3 Common Jewelry Care Mistakes to Avoid

From precious metals and colorful gemstones to diamond bridal jewelry, jewelry pieces can be valuable, beautiful keepsakes to pass on through the generations. Of course, proper care is essential if you want your jewelry to be appealing and valuable for many years to come.

Unfortunately, most people do not take proper care of their jewelry pieces. With this guide and your jeweler's help, you will learn about a few common mistakes to avoid, which helps you protect your jewelry's beauty, durability, and value.

You may not realize how much dirt, dust, and other residue builds up on your jewelry over time. This residue can affect the look and overall quality of precious metals and gemstones, so proper cleaning of your jewelry is imperative.

You can purchase many DIY solutions and cleaners from different stores. Most commercial solutions are effective for cleaning jewelry made with precious metals and different gemstones, such as diamonds and rubies. However, use caution when cleaning pieces with delicate metals, such as platinum, which will scratch easier than gold and silver.

The best method depends on the specific piece of jewelry, though. Jewelry pieces that contain opals, pearls, turquoise, or coral, for example, should always be cleaned by professionals to avoid damage. Also, if you have antique jewelry, consult the professionals for cleanings instead of using DIY solutions and commercial cleaners.

If you have questions about your specific jewelry piece, schedule a cleaning with your jeweler.

Many people feel they can wear their jewelry constantly. You may want to leave your wedding and engagement ring on all the time, or you may wear the same necklace and earrings each day.

Although they may be favorite pieces, taking your jewelry off periodically is important for keeping it safe. The more you wear it, the more risk you have of snagging it on clothing and other items, increasing the risk of scratching or scuffing it, losing stones, breaking a clasp, or tangling the chain.

Removing your jewelry before bathing is important as well. Body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and other bathing products can quickly build up behind stones, on the metals, and in clasps, which damages the metals and stones over time.

Also, remove your jewelry before you go to bed. Necklaces, bracelets, and earrings can tangle up in your sleep, causing damage to the chains, stones, and clasps. Rings can also twist around your fingers as you sleep, causing stress that can lead to scratches and even loose stones.

Finally, you may not be storing your jewelry properly. Storage is not only necessary for keeping your jewelry organized - proper storage can ensure your jewelry does not experience stress and damage over time.

You can find a huge variety of jewelry boxes on the market, which can be helpful for storing your rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. Unfortunately, many people just throw their jewelry pieces into the box and close the lid, thinking this type of storage is sufficient.

Without organizing the jewelry in your jewelry box, the pieces can damage one another. Metals and stones can become scratched if the pieces are piled on top of one another. In addition, chains and bracelets can become tangled, which is difficult and sometimes impossible to repair.

A jewelry box with dividers is your best option for proper storage, since it can help you store your jewelry in smaller compartments, reducing stress on the metals, stones, chains, and clasps.

With the right understanding and care, you can easily protect the look and value of your jewelry. For information on cleaning, care, and storage of your specific jewelry pieces, contact Marla's Gem Creations today.