While most of the time, a loss of shine is just an indication of how loved a piece of jewellery truly is. Nothing beats being able to take all your pieces to your jewellery and have them cleaned and cared for and coming back with what feels like a brand new collection! However, jewellery care doesn't start and finish with a jeweller's clean. We’ve put together the best tips, tricks, and home remedies you can use to care for your favourite pearl jewellery to your gold and silver chains.
Regular TLC
Sometimes it’s easy to forget to take a little extra care of your jewellery. The pieces we wear everyday often feel like part of our body. Try to remember to remove all your jewellery when showering or jumping in the bath. It also helps to remove rings and bracelets when washing your hands or working with them in the kitchen. This will help slow any inevitable tarnishing or dulling and prolong your shine.
When spraying on perfumes, setting sprays, or any other products avoid spraying areas where you wear any jewellery. The ingredients in these products will cause your jewellery to tarnish much faster. Either spray products in areas without jewellery or put pieces on after any sprays have settled well into the skin.
The way you store your jewellery is important too. Ensure jewellery is hung or stored to avoid any tangles or damage. You can even purchase tarnish safe bags to store your jewellery and keep it shiny at the same time.
A helping hand
One of the great things about DIY jewellery care is how easy it is to source the right equipment! From polishing clothes to gold and silver soaks, and soft scrubbing brushes. Ask your favourite jewellery retailer for some care equipment next time you shop. It’s super affordable and easy to use but makes a big difference to your collection.
Raid the cupboard
If waiting for your annual trip to the jewellers for a clean is too much, there are actually some products you’ll have in the cupboard at home that will do wonders on your jewellery in the meantime. When it comes to DIY cleaning at home, it’s important to remember less is more. Start soft on the products, the scrubbing, the soaking, and the buffing. That way you’ll minimise any damage and maximise the shine.
For Silver: A couple drops of dish soap and warm water go a long way when it comes to caring for your silver. A quick soak in this mixture followed by a light scrub or rub to get rid of any grime will have your silver shining like it did the day you bought it. Make sure you let your jewellery completely dry before wearing or storing it after cleaning. For more stubborn silver a little bit of baking soda and water can remove that grime that won't seem to budge otherwise. Other light abrasives like toothpaste can be used too. Remember to start slow and gentle, less is more, you want to buff your silver not scratch it even more!
For Gold: The same soapy mix works for gold too. Bigger items can actually be soaked in the soapy water for a few minutes before being scrubbed by a very soft toothbrush.
For Stones: If your stones just aren't sparkling like they used to mineral water and a few drops of soap, paired with a trusty soft scrubbing brush or buffing cloth will have them looking brand new in no time.
For Pearls: Never soak your pearls! This could actually do a lot more harm than good. Try to wipe down your pearls after wearing them. When it comes time for a bit of a deeper clean, a damp cloth will do the trick.