Looking after your handmade jewelry is just as easy as looking after any other jewelry. It can be cleaned using mild soapy water and carefully dried before polishing lightly with a polishing cloth. You can also have your handmade jewelry cleaned and cared for by a professional.
Before cleaning, ensure that any gemstones or pearls in your handmade jewelry will not be affected by and cleaning methods you choose. All jewelry should be treated gently and not subjeccted to duress such as bending, scraping or being worn while carrying out activities that might damage the jewelry. By caring for your handmade jewelry in the proper manner, it will help it to last for a lifetime ^_^
Jewelry should be kept away from:
- Scratching
- Banging
- Chemicals
- Swimming pools
- Hot tubs
- Extreme temps
- Strenuous activity
- Intense sunlight
Chemicals used in pools and hot tubs is particularly damaging to stones and metal, and will even damage solid gold. Jewelry should be wiped off with a soft cloth after you wear it and cleaned regularly with mild soapy water, rinsed thoroughly and carefully dried using a soft lint-free cloth. Metals should be polished gently with a jewelry polishing cloth. Take care to not rub too hard, particularly on plated metals. Most jewelry can be sealed in a ziplock bag with anti-tarnish paper.
- All jewelry should be protected from scratches, sharp blows, chemicals, extreme temperatures, and sunlight.
- After wearing your jewelry, each piece should be gently wiped clean with a 100% cotton cloth to remove make up and skin oils.
- Jewelry should be stored separately so that it doesn’t scratch other jewelry.
- When carrying out heavy duty household chores such as gardening, cleaning and repairs, all jewelry should be removed first.
- Put your jewelry on after applying makeup and hairspray as they contain chemicals that may affect your jewelry.
- Do not wear jewelry while in a swimming pool or hot tub. Chlorine in the water can damage some gemstones and metals, even gold.
- Do not store jewelry next to a heating vent, window sill, or in the car where it may be exposed to extreme temperatures.
- Store jewelry away from sunlight. The sun may cause some gemstones to fade over time.
- Always store bead necklaces strung on silk (for example pearls) flat as silk will stretch over time.
- Store jewelry in plastic ziplock bags or jewelry bags with anti-tarnish paper to reduce tarnish.
- Pearl and opal jewelry, as well as some other gemstone jewelry, must be stored in fabric instead of plastic so they can “breathe.”