Jewelry Care Guide———some tips from jurielle

Jewelry is an adornment, they augment your style and appearance. Jewelry boosts your confidence and self esteem, some people even judge a person’s worth from the jewelry they have on.

Hence, the importance of these adornments cannot be over emphasized, but it doesn’t serve it’s full purpose if it is worn out and has lost its glimmer, it is therefore pertinent that we take care of our jewelry.The big question then presents itself “how do I take care of my jewelry”.

Well, here are a few tips on how to store and care for your jewelry:

Dos:

• Put the jewelry in their own space: in a fabric- lined box most recommended, place these pieces of adornments either collectively or singly, you can place the most precious ones in your collection in a separate box to prevent scratching.
• Let the jewelry be the last item you put on when dressing up, and the first item you take off while undressing. It is a simple rule but it is really essential for proper care of your jewelry.
• Routine cleaning and maintenance: schedule times when you have to inspect your jewelries, check for worn out parts, loose forks and ensure its in good general condition, and it is recommended that you polish, dress and plate jewelries after every 24 month

Don’ts:

• Keep jewelry away from your toiletries, body and house care products, and virtually everything containing chemical compositions such as your lotions, hair sprays, perfumes, cosmetics, chlorinated bleach, chlorinated swimming pool etc.
• Keep away from light and heat, hot tubs, heating vents, direct sunlight, etc.
• Do not wear jewelry when carrying out house chores and other physical activities like sports.
• Do not put jewelry on while you sleep, this is harmful to you and to your jewelry.

Here are some popular materials used in jewelry making, and tips to keep these materials shimmering:

1.925 silver

925 silver is one of the most common materials for design of sophisticated jewelries.

• Avoid contact with water. The adverse effect water has on this metal is due to impurities present in the water, pure water does not harm silver metal, but realistically, the planet has just about 2.5% of ideal pure water.
• Silver is oxidized by air, hence store silver plated jewelry in a enclosed box, it can be stored in a sealed bag with anti-fading properties, or place in chalk or silica gel to prevent discoloration.
• Always wear your silver jewelry, your skin oil helps keep the silver luster. Avoid using silver enamel to prevent silver oxidation, it darkens the silver and leaves tiny bits on it.
• Clean with dry silver polishing cloth, or with a very soft brush, 100% cotton or flannel cloth. Avoid cleaning with paper, polyester or rough fabric as it causes tiny scratches on the surfaces of your fine sterling silver.

2.Gold Vermeil

This is 925 sterling silver  plated with solid 14k – 24k gold for more luster and increased durability. And it is cheaper than pure gold.  It is also for those allergic to metals.

• Avoid contact with chlorine, bleach and sweat to keep the metallic luster of this jewelry
• Clean gently with soft dry cloth, you can also wash with warm soapy water, avoid using chemical cleaners as they may cause peels on the gold plate, use soft toothbrush to wipe the narrow edges clean and dry with soft clean polishing cloth to prevent water residue from causing corrosion.

3.Opal

The birthstone of October as it is popularly called, Opal is a soft and sensitive metal, prone to scratch. It is mostly used for earrings and pendants. It cracks under strong heat, it us porous and it is extremely sensitive to climate changes.

• Wash with warm soapy water, mild dishwashing liquid is recommended. Use soft brush to wipe off debris and dirt. Keep away from bleach and detergent.
• Polish occasionally, Opal metal requires occasional routine polishing.
• Do not wear Opal jewelry during sport activities, house chores or other rigorous physical activities.

4.Pearl

Pearl likes to be around your neck,  your fingers or ears rather than being just kept at a place. This rule though basic is crucial to ensure durability of pearl jewelry.

• It is more vulnerable to chemicals in house care, body care products and toiletries than most other materials, hence keep them away from these products.
• It possesses a strong enmity with chlorine, thus when it rains or before you get into that swimming pool, make sure to take it off first.
• Clean with damp  soft cloth and a mild soap.
• Considering its fragile nature, it demands extra care, hence store pearl jewelries is a separate jewelry box(fibre-lined)
• Wipe with soft cloth and olive oil after use to prevent accumulated dirt from dampening the luster of this beauty.
• Inspect regularly to ensure the threads are not worn out.

5.Cubic zirconia

This is the closest alternative to diamonds. It has an excellent refractive index and strong luster making it a most preferred choice of jewelers.

• Wipe with clean cotton or flannel cloth. Clean in the up down directional pattern instead of circularly, because the latter causes scratch on the surface.
• Steam the jewelry to loosen dirt using a teapot or any other means of generating steam.
• Store in a sealable plastic bag or jewelry box.

Keep your jewelry shimmering all the time with these tips provided above, remember ‘You are what you wear’