Aside from the aesthetic value they add to any outfit, pieces of jewelry also serve plenty of other purposes. For some people, these treasured objects serve as a form of investment. Meanwhile, there are also those who treat them as important heirlooms that are meant to be passed down from one generation to another.
Before you resume searching all over the Internet for a jewelry retouching guide, here are some of the things that you need to remember to give the best care to your jewelry and ensure that it can serve you—and your family—for years to come.
Understand the material
One of the first things that you need to do is to distinguish the kind of material that you’re working with. It is important for you to know what your jewelry is made of to ensure that you can employ the best way to clean that specific material. This is to prevent accidentally causing any damage to it.
Light and heat could cause damage
Exposure to the sun’s rays is harmful to our skin, especially when in excess. In the same way, light and heat can affect the durability as well as the color of gemstones. Fading and damage can be caused over time to gems such as kunzite, amethyst, shell cameos, and topaz. On the other hand, extreme exposure to light can lead to bleaching of delicate materials such as pearls and ivory. For other gems such as amber, exposure to too much light for a long time can lead to darkening of the gem’s shade. In more extreme cases, spikes in temperature and excessive heat might fracture some jewels. Exposure to heat can also remove the moisture content of these gems, which is necessary for them to keep their beauty. Pearls specifically have a tendency to dry out, discolor, and even crack.
Never forget to remove your jewelry before sleeping
Forgetting to remove your pieces of jewelry before you sleep can cause harm not just to yourself but also to the pieces. You might bend a prong, causing the loss of a stone or breakage of a chain. Worse, you might end up having your earring inside your ear. To ensure the safety of your jewelry and yourself, remember to remove your pieces before going to bed.
Keep away from chemicals
Aside from heat and light, exposure to chemicals can lead to damage and discoloration to gemstones and precious metals such as platinum, gold, and silver. Everyday items, such as perfume, hairspray, lotion, and other cosmetics, contain certain chemicals that can cause permanent damage to the surface of pearls or other delicate gems such as turquoise. Make sure to remove any fine jewelry before taking a dip in a chlorinated swimming pool. This is because damage to gold alloys can be caused by chlorine bleach, a common household solvent.
Knowing some of these things can help you find the best course of action to take to give the best care to your precious pieces of jewelry. They should be cared for so that they can still shine for years to come.
