How to Take Care of Your Jewelry

Whether it's a 100-year-old family heirloom or a recent purchase, jewelry is the perfect finishing touch for any look. However, if you can't properly take care of it, it will start to look worn and dirty.
Even the best quality jewelry requires special care to keep it looking great. Whether you own mostly costume pieces of have an extensive fine jewelry wardrobe, knowing how to care for your treasures is essential. From proper storage to gentle cleaning, taking good care of your jewelry can help you get the most out of your collection.

Tips for Taking Care of Your Jewelry

Although costume jewelry and fine jewelry are crafted from different materials and have different values, many of the same rules apply to the care of both types.

一、How to Wear Your Jewelry

Your jewelry is meant for wearing. Your beautiful necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings are of no use if you can't show them off to the world. While wearing your best pieces can help you feel your best, it also puts them at risk.

Even though jewelry is made to be worn, repeatedly wearing it can cause it to break, fall off or wear down. The more we love and wear our jewelry, the more it deteriorates.

Luckily, you can slow down this process with just a few simple steps and precautions:

• Keep it dry: Getting jewelry wet is always bad. It can lead to cracks, a lack of shine and water stains.
• Keep it away from chemicals: This might seem obvious, but you can find harmful chemicals in lotions, perfumes and hairspray. Keep your jewelry away from these products.
• Put it on last: To avoid chemicals, put your jewelry on last and take it off first.
• Rotate jewelry: Don't wear the same piece every day. Too much use will wear it down sooner. Give your other jewelry some love!
• Know when to take it off: Most people know to take their jewelry off before they go to bed, but forget to remove it when swimming, gardening, cleaning and playing sports.

二、Know When to Remove Your Jewelry

No matter what materials are involved, jewelry is delicate. You should always remove your jewelry when working with your hands or engaging in activities that involve chemicals or abrasives. Take off your jewelry before any of the following:

• Swimming in water that has been treated with chlorine
• Cleaning your home
• Working in the garden
• Playing sports, especially contact sports

三、Put Your Jewelry on Last

It's tempting to put your jewelry on as you get dressed in the morning or prepare for a night out. However, it's better to wait until you're completely ready before donning your jewels. Whether you're wearing diamonds or rhinestones, the chemicals from make-up, hair products, and perfume can damage your pieces. It's best to think of jewelry as the finishing touch for your look.

四、Don't Wear Lotion With Jewelry

Although occasional exposure to hand and body lotion won't damage most fine jewelry, it can destroy the finish on costume pieces. In addition, build-up of lotion products can lead to more frequent cleaning of your valuable items. It's best to put lotion on your hands or body after you've taken your jewelry off at night.

五、Store and Care for Your Jewelry Separately

1、Store Your Pieces Separately

No matter how careful you are when wearing your jewelry, it can also sustain damage during storage. Often, this comes from pieces knocking together or getting tangled. Particularly vulnerable materials include pearls, wood, plastic, precious metals, and some gemstones. The best way to solve this problem is to store your items so they can't touch one another.

Consider some of these jewelry storage ideas:

• Jewelry tree for necklaces and earrings
• Separate cloth pouches for precious or vintage items
• Jewelry armoires for all your pieces
• Individual jewelry cases for your most valuable items
• Tarnish-resistant jewelry bags for silver pieces

2、Care for Your Jewelry Separately

Taking care of jewelry can be a difficult task, especially when you're dealing with so many variations in type, style, length and material. The internet can offer you many ways to take care of your jewelry, but it's up to you to find the method that works best for you.

Here are a few guidelines and ways to take care of your jewelry:

（1）How Do I Take Care of My Necklace?

When wearing necklaces:

Be aware of length: Longer necklaces are more likely to bounce around and wear down. They are also more likely to get tangled on other things or with itself.
Double-check the clasp: Whether your necklace is held together by a ball, barrel, fishhook or push-button clasp, always double-check to make sure it's secure. If it falls off your neck, it can easily get damaged or lost.
Avoid layering: Some people like to layer their necklaces for a fuller look but be careful of this. Some necklaces can break, scratch or tarnish from coming into contact with other pieces.

When storing necklaces:

Avoid tangling: Necklaces are typically the longest pieces of jewelry in any collection, so they are most susceptible to tangling. To avoid this while in storage, lay them flat in a drawer, let them hang freely or organize them with boxes and trays.

