Jewelry care and maintenance - big guide 

When we talk about the care and maintenance of jewelry, we are referring to both home and professional care, which is mandatory for any piece of jewelry.

Professional care is a necessary part of jewelry care because a jeweler knows exactly what to do to make the jewelry look as good as new. This care cannot be done at home as it requires special professional equipment which is available only in jewelry workshops.

To keep your jewelry in good condition as long as possible, you need to know:
1 - how to wear
2 - how to clean
3 - how to store.

These 3 basic sections will help keep your jewelry for years, decades, or even centuries.

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How to wear jewelry?

Avoid contact with chemicals
Jewelry made of metals does not tolerate interaction with corrosive substances, such as cleaning agents and dishwashing detergents. Such exposure can significantly affect the product, sometimes even ruining it. The thing is that chemicals can react with silver and oxidize it. Gold jewelry should also be kept away from such substances, so as not to damage the coating.

Also, products often contain natural minerals that can be damaged by contact with different substances. Any items that may come into contact with chemical liquids should be removed during cleaning.

Keep jewelry away from water
Water has different compositions, it can be hard or vice versa. This is why we recommend that you remove your jewelry before taking a shower or washing your hands. This also applies to bathing in a pool, as pool water is chlorinated and can oxidize silver and damage the stone.

Avoid contact with perfumes, cosmetics, lotions
Cosmetics can also have a strong effect on the product, making it appear black or gray. Always wear jewelry only after you have applied lotion, perfume, cosmetics, or hairspray, and when these products have completely absorbed and dried.

Remove your jewelry before playing sports, lifting heavy objects
We recommend that you take off your rings before doing sports since you might damage your jewelry when lifting heavy objects. There is also a lot of sweating going on during sport, which can oxidize and damage your jewelry.

Take the weather into consideration
It is important to consider the weather conditions. Some stones, like opals, do not tolerate direct sun exposure, so it is better not to wear them on the beach. 

Rules for cleaning jewelry

Each piece needs a regular home and professional care.

As part of home care, the jewelry should be wiped with a special soft cloth that will remove sweat and traces from the jewelry, as well as during wiping a little polishing. For such a procedure, only a very soft cloth, which can be bought in jewelry stores, is suitable. Do not use hard clothes, as they could scratch the metal and stones.

If the jewelry needs a more serious cleaning, then it is worth doing the following procedure: take water and pour there some liquid soap or dishwashing liquid, then put the piece in the resulting liquid for 10-15 minutes. Take the softest brush and rub the product a little to remove the dirt. Then you need to gently wipe the product and leave it to dry on a cloth.

Also, the jewelry should not only be cleaned at home, as this is not enough. Sometimes it is a good idea to have a professional jeweler do the cleaning. The jeweler will do the cleaning with special machines, will add oxide (if the piece had oxide), and will polish the stone and metal. After such a procedure, you will be surprised because your piece will look brand new. 

How often should jewelry pieces be cleaned?

Clean your jewelry with a soft cloth regularly, preferably after each time you wear it. If you wear your jewelry continuously, you can clean it once every few days or every day. Always look at the condition of the piece.

Home cleansing with water is desirable about once every 1-2 months. But, of course, it all depends on how often you wear the product. For example, if you wear your ring only occasionally, you can do a cleaning once every 3-4 months. Be guided by the degree of contamination of the jewelry.

Professional cleaning should be done about once a year. Sometimes items need to be cleaned by a jeweler more often, such as once every six months. It depends on the dirt, as well as the style of wearing the jewelry. In any case, an experienced jeweler always evaluates the degree of dirt and chooses the appropriate procedures for each piece of jewelry. 

Peculiarities in jewelry storage

To keep your jewelry in good condition at all times, it is important to store it properly. It is important to store your jewelry in a place where it will not be damaged or lost. The most appropriate place is a soft-walled box in which the item will be securely held. The jewelry mustn't come into contact with other items so that they do not scratch each other.

If you can't put the items in a box, you can use small bags.

 They can also be used to transport items.

It is best to store the items in a place where they will not be exposed to direct sunlight and where they will not be exposed to strong temperature changes. For example, it is not recommended to store items in the bathroom, as there is too much humidity and temperature change.

Also, the jewelry should be in a closed box so that no dust or moisture gets on it.

What should I do if a stone in the piece is cracked?

Sometimes a stone can crack even from a minor blow. A person may not even notice the moment of impact, only later to see that there is a chip or crack on the stone.

The first thing to do is to figure out exactly where the crack is - inside the stone or on the surface. After that, go to the store where you bought the piece.

 It will be necessary to take good pictures of the stone, which will show the crack. Often the products are covered by a warranty, and if your case is not covered by a warranty, the seller may offer you a replacement stone for a small fee.

You should not try to glue the stone or fill it with oil yourself. This will only make things worse, and the glue or oil can also damage the metal.

What do you need to keep in mind?

It is important to consider the metal of which your piece is made. Silver requires more frequent care than gold.

It is also important to know the characteristics of the stone that is in the piece. Some stones such as opals, pearls, and amber have features that are important when wearing and caring for them. Opals may change color due to a change in their water balance. Pearls tarnish with time and do not tolerate exposure to oils and chemicals, amber is a soft stone, as it is an ancient hardened resin. And these are only some of the stones that need special care. So always learn about the stone that is in your jewelry, based on this will form the special rules of care and wear.

The care and maintenance of the pieces are very important to keep your jewelry in good condition. This is the only way to ensure that your jewelry will look as good as new even decades later. We hope that our recommendations will help you in preserving your jewelry.

Kindly note that healing gemstone meanings are not prescriptions or healthcare information.