CLEANING YOUR JEWELLERY
6 TIPS TO PRESERVE FASHION JEWELLERY
We are all fond of fashion jewellery- trendy, original and affordable. However, fashion jewellery does not last without great care. They may tarnish, lose colours and shine or even fall apart without everyday care. There are no miracle solutions, but here are a few tips to keep your jewellery at their best looks. Let's get the ball rolling!
1. Keep them away from chemicals
Whether it is a necklace, ring, bracelet or earring, exposing fashion jewellery to any type of cream, chemical product, lotion, perfume, oil, hair spray or even water is an undeniable accelerator of tarnishing. Metals like brass, copper or bronze will oxidise and change colours (verdigris). So make sure to remove your jewellery before using any chemical products or washing your hands.
2. Wear them occasionally
Everyone needs a break at some point, so does your jewellery! Fashion jewellery is usually not meant to be worn every day, so if you wear the same pieces of jewellery on a daily basis, you may see discolouration pretty quickly. To prolong the lifespan of your jewellery, change it as often as possible by varying your outfits. But if you really love a particular style, don't hesitate to grab more than one jewellery of the same style and alternate them!
3. Remove them when you don't need them
Think about you glasses. Will you wear them while sleeping? I bet you don't. The same applies to your jewellery! Avoid going to bed with your jewellery on, it is a sure way to damage it and to make it tarnish more quickly. It can also discolour, injure or scratch your skin which is definitely something you wouldn't want to happen! You may also want to remove your jewellery while exercising or swimming. They can leave green traces on your skin due to chemical reactions between the metal and skin acidity. To make it worse, your perspiration will even speed up the process!
4. Keep them dry and clean after wearing
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Treat them like your precious and clean them after every use! Though it may seem a bit laborious, it's actually a great way to keep your jewellery at top form! Give them a thorough wipe with a soft cloth, or even a microfiber cloth to remove any product residues and sweat that can speed up discolouration. Do bear in mind to avoid cleaners that contain acid, alcohol, vinegar or ammonia as they can damage your jewellery, and always make sure that your jewellery is completely clean and dry before putting them away!
5. Store them individually
We all have our own ways it comes to storing jewellery, whether it is jewellery boxes, pouches, or simply staying loose in a drawer…we don't know. Yet the best way to prevent tarnishing, chipping, knots in chains and breakage is to store your jewellery individually, for example in cotton or velvet pouches. Fashion necklaces, in particular, are best to be vertically hung on hooks to keep them at their best looks.
6. Avoid coating them
We don't recommend coating your jewellery with any products. Coating may change the appearance and colour of your jewellery and tarnish its shine. For gold or silver-plated jewellery, the custom coating will eventually come off, causing chipping. But if you are really into coating your rings, you can try clear nail polish (like top coat) on the inside of your fashion rings to protect them.