Rejuvenating Your Jewelry After a Season in the Sun

Rejuvenating Your Jewelry After a Season in the Sun

Hello Autumn!  A time for cooler weather, fall colors and cozy vibes. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. Isn’t that last sentence a song lyric? Seems I heard it recently or something similar…

Fall is the perfect time to give your jewelry a little spruce up! And why is jewelry care important?

Proper care is essential to maintain its beauty and longevity. Caring for your jewelry can make a significant difference in its appearance and durability. Let’s face it, who wants to wear dirty jewelry?

Our jewelry is exposed to all kinds of abuse especially during the summer, like heat, moisture, sunscreen, sweat, lotions, the list is endless. All of these exposures can affect the appearance and value of your jewelry over time.

Different types of jewelry require different types of cleaning. For silver jewelry, using mild soap and water is a good rule of thumb but be mindful of any patinas that were used on your piece. You wouldn’t want to scrub that finish off. Generally, using your fingers is a good way to wash, no hard brushes or steel wools needed. Then polish up with my favorite, a sunshine cloth, which only requires a very light touch when cleaning, no scrubbing necessary.

Keep in mind that you should never use liquid jewelry cleaner.  Not only is it toxic and not good for you to breath in or expose your skin to, but it is not good for gemstones of any kind or for jewelry that has a patina. 

A little refresher for jewelry care:

  • Store your jewelry in a cool, dry place, avoid moisture.
  • Take your jewelry off when you garden, do housework, exercise, swim, shower/bathe, sleep, you get the idea.
  • Keep in mind that if there is a patina on your jewelry, all you need is a very light touch for polishing.
  • Put your jewelry on last, as makeup, hair products, perfumes, etc., can help lead to tarnishing.

Proper storage is essential for maintaining the condition of your jewelry. I recommend storing each piece of jewelry separately in a soft pouch or lined jewelry box. This is important if you live in a humid climate.

A little maintenance goes a long way to being able to wear your jewelry for many, many years. I hope you’ve found this information useful!

Follow me on InstagramFacebook and Pinterest (@carolwilkinsdesigns) for more insight into my jewelry business.

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