How to Maintain Your Jewelry to Always Look Like New

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Tips on how to properly wear, store and clean gold, silver, pearls and other jewelry.

How to wear jewelry so as not to spoil it?

Any piece of jewelry, be it made of gold or silver, will not say thank you if you treat it without due respect and wear it without taking it off.

It is clear that we are attached to things that are dear to our hearts. And I don't want to constantly think about when to take off or put on jewelry. And yet this is important. It's a shame when the ring, which until recently was perfectly round, suddenly becomes flattened. All that was necessary was to remove it before working with a hammer in the country.

Before hard physical work, it is better not to be lazy and remove expensive jewelry in order to avoid problems. If the product is still deformed or damaged, hand it over to professionals. Craftsmen will return the jewelry to its original appearance.

How to store jewelry correctly?

Jewelry can age, even if you have not put it on for a long time, because chemical reactions with active substances continue to proceed. But you can prevent negative consequences by observing the storage rules.

When you put away a precious thing that you will not be wearing soon, go over its entire surface with a soft cloth. Flannel or suede will do. This will help remove dirt and grease.

It is necessary to store jewelry in boxes or special cases, upholstered with a soft cloth from the inside. In this case, the products should not come into contact with each other. It is better to put especially expensive jewelry in an individual case.

In order for the stones in jewelry to retain their original appearance and rich color, special requirements must be observed. Almost all stones are afraid of heat and bright sunlight. From this they lose their brightness and may fade. Therefore, it is better to store products with colored precious and semi-precious inserts in a cool place and always in a box.

Pearls require special treatment. To prevent the stone from becoming dull and dry, wear jewelry with it more often. When putting away for storage, put a drop of boiled water inside the box. So for some time it will be possible to create the microclimate necessary for pearls. Remember that excess moisture will also not be good for this stone.

Can jewelry be cleaned and polished at home?

At home, it is quite possible to clean and polish many jewelry yourself. But we want to warn you against some rash steps.

If you are the lucky owner of an expensive piece of jewelry, for example, made of gold or platinum with natural gemstones, do not rush to clean it yourself. In this case, it is not worth saving on the services of a specialist, since the cost of an error is too high.

A person who does not have professional skills will find it difficult to independently clean some intricate weaving chains and bracelets with many small relief elements, as well as filigree products. But the special equipment, which is in the jewelry production and in some workshops, makes it easy to clean such jewelry. In this case, it is also better to entrust polishing to a professional.

How to properly care for gold?

Gold products are negatively affected by iodine and chlorine. Moreover, their effect is enhanced in conditions of high humidity and when heated.

These substances are found in sea and chlorinated water, medicines and cleaning products. That is why it is better to take off gold jewelry when you visit the pool or swim in the sea, and also clean or apply creams, lotions, aerosols. Store products away from drugs containing chlorine and iodine, and remove jewelry if you need to treat a neighboring skin area with medicine.

If spots, plaque, dirt appear on a gold item, they can be removed in the following ways:

• Keep the product for some time in a warm soapy solution with the addition of ammonia. A ¹⁄₂ glass of warm water will require 3–6 drops of alcohol. After that, wipe the jewelry with a thick cloth, rinse with clean water, dry it and go over all surfaces with a soft suede cloth to add shine.
• Add dish soap to warm water. Immerse the items in the solution for a short time. Then brush hard-to-reach areas with a soft bristled toothbrush. Rinse with clean water and buff with a piece of chamois leather. Be careful, as some detergents may contain chlorides, which are not “friendly” with gold.
• Clean your items with special jewelry cosmetics that are sold in jewelry stores. These are solutions, napkins and pastes specially developed for various decorations, which will definitely not harm.

How to care for silver?

Many people prefer silver to gold for its noble white color and affordability. Silver items can really serve faithfully to their owner for a long time. You just need to take care of such jewelry more carefully than gold.

Silver is a soft metal, therefore it is susceptible to deformation and mechanical damage. If you do not remove the ring when washing dishes or during hard physical work (in the country, in the garden), do not be surprised that it becomes covered with scratches, loses its shine and, possibly, bends.

Also, silver rings, earrings and chains are negatively affected by sulfur. This substance interacts with silver not only when heated and high humidity, but also under normal conditions. In this case, silver sulfide is formed - the same black film with which the products are gradually covered.

Sulfur is contained in the air and sweat of a person, so it is impossible to avoid contact of jewelry with it.

The fact that your silver jewelry has turned black does not mean that the manufacturer is to blame or that the silver is of poor quality. Darkening is a normal reaction of this metal. To return to its original appearance, you need to clean the products. This can be done at home:

• Dip the jewelry in warm soapy water and then wipe dry. As with gold, a soft microfiber or suede cloth will do. Never use hard brushes and abrasive substances such as sandpaper or powders.
• To remove stains, rinse the products in warm soapy water and wipe with a thick cloth with ammonia. After that, you need to rinse the products in running water and dry them.
• You can gently brush your silverware with a soft toothbrush and a little bit of toothpaste. Then rinse with warm clean water and wipe dry.
• You can also use special silver cleaning wipes available from jewelry stores.

