All About the Bling: Bright Tips for All Jewelry Lovers!
As a jewelry lover, one of the hardest things you ever have to do is get rid of a piece of jewelry that no longer looks good, right?
Well, the bad news is - we have all been there, and we have all said goodbye to our once favorite accessory.
The good news is - you can increase the lifetime of your jewelry.
Therefore, if you want to keep your jewelry pieces for the years to come, then today is the right time to do something about it.
Knowing how to restore the shine of your gold and silver jewelry items can go a long way. If you only decide to spend a few more minutes maintaining the jewelry that you already have, you might never have to buy another sparkling jewelry ever in your life. At the end of the day, the aftercare is always harder than preventive care.
Tip #1: Do Not Forget to Take It Off
We know how much you love to wear your "signature" jewelry all the time. Either it is the necklace your partner gifted you, your classical pearl earrings, or your favorite metal bracelet, we all have a piece of jewelry that we refuse to take it off. However, one of the easiest and best ways to keep the quality of your jewelry is by taking your jewelry off before sleeping, swimming, showering, visiting hot places such as saunas, while cooking, and while doing outside chores such as gardening.
Another important thing to remember is to give it a quick wipe with a towel or an old t-shirt as soon as you remove it. This will help clear away your natural body oils, lotions, and fragrances.
Tip #2: Zip It Up
When it comes to keeping your jewelry nice and shiny, the storage plays a huge role.
Although artisan jewelry is precious, we all know it is likely to be fabricated with Argentium silver.
This composition and mixture make the jewelry's quality heavily impacted by moisture and oxygen. We already know that those two combined can be dangerous for your jewelry. Hence, as an addition to tip #1, not only you should keep your jewelry away from water and hot air, but you should also pay attention to the place you keep it in.
The best way of doing so is by stashing your jewelry in zip-lock bags. Such bags will not cost you a lot of time and money as they are low-cost, extremely easy to find, and very convenient.
These bags should not be different from the ones you already use to pack your sandwiches for work. By doing this, you will prevent oxygen and moisture continually affecting your jewelry so you will keep it stunning.
Tip #3: Learn the Digits
In case you thought the gold jewelry is the only one that can be classified and rated, you have lived under a rock. The silver standards are very different from the ones that apply for gold but are essential nonetheless.
For you to know exactly how you should preserve the quality of your silver jewelry pieces such as rings, metal bracelets, and necklaces you need to know their digits.
Here is the simple rule - if the item has a .950 rating, then that item will require a regular polish. On the other hand, if the silver piece has a rating of .925, it means that jewelry item is made of sturdier material, therefore does not require such a consistent cleaning.
When you there is no label about the sterling silver digits, or you are unsure about them, check with your jeweler or the online vendor.
Tip #4: Polish Dull Pearls
The pearls are probably the most absorbent and porous jewelry materials that exist. Due to this feature, they can easily lose their luster and become dull. Once the pearls are not lustrous anymore, the wearers give up on them in a heartbeat.
However, you can save your adored pearls just by cleaning them with care.
Regardless of whether it is classical pearls we are talking about, faux, or cultured, the shine of any pearl can be restored in the same exact way.
Let's say you the item you are polishing is your favorite pearl drop earrings.
The first thing you need to do is lay them on a soft fabric such as cotton. Take a small brush just like the one you usually use for makeup. Clean the brush and dip it into a mix of shampoo and warm water. Make sure you do not exaggerate with the amount of shampoo you add in the mixture since the shampoo itself contains a variety of chemicals. Further, go over the pearls gently with the brush. If you are polishing a pearl necklace, this might take you a long time because the number of pearls you will have to clean is bigger. To finish the process, rinse the pearls with a well-wrung and clean damp cloth. Then, let the pears dry completely.
This type of treatment is also very good for other porous stones such as turquoise.
Tip #5: Remove Silver Tarnish
There are a number of options when it comes to cleaning and preventing tarnish.
While the majority of them will lead you to purchase a different kind of polishes, we would like to keep it low-key here. Although these polishes are not crazy expensive, we would like to introduce you to a DIY method that you can do right away with the ingredients that you have in your own home.
For the silver pieces that you have but are dull, you can mix warm water, a few drops of mild dish soap, and dip in a soft material. Then, rub the jewelry and rinse it in cool water. Buff the silver pieces with the material until they are fully dry.
In case you are dealing with heavier tarnish, mix one part water with three parts baking soda. This combination will create a paste-like mixture that you should put inside the crevices. Further, rinse with the cloth until it gets grey. Then, buff dry.
Even though we are suggesting solutions for removing tarnish that is in fact very easy to make, keep in mind these techniques remove tarnish, but does not prevent it. If you do not mind repeating such processes occasionally, then you are good to go with what we just presented. However, if you want to actually prevent your silver from getting dirty, then you should definitely consider purchasing polish.