(2)How Do I Take Care of My Bracelets?

When wearing bracelets:

Don't fuss with them: The key to taking care of your bracelets is to minimize wear. Of all your jewelry, bracelets are most visible. You're more likely to touch or play with them when you're bored or anxious. Not only will it add extra wear to your bracelets, but the oil from your hands will also accumulate faster on the piece. Cleaning bracelets can be a hassle, so it's best to reduce the amount of oil and dirt coming from your skin.
Watch your gestures: If you're the type of person who talks with your hands, this one is for you. Wild gestures can cause any loose or insecure jewelry to fall off.

When storing bracelets:

Avoid contact: Store bracelets flat in a drawer, hanging freely or in small boxes and trays — this will prevent them from coming in contact with other bracelets or pieces of jewelry.

(3)How Do I Take Care of My Earrings?

When wearing earrings:

Secure tightly: Earrings are typically lighter than other types of jewelry and are not in your natural line of sight. That's why they are most likely to fall off without you noticing. Unless you want to walk around with one earring, always make sure the fastener is properly in place.
Tip: Earrings with fishhook fasteners don't typically have an extra security feature to keep them in place. If you're worried about them falling out, take the fastener of a push-back earring and put it on the fishhook. If you don't have one, try spearing a bit of eraser through the tip of the fishhook.

When storing earrings:

Hanging is best: The best way to store earrings is on something they can hang over or pierce through, ensuring they won't come in contact with other pieces. Plus, you'll be able to display them all for easy selection.

(4)How Do I Take Care of My Ring?

When wearing rings:

Get the right fit: Whether you're shopping for a new ring or getting an old one resized, your ring should fit your finger well. Wearing a ring that's too tight can cause it to crack over time. Whereas, a ring that's too large can easily fall off and get damaged or lost.

When storing rings:

Keep them separate: Just like any other type of jewelry, rings need to be separated to prevent scratches or tarnishing. A jewelry tree is perfect for both separating and displaying your rings.

六、Travel With a Jewelry Case

While regular storage is important, travel storage is even more essential. Tossing your jewelry in a toiletry bag or suitcase can cause a great deal of damage. You can protect your pieces by using specially designed travel jewelry cases or jewelry rolls that will keep you special items safe and tangle-free.

七、Check Your Pieces Regularly

and damaged. Before you put on a pair of earrings or a necklace, take a good look at the item. Then you can identify those pieces that need cleaning or repair.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• If it has a clasp, is the clasp secure?
• Are the stones set solidly in the piece? Do they wiggle at all?
• Is the item sparkling and beautiful, or is it starting to get dirty?
• Are there scratches or other areas of damage?
• Does the items have tarnish or other finish issues?

八、Learn About Your Pieces Before Cleaning

Before you try to clean any of your jewelry items, it's essential that you know about the materials used in constructing your treasures. There are very different procedures for cleaning diamonds or zirconia rings and pearl jewelry, for instance. Certain types of costume jewelry should never be submerged in water, while special mild polishes can restore the shine to sterling silver necklaces.

Examine your jewelry for information about the materials in it. Often, you'll find a stamp on the back or inside of a piece that may tell you the metal content. Make a note of the gems or other materials when you purchase new pieces. That way, you'll know what to do when you need to clean your items.

九、Allow Your Jewelry to Dry Thoroughly

If you clean your jewelry, it may seem sufficient to pat it dry with a chamois and then store it. However, small amounts of moisture left over from cleaning can destroy your collection. Wait at least an hour after cleaning any piece before you put it back in your jewelry box or case. This will give the moisture enough time to fully evaporate.

十、Understand When to Call a Professional

Cleaning and minor repairs are something most people can accomplish at home; however, there are some repairs that are best left to professional jewelers. If you encounter the following issues, take your jewelry to someone who can help:

• Loose gems in fine jewelry or vintage costume pieces
• Deep scratches
• Dust or dirt build-up you can't reach
• Broken clasps or chain links
• Lost parts

Conclusion

Caring for you jewelry is an important part of maintaining its value and beauty. From diamond engagement rings to fashion jewelry, every items looks better and lasts longer when you know how to take great care of it. Use your judgment and take your time, and you'll keep your jewelry wardrobe looking as good as new.