While we all dig some good ol’ precious jewelry, it usually comes with its own list of cons. Apart from coughing up a huge amount of money, it lacks safety, practicality & versatility.
And in a time of variety, kitsch, and fast fashion, fashion jewelry is easily our superhero! Hoarding up on every latest trend, a new pair of earrings with every dress, layers of necklaces, and pendants, while living up to the trend of multi-finger rings. We love all of it! We want to add more to our carts so that every day is completed with a touch of our personality reflected in our beautiful accessories.
Well, all of this is great but it’s imperative to keep our jewels clean and make sure that they last long. A small, easy-to-follow list of dos & don’ts to keep your jewelry spick and span is coming your way:
SEGREGATE & STORE
Make sure your baubles are segregated in different zip lock bags and then stored in a tight, possibly fancy-schmancy handcrafted box. This will help prevent breaking, tangling, or tarnishing. You can also use anti-tarnish paper for this purpose.
If you have different types of jewelry, it is important to separate them before the cleaning process – stones from gold plated, enamel from regular silver polish – think washing your whites separately in the washing machine, works in the exact same way! You don’t want the polish on a piece of jewelry to tarnish another piece.
REMOVE
Fashion jewelry is meant to be worn rather occasionally as it is more prone to damage. Do not wear those beautifully crafted pieces to shower, while stepping in the pool, during a workout, cooking, or even while washing utensils. Say no to rough activities with jewels on!
KEEP IT DRY
It’s probably the most basic and yet most essential of them all – keep your fashion jewelry free of cosmetics – perfumes, moisturizers, sunscreens, hairsprays – remember the rule, if it’s moist, it doesn’t belong on top of your baubles. Ensure that you use the cosmetics before you put on the jewelry and wait for it to dry. The contents of your perfume can fade the color and clarity of the artificial stones.
CLEAN
It might sound laborious but if you clean your jewelry on a day-to-day basis, it will help your jewelry live a long life. Sweat can hamper the pieces and make them look old. So, before storing, you must wipe off all the sweat from the accessories with a dry microfiber cloth and store it in airtight bags. A regular routine inspection of your jewelry can also help you take quick action – you can spot and fix any glimpses of tarnish before it becomes irreparable.
REPAIR & FIX
While it is recommended to apply transparent nail paint to enhance the luster of jewelry, we recommend against it as it can make the pieces look inexpensive & degraded when it starts to peel off.
Also, in case you’re missing any stones/beads or even need to fix the closures, it is possible to get it fixed by the jeweler you bought it from or any fashion jewelry shop at a fraction of the cost.
Go with warm water and a soft toothbrush/small sponge for routine cleaning. For tarnishes and deeper stains, you can try using a mild shampoo and brush it clean to revive the color of your jewelry. Remember to completely dry out the pieces before putting them back in storage.
Everyone’s got that favorite piece of fashion jewelry – the necklace given as a gift by your B.F.F or that pair of earrings that you found at a flea market that perfectly matches your favorite kurti – every piece deserves just as much TLC as any real-deal gem. Maintaining a checklist of these essential hacks will keep your jewelry last you a long, long time.
So, what are you waiting for? Start with your accessory routine check already!