If you love jewelry like us, you’ll probably have so much that you don’t know what to do with it. Caring properly for your accessories can be a little daunting, but there are loads of ways to make looking after your jewelry easy. From storage to cleaning, you can make sure your jewels don’t get tangled, tarnished or broken!
How you store your jewelry can really affect its longevity – necklaces can tangle, metals can tarnish, stones can crack… the number of things that can go wrong are almost endless, but all avoidable. As a general rule; all jewelry should be stored out of direct sunlight and in an area with a regulated temperature. With that in mind, there are some great ways to store each different accessory type.
Rings are frequently made from precious metals and often have stones set into them, so they should be stored nice and safely to keep them from harm. Any valuable rings should be checked regularly for problems and it can be best to store them in their own small display boxes to avoid abrasion from other rings.
Another option is to get a multi-ring holder which fits neatly into a drawer where you can safely store lots of rings.
If you have a dressing table, rings can look awesome stacked onto a ring holder, as long as they’re not going to be in direct sunlight. This is probably a better option for more costume-type jewelry rather than your finest jewels.
We’ve probably all gone to our jewelry boxes to get our favorite necklace out and found it wrapped around every other necklace in the box – how? Necklaces can be prone to tangling, so one of the best ways to store them is hanging up neatly. This will also help to avoid any knots that can occur in delicate chain necklaces.
Here are some ideas for unique ways to hang up your necklaces:
Some necklaces are just too precious to hang up, and some are too heavy. For expensive items, maybe keep them in the display box they came in or buy some new ones if you threw them away. For heavy, chunky necklaces, these should be fine in a drawer or your jewelry box – just be sure to keep them neat.
Bracelets made from dainty chain can also fall prey to knots and tangles, so keeping them unclasped and in a straight line can really help avoid this. You could use handy drawer dividers to create a specific area for bracelets to be laid out in this way.
Bangles look stunning displayed on bracelet displays, but they do need to be kept out of direct sunlight. Alternatively, you could lay them out neatly into a drawer divider.
Again, any bracelets which are a little too special to be amongst the others, should be kept in their own special display boxes.
From studs to elaborate drop earrings, these accessories need to be stored just as safely as any other jewelry. One popular way to store earrings is to hang them on wire mesh earring displays – this way it is easy to see all of your choices and it keeps any drop earrings from tangling.
Stud earrings can be kept on these mesh displays too, but they should be fine stored in a box or kept in their own special foam based boxes. Just make sure to put your earrings away when you take them off to avoid losing one (it’s always one that goes missing, right?).
Hoop earrings could be stored in a drawer divider and to keep them from hooking onto one another, keep them fastened when you put them away.
The main kinds of jewelry that need cleaning are precious metals such as silver and gold – but leather, stone or pearls jewelry can also need cleaning when it is worn a lot. It is recommended to clean your well worn jewelry every other week.
Metal jewelry is so popular and lots of us like to choose silver, gold or plated metals to ensure our skin isn’t going to go green after wearing it. These precious metals do need cleaning as they can be prone to going dull and looking a little gross.
Warm water and mild soap is all you really need to keep your precious metal jewelry looking great. As long as you rinse the soap away carefully, you should not affect the longevity of your jewelry. The best way to dry newly cleaned precious metals is to let them air dry or use a soft microfiber cloth to avoid any water spots showing up. For more fine jewelry with intricate designs, use a compressed air duster to get rid of any pools of water in areas you can’t quite see.
Oftentimes gold jewelry can be in the form of a wedding or engagement ring, or a priceless family heirloom, so it is so important to know how best to clean this stunning metal. It may be best to consult a jeweler if you want to clean your rings frequently.
Metals are prone to tarnishing which can be really annoying and is especially prevalent in frequently worn jewelry items. Tarnished jewelry can quickly lose its appeal and may end up being shoved to the bottom of the jewelry box, never to be worn again. However, this doesn’t have to happen! Soak tarnished items in warm water and mild soap for 24 hours – use a non-toxic dish soap to really cut through any grease. Once it has soaked, scrub the item lightly with a soft toothbrush before rinsing and drying.
If you’re in doubt, visit your local jewelers.
Stones, Leather and Pearls
These should be wiped carefully with a slightly damp microfiber cloth, as they are organic products which need more delicate care than harder metals. Avoid exposing stone jewelry to harsh temperature changes – if it is cold, don’t use warm water as this could cause the stone to fracture or crack.
Semi-precious crystals can actually benefit from being cleansed by running water, but certain stones do not react well to water and can begin to corrode when exposed to it.
There are some general rules you can follow to help make sure your jewelry stays in good shape for longer:
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