Jewelry-Cleaning and Caring

Jewelry is meant to be worn! We wear our wedding rings and some other favourite pieces daily. Such everyday jewelry suffers the most abuse. Constant wearing leaves signs of wear and tear on jewelry. Additionally, jewelry gathers dust, gunk, and what not as we work through our routines. As daunting as it may seem, it is in fact very easy to care for your jewelry, be it wearing it properly, cleaning it, storing it, or protecting it from wear and tear.

Follow the following basic tips for wearing, storing, and protecting jewelry

• Avoid contact with cosmetics, chemicals, fats and vapors. Always put on jewelry after applying make-up and lotion. Use hairspray and perfume before putting on jewelry. Remove jewelry if possible before exercising, swimming, cleaning, cooking, going to the sauna or sunbathing, while gardening and the like.
• It is best to wipe the piece of jewelry with a lint-free cloth after each use to remove dirt, sweat, and grease.
• Always store pieces of jewelry separately from each other in a soft lined box with compartments, otherwise scratches can occur due to precious metals or gemstones rubbing against each other. With pearl jewelry, it makes sense to wrap it in a velvet cloth to avoid scratches. Silver tarnishes less if you seal it in a plastic bag.
• Keep your jewelry protected from light, moisture, humidity, and heat.
• Have your jewelry inspected regularly by a professional. We recommend that you do so at least every six months. This is particularly for delicate, fine jewelry with diamonds and precious stones.

Even the finest pieces of jewelry can build ugly deposits over time. Fortunately, we can lend a hand here ourselves! And while you choose to use these remedies at home, we insist that you check your jewelry for any damage as well. Look for any broken prongs, loose stones, damaged links, loose clasps etc. Here is how to clean your jewelry at home. 

Gold jewelry

In the case of gold jewelry, you should by no means use aggressive cleaners, hard brushes, or coarse clothes. Since gold is a very soft metal, they can scratch it quickly. Below are what you can use instead:

• Baking Soda: Sprinkle some baking soda on a soft microfiber cloth and rub the piece of jewelry with it until it shines again. Then simply rinse under clean water. Baking powder is particularly suitable for tarnished gold jewelry.
• Dish soap: Put some dish soap or mild soap in a bowl of warm water and place the jewelry you want to clean in it. After about 15 minutes you can take them out and brush them using a toothbrush with soft bristles. Then rinse it off with warm water and dry it with a soft cloth.

Silver jewelry

• Baking Soda: If you want to clean silver jewelry, mix baking soda with a little water and rub the mixture with a soft brush on the piece of jewelry. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse it off with water.
• Aluminium foil: Line a bowl with aluminium foil and fill it with hot water. Dissolve a teaspoon of salt and baking soda in it and place your tarnished silver jewelry in the bowl. Salt and aluminum act like a magnet and pull deposits and discoloration from your jewelry. The aluminium foil will slowly turn black, and your jewelry will turn silver again. Then rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth.
• Mild soap or toothpaste: Put your silver jewelry in a solution of water and mild soap. Rub it with a soft cloth or brush. Then just rinse with water as usual and dry. You can simply use toothpaste in place of the soap too.

Jewelry with precious and semi-precious stones

• Soft gemstones: When cleaning your jewelry, you should consider whether you are dealing with hard or soft gemstones. Soft stones are very sensitive and, to be on the safe side, you should avoid using aggressive cleaners and even soap. Use only lukewarm water and a soft toothbrush for cleaning.
• Hard gemstones: You can put more robust gemstones such as diamond, ruby ​​or sapphire in lukewarm water and add a few drops of mild washing-up liquid . You can carefully work the gaps between the frame using a brush with soft bristles. After about five minutes, rinse it with water and dry it using a soft cloth.

Jewelry with pearls

When cleaning the sensitive pearls, you should not use any aggressive cleaners or hard objects. To clean the jewelry, soak a soft cloth in soapy water and carefully rub the pearl jewelry with it. Make sure that the pearl is securely in place.

While these are some suggested home remedies, we absolutely recommend that you have your jewelry inspected by an expert regularly.