended in comparison. For the same reason you shouldn’t bath while wearing jewellery, you should never use bleach on it. Bleach can cause significant damage. If you’ve already done damage the best approach is utilizing a professional to take care of it so you don’t make things worse. There are special cleaners, polishes, and cloths to take care of it, which will be worth the investment as your trinkets retain their value.
Keep it safe
Unworn jewellery should always be stored in a box with anti-tarnish cloths kept with the pieces to prevent damage during storage. Even if you’re only commuting to work, use specific containers for necklaces and earrings. Some people put it in a purse or luggage pocket when traveling, which is bound to cause damage; all that shaking and exposure to other objects can cause scratches, dings, and structural damage. Believe it or not, silver can be kept from damage and tarnishing by being stored in zip lock bags. The same can be said of gold, but you should also consider keeping cloth or cotton in the bag. Gold is very soft so it doesn’t take much to destroy it. Regardless of what container you use, you should never let it float around unprotected. Gold and silver particularly, deserve extra-special attention.
Don’t cost yourself
Taking care of it can be straightforward by maintaining good habits. Throughout the day we tend to skip simple steps involving gold and silver care, but the cost can be great. Considering the value of necklaces, rings and bracelets, both financial and sentimental, it’s important to take good care of them. Squash your bad habits quickly in order to preserve the value of your adornments.
