So you have gone and bought yourself a nice new emerald ring, or you got one as a gift from you’re wonderful life-partner (who has incredible taste in gemstones we must add ;)). You want to wear this ring and show it off as often as possible, but you don’t want it to lose its shine! Here are our top 10 jewelry care tips from Carl on how to keep that ring, pendant, earrings, or any other type of jewelry fresh and clean, and therefore giving it a well deserved long life (these tips apply to jewelry of all types of course). After all, that jewelry means a lot more to you than just being an accessory to your wardrobe. Your jewelry comes equipped with all the intention, memories, and sentiments that were acquired when you received it! Here’s how to take care of it…
Let’s Start With The “Do’s”
- Do remove your jewelry when performing heavy chores such as gardening, dishes, household chores, woodworking, giving an oil change to the Harley, cleaning with caustic fluids, or participating in sports.
- Do clean your jewelry regularly with warm water mixed with a mild liquid detergent (Dawn or Simple Green) and a small soft bristle brush. A slight spot or coating of hand lotion, hairspray, perfumes or sunscreen will attract dirt and dust which will dull the stones. Ionic cleaners are great for all types of gems including opals and pearls and are available on the internet or through us.
- Do store your jewelry individually in a soft bag or jewelry box with different compartments.
- Do check your mountings on a regular basis for broken prongs or loose stones. Have your local jeweler do these inspections, which are usually free. Prevention and maintenance can save you a lot of money over time.
Bonus tip! Trust your jeweler! 😉
Now What NOT To Do
- Don’t wear your jewelry at all times. Chains will kink and earrings will fall out of the ear especially when worn while sleeping and ring mountings do bend when performing manual labor such as grabbing a hammer or more frequently when worn while in the gym.
- Don’t bathe or shower with your jewelry. Soaps typically contain a grease or oil base that adheres to the stones and attract dust particles in the air which build up quickly and showers often contain hard tiles which can impact any gems especially when you’re flailing your hands around with soap in your eyes.
- Don’t wear your jewelry in hot tubs as the chlorine will attack the gold and in particular white gold. You can and will lose gems over time from exposure to chlorinated hot tubs. This includes swimming with your jewelry on as you can risk losing it or gems falling out and also the chlorine will attack the metal.
- Don’t use bleach to clean your jewelry. It pits the mounting and can actually dissolve the metal if left to soak.
- Don’t toss your jewelry in with other jewelry. The stones might scratch or nick other stones and mountings.
- Don’t jam your hands into tight pockets. It’s easy to pull open a prong and lose the stone.
Bonus tip! Don’t forget that your gemstone is a gift of nature and an heirloom that can be passed from generation to generation!