Do I need to care for rhodium-plated products?

More and more manufacturers are using rhodium plating technology in the manufacture of jewelry. A thin layer of the precious metal rhodium is applied to jewelry made of white gold or silver. It not only gives the product a beautiful cold shine, but also increases wear resistance, prevents silver jewelry from blackening.

If you have rhodium-plated products, remember that caring for them should be as gentle as possible.

Since the rhodium layer is usually only a few microns thick, brushes, powders and other abrasive substances must not be used for cleaning. This will only damage the coating.

Caring for rhodium-plated products is simple: you need to wash them in warm soapy water and wipe them with a soft flannel or suede cloth.

But rhodium plating doesn't last forever. If you wear the products carefully and take care of them correctly, they will last a long time. But over time, the rhodium will still wear off. This is a natural process.

If the rhodium-plated jewelry has darkened in places and lost its luster, this is fixable. Good jewelry workshops have a re-rhodium plating service. Your jewelry will be polished and reapplied with rhodium.

What to do with gilded items?

With gilded jewelry, the situation is the same as with rhodium jewelry.

They must be carefully looked after and not used for cleaning abrasives. If the coating starts to peel off in places, take the jewelry to a jewelry manufacturer to reapply the gilding.

How to clean blackened products?

For cleaning such products, ammonia should not be used. Blackened jewelry can be washed in soapy water. If the contamination is too large or blackening in places has disappeared, only specialists can return the product to its original appearance.

What do you need to know about caring for products with inserts?

Jewelry with diamonds

A diamond is the hardest gem. But it is still not worth subjecting it to strong blows and falls, because it may well crack and split.

Diamonds in jewelry can build up plaque over time. It can be removed by washing with soapy water. A soft brush is suitable for cleaning, but only if it does not damage the metal from which the product is made. After the procedure, be sure to rinse the jewelry in clean water and dry it.

Products with emeralds

A perfect natural emerald without a single defect can hardly be found on sale, such a stone is very expensive. Natural emeralds almost always have defects, but this does not stop them being precious. To improve performance, emeralds are refined with various resins and oils.

Hence the special requirements for the care of the emerald: it is afraid of alkalis, because they wash out the oil, which makes the stone fragile and deteriorates. If you have an emerald ring, be sure to remove it before washing dishes, washing, working with household chemicals.

You can wash an emerald jewelry only in a very weak soap solution, and then in clean water. Professionals working with gemstones know that ultrasound is not suitable for cleaning emerald products. This procedure can damage the stone. If you give an item with an emerald insert to a good workshop, it will be washed with special gentle agents.

Jewelry with rubies, sapphires and alexandrites

Caring for jewelery containing ruby, sapphire or alexandrite is similar to caring for a diamond. Soapy solution will help you again. It will definitely not harm either the stones or the metal from which the product is made.

And do not forget all the basic rules of wearing and storage: stones do not like prolonged exposure to the sun, high humidity and temperature changes, they are afraid of shocks.

Products with pearls and amber

You can clean your pearl jewelry in a soapy solution. But you cannot leave it in water for a long time. It is enough just to gently wipe the pearls with a soft cloth dipped in soap suds, and then rinse them in clean water. And no brushes or abrasives!

If you have an expensive piece with natural large pearls, it is better to entrust the care of your jewelry to a master. It is worth doing the same with a product in which amber is inserted, if after washing in soapy water, the shine has not returned to it.

Products with semi-precious stones

Jewelers call semi-precious stones natural stones that do not belong to precious stones. These are aquamarine, amethyst, garnet, morganite, opal, tourmaline, topaz, citrine and many others.

Products with such stones can be washed in soapy water and cleaned with a soft brush if they are not made of silver and they are not coated. To prevent the stones from becoming dull, you need to protect products from light, heat and high humidity.

Is it easy to care for enamel products?

Jewelry with enamel delights the eye with bright colors, but requires a very careful attitude. The enamel can crack from impact, therefore, such products must be worn carefully and stored carefully, separately from other jewelry. It is impossible for the enamel to come into contact with the metal.

Also, enamel does not like to be under the sun for a long time: colors can fade and lose saturation. Cosmetics, household chemicals, acids and alkalis - all this can harm products with enamel.

When will only professional care help?

If you do not want to spend time and effort cleaning the jewelry, or you have already tried to tidy it up, but have not achieved the desired effect, contact a jewelry salon or a trusted master. For high-value family heirlooms and high-value gemstones, it is best to take an expert approach to home care.

Experts will tell you exactly what operations need to be performed in order for the decoration to sparkle with all colors. Whether it will be just an ultrasonic cleaning or a complex of services that includes polishing, washing and reapplying a decorative coating depends on the product itself and its condition.

Contact only reputable professionals. Otherwise, instead of a quality service, you run the risk of stumbling upon a "master" who will not only clean the product, but also replace your expensive stone with glass.

In large jewelry production, unlike private workshops, there is a system for controlling the quality of products and raw materials. This means that quality materials and high-end equipment will be used for cleaning, polishing and coating.