Jewelry is the finishing touch — the chef’s kiss — to any look. Whether you’re styling a 100-year-old family heirloom or a recent fashion purchase, knowing how to take care of your jewelry is essential to making that shine last longer. If you don’t care for it properly, it can look worn and dirty.
The trick to caring for jewelry is knowing how to wear it, clean it, fix it, find it, and store it.
How to Wear Jewelry
Jewelry is meant to be worn. It’s no use having it if you can’t show it off! Wearing your best piece can really complete the look and make you feel your best. But, of course, wearing some of those more expensive pieces puts them at risk.
You might think you know how to wear jewelry, but there are actually a lot of precautions you should be taking to keep them safe and clean while wearing them.
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Keep it dry: Getting your jewelry wet can cause cracks, loss of shine, and water stains.
- Keep it away from chemicals: This might seem pretty obvious (and you’re probably wondering when you’ll be exposed to chemicals), but you can find them in lotions, perfumes, and hairsprays.
- Put it on last: To avoid exposure to harsh chemicals, put your jewelry on last.
- Rotate your pieces: Don’t wear the same pieces every day. Give your jewelry some love by letting it rest.
- Know when to take it off: You might know to take it off before bed, but you should also avoid swimming, gardening, cleaning, and any physical exercise while wearing jewelry.
How to Clean Jewelry
Your jewelry deserves to sparkle and shine! But, even if you do all of the preventative measures mentioned above, exposure to air and moisture can rob them of their gleam. Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can clean your jewelry at home without making a trip to the jewelers.
- Silver – The best way to clean silver is with a silver polish, which you can find at your local stores. Not only is it made to remove tarnish, but to keep it from re-tarnishing. If you don’t have any on hand and you need to clean it before wearing, you can use DIY methods like mix dish soap and warm water, three parts baking soda with one part water, and toothpaste with warm water.
- Gold and Gemstones – Put your gold pieces in a strainer and dip it into a homemade solution with a few drops of dish soap and warm water. For gemstones, you can also put them in a strainer, but the solution should be dish soap and seltzer water.
- Pearls – Do not soak your pearls. Instead, lay them on a soft cloth and dab them with a small brush (like one you use for makeup) with a mix of warm water and shampoo.
How to Fix Jewelry
Knowing how to fix jewelry and having the right tool is crucial to repairing them yourself when you’re in a pinch. Whether you’re trying to fix a broken clasp or looking to untangle a necklace, make sure you have these tools handy:
- Snipe nose pliers
- Side cutters
- Super glue/epoxy glue
- Ring mandrel
- Rawhide mallet
- Polishing cloth
How to Find Lost Jewelry
It can be truly devastating when you lose jewelry, especially those pieces with sentimental or cost value. If you’ve found that you’ve misplaced your jewelry at home or in public, follow these steps to learn how to find lost jewelry.
Lost Jewelry at Home
- Retrace your steps
- Tidy up rooms
- Check unusual places like drawers or cabinets
- Use a flashlight to catch the shine
- Ask a friend to help
Lost Jewelry in Public
- File a police report
- Retrace your steps
- Contact local jewelers or pawn shops
- Post a “lost ad” online
- Track Craigslist, eBay, and local buy/sell/trade pages
- Post reward flyers
- If insured, file a claim
How to Store Jewelry
Storing your jewelry keeps it beautiful. Knowing how to store jewelry is just as important as wearing it properly and cleaning it. When storing your jewelry, make sure to follow these tips.
- Wipe off jewelry before storing it
- Keep it away from wood which can stain and tarnish it
- Use a container to keep it away from air
- Invest in a jewelry case for travel
Seems like a lot of work for such small pieces, right? To ensure you never lose or break your jewelry, and to keep it shining longer, use The Wanderer travel jewelry case!
Compact and cute, The Wanderer fits where you need it to in a purse, suitcase, backpack, hotel safe, or on your dresser. The Wanderer has spaces to store your earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets, and a simple snap band for everything else. Browse our colors to start protecting your jewelry and keeping it new.
Roam often, stay stylish.
