How to Care for Your Jewelry
Precious jewels are a symbol of fidelity, friendship, love and commitment. Or maybe you just love the glitz and glam of baubles and bracelets. Whether you wear gold or silver, diamonds or pearls, caring for your jewelry will always keep it sparkling and looking radiant.
At least once a year you should take your gems into a jewelry store for a professional cleaning. Not only will this remove any build up of dirt, but it’s also good to check for damage. Clasps can come loose, claws which hold stones can bend, or the bands of rings can become worn. Regular maintenance of your favourite jewelry will prevent permanent damage to links and keep the stones from falling out.
Between maintenance visits, you can care for your jewels at home, to keep them clean and in good condition. If you wear certain pieces all the time, such as a wedding band, for instance, dirt and bacteria can build up in the crevices of the stones or on the band itself. Not only is this bad for your jewelry, but also can lead to skin rashes. A common cold can imbed its germs into the tiny crevices of your jewels, so it’s important to clean them once a month.
Rings: Your rings can get a soapy build up from showering, bathing and constantly washing your hands. Stones especially become dull and hazy from soap scum. Once a month you can dip your rings in a little jewelry cleaner and let them soak for about ten to fifteen minutes to dissolve any soap residue. Using a small, very fine, bristled brush, gently brush around the claws, crevices and engravings on your rings. Rinse with lukewarm water and allow your rings to dry completely on a cotton towel before putting them back on.
Bracelets: Chains of bracelets can become a magnet for dust and dirt as well as the fibres from sweaters and clothing. The clasp tends to be particularly vulnerable bits of fabric and debris, which can cause damage. Use a thin, pointed toothpick or a sewing needle to gently remove any bits of thread or debris that gets caught around bracelets. You can also give your metal jewelry a quick dip in some jewelry cleaner to bring back the shine. Rinse with warm water and let your bracelet air dry on a clean towel.
Necklaces: If you have long hair, there’s a good chance you’ve caught it in your necklace at least once. Hair has a great deal of elasticity, so it stretches when you try to pull it out of a link. Be very careful when doing this, because it’s human nature that the harder you pull with one hand, the harder you will grip with the other (the one holding the chain). A fine brush or sewing needle will help to pull the little pieces of hair out of the links of the necklace. Most metal chains can be dipped in jewelry cleaner, rinsed and air dried on a clean towel.
Earrings: Using jewelry cleaner on your earrings, especially if they are pierced is not recommended because it could cause a reaction when you wear them again. Instead, let your metallic and jewelled earrings soak for about five minutes in a little rubbing alcohol. Not only does this disinfect them it also gives them a brilliant shine.
Pearls: Gold, silver and gemstones are strong enough to be dipped in cleaners or rubbing alcohol, but pearls have a delicate finish that is easily damaged by anything harsh. The best way to clean your pearl jewelry is dip them in a very mild soap and water solution. Baby shampoo is perfect for the job. Remember to rinse them very well in luke warm water to rinse away any soap residue. Allow them to dry on a lint free towel. Once dried, give your pearls a quick polish with a lint free cloth, such as those used to clean the lenses of eyeglasses.
