Golden Rules to Jewelry Care
CARE TIPS FOR LONG LASTING BLING!
Jewelry doesn't need to be made from real gold and diamonds to be precious to you. Even the best quality jewelry requires special care to keep it looking great. Whether you own mostly costume pieces or 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.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that costume jewelry isn’t as durable as the real thing is. So, maintaining it requires some effort. Still, once you know what to do, it isn’t too difficult. Here’s what Body Bling, a jewelry brand that makes gorgeous costume jewelry, has to say about keeping your favorite accessories preserved and in tip-top shape.
We want you to keep your jewelry looking fantastic so we’ve got top care tips for you to make sure you’re making the most of your sparkle!
THE GOLDEN RULE!
The most important way to care for your costume jewelry is to keep it away from anything that could cause the plating to react. That means soap, perfume, moisturiser, washing up liquid, anything that may contain chemicals that will tarnish the finish of the item. Many people don’t even know they are causing damage to their jewelry but a spritz of perfume or hairspray can effect anything they come into contact with. As women, we love to put perfumes behind our ears, on our necks or on our hands where our pulse points are. Ensuring that our jewelry (earrings, necklaces, bracelets) goes on after we've perfumed /lotioned up is a very key component in preserving our pieces and keeping them tarnish free.
Salt water and chlorine have the same effect – so avoid wearing your jewelry while bathing and swimming! The chlorinated water in a swimming pool can react with the metals in your fashion/costume jewelry causing your bracelet/bangle, necklace and earrings (earring hooks in particular) to change color or begin to rust.
SEPARATE IS BETTER
Most fashion/costume pieces deteriorate quickly because they are not stored properly. Store your jewelry individually. Keep items in their boxes, or even better in soft pouches to make sure they don’t react with other items. Don’t leave your jewelry out and exposed as chemicals in the air such as air fresheners, or perfumes can cause jewelry to react. Piling jewelry together in a jewelry box can cause chipping, tarnishing and stone loss, so keep your items separate to make sure this doesn’t happen. I highly recommend storing costume/fashion jewelry in AIR TIGHT plastic bags when not in use. Make sure that all the air is squeezed out to prevent oxidization.
GIVE IT A REST!
Give your jewelry some love by letting it rest. Costume jewelry isn’t designed for day in day out wear, and doing so may mean that you are reducing the life and shine of your item. Your jewelry will last longer and look better if you wear it less frequently.
TAKE IT OFF!
Know when to take it off. Don’t sleep in your jewelry. It can be very tempting to go to bed with your earrings still in or rings still on but this can be extremely damaging if you do it frequently. Your body releases chemicals from the skin over night, especially if you have been eating anything with garlic or other strong flavors, this can cause the plating of costume jewelry to change color and tarnish. Stone loss, scratching and even breakage can happen overnight so think about jewelry like you would your make up and take it off before you get into bed!
SOFTLY, SOFTLY …
If you want to keep your jewelry shining bright give it a polish, softly. We wouldn’t recommend using anything other than a soft, clean cloth to keep your costume jewelry looking in tip top condition. Try not to get your jewelry wet, and never use detergents or cleaners on your items. Jewelry cleaners are made for authentic silver, gold or platinum jewelry pieces and are way too harsh for fashion/costume jewelry. The harsh chemical in your jewelry cleaner will therefore further ruin your beloved fashion piece. A wipe and a gentle polish will remove anything that has got on the jewelry throughout the day and keep it from losing it’ s shine.
LAST ON, FIRST OFF!
What does this mean? This means that your jewelry should be put on after you've put on all of your clothing, lotions and perfume and removed first when taking off your clothes. Doing this will ensure that your jewelry does not come into contact with your lotion/cream and perfume which can also contribute to tarnishing or a change in color of your costume piece.