Tips to Extend the Lifetime of your Jewelry

Caring for your jewelry is very important as it will extend the lifetime of your jewelry. We always recommend coming into our stores to get your jewelry professionally cleaned on site, or to be polished and re-finished at our city location. However, to maintain the luster and sparkle of your jewelry without needing repairs or re-polishing, it's always a good idea to know how to care for your jewelry.

Tips to Extend the Lifetime of your Jewelry

The general rules of jewelry care are to never shower, wash, swim, exercise, garden, sleep, cook, or apply lotions, soaps, perfumes or sanitizers while wearing. These activities will quickly deteriorate the lifetime of your jewelry, leading to the need to seek a professional repair or polish work. Also, we recommend insuring your jewelry to allow for an affordable fix, should something happen to it.

JB Star Engagement Rings

PEARLS

With pearls, be sure to practice the 'last on, first off' method. Pearls are very sensitive and can be damaged by perfume, makeup, hairspray, and lotion. Therefore, we recommend putting them on last and taking them off first. They must be stored flat to prevent them from stretching. Soft pearls are prone to scratches, so store them separately in fabric-lined compartments. Pearls do best in a moist environment, so wearing them frequently keeps them from drying out. To clean pearls, mix a solution of lukewarm water and mild dish soap, dip a soft cleaning cloth in it and wipe the pearls. Do NOT submerge a pearl necklace in water, as it will weaken the silk thread. To prevent the need to give pearls a good cleaning, after every wear, wipe your pearls with a soft cloth. This will help prevent any buildup of oils or other substances that may have come in contact with your jewelry throughout the day. Let the pearls dry completely before storing.

DIAMONDS & PRECIOUS STONES 

Diamond and precious stones are generally easy to clean and to keep clean when maintaining the care of them. Rings have a tendency to become very dirty over time because we use our hands everyday and apply soap, sanitizer and lotion, which immediately make the ring and stones dirty with body oils and other substances. To keep your stones clean, we recommend creating a DIY solution in a reliable container - 1 pump of Palmolive soap and the rest warm distilled water will always do the trick. The more often you clean, the less often you will find build up that is difficult to release. Take a soft bristle toothbrush and apply some pressure to the ring, necklace, bracelet or earrings to brush away some of the dirt. Let the jewelry soak. Rise off the solution in the sink *and remember to plug the sink so nothing falls down the drain! You will see a noticeable difference and look forward to a DIY clean!

Also when cleaning, be sure to check for loose or broken stones. If something seems to be loose, stop wearing it and bring it in immediately for a repair.

When you come into our store, we use an ultrasonic vibrating cleaner that releases dirt more quickly. This, following by a hot water steam will give your jewelry new sparkle! Come in and get a cleaning!

 GOLD & PLATINUM

Similar to how we recommend cleaning Diamonds & Precious Stones, you can apply the same DIY solution to clean gold and platinum. After years of wear, it's possible that you white gold may need to be dipped. Additionally, platinum may require a professional polish to remove scratches and dullness due to wear. 

Paperclip Chains

ENAMEL

Keep enamel away from detergents, chlorine, perfume, soap, ultrasonic and liquid jewelry cleaners. Using a soft toothbrush, gently brush your jewelry with warm water and a mild liquid soap. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth.

Rachel Reid Charms

SILVER

Silver has a tendency to tarnish after being in contact with water or body oils. Cleaning requires silver cleaner, which can be purchased online or at a pharmacy. Alternatively, you can use a silver cloth cleaner or microfiber towel.

Pesavento Fashion Ring

GOLD PLATING

Gold plating will likely tarnish after a bit of wear. The only way to preserve the lifetime of gold plating  is to avoid precipitation and moist environments, including sweat and body oils. However, re-dipping your jewelry is an easy and affordable process, should any pieces eventually tarnish.