A jewelry collection can be one of the more costly investments you own; according to The Knot, an engagement ring usually costs an average of $5,000. To protect its value and maintain an exceptional appearance for years after, its proper care needs to be prioritized accordingly.
Maintaining the value of fine jewelry after investing over time is of utmost importance.
Your jewelry may need some clean in order to maintain its beauty and value, whether that is through selling it off or cleaning. Professional cleaning of fine jewelry will help preserve both its aesthetics and value.
This guide provides advice to ensure your jewelry collection looks brand new for as long as possible.
Maintenance of Your Jewelry Collection
Preventative measures should always be the preferred solution when it comes to keeping jewelry looking its best.
Jewelry should always be put on last when getting ready, to prevent perfumes, cosmetics, lotions and hair products from touching any of it. This helps avoid having any perfume, cosmetics or lotions settle onto expensive jewelry pieces that you wear often.
Jewelry should always be removed when showering or swimming; additionally, any time gardening, exercising or other activities where it could potentially get dirty should also be undertaken without jewellery on.
Even with proper precautions in place, jewelry will inevitably become dirty over time. Therefore, being able to quickly clean it when necessary becomes essential.
Tips on Cleaning Fine Jewelry at Home
It is essential to exercise extreme care when cleaning fine jewelry at home so as to not damage or mistreat its delicate pieces. By taking some preventive steps, your fine pieces can remain looking their best!
Jewelers frequently experience customer damage to their jewellery while cleaning it using products which contain acids or are acidic such as toothpaste, alcohol or lemon juice.
Mild dish soap is often the go-to product when caring for fine jewelry.
Of course, this depends on the composition of the jewellery piece; pearls tend to be more durable than diamonds.
Here is a guide for cleaning jewelry effectively and quickly.
Polishing Silver Jewelry
When it comes to maintaining silver jewelry, regular wiping down is the key. Use mild dishwashing soap in warm (but not hot) water (not boiling hot!), dip your soft, clean cloth into it and rub until your jewelry looks shiny again!
If your jewelry has already become tarnished, combine three parts baking soda and one part water into a paste and rub over its surfaces using a soft, clean cloth.
To avoid water marks on finished items, be sure to wash in cold water after finishing and buff dry after.
Cleaning Gold Jewelry
Combine water with some dish detergent and ammonia drops for best results when cleaning gold jewelry, and choose warm rather than hot water to do this task if the piece contains gemstones other than diamonds; hot water could damage them further.
Rub the soft cloth gently over your jewelry to remove excess moisture, then soak it for 20 minutes in solution to ensure complete immersion.
Cleaning Diamond Jewellery
Diamonds are well known to be strong and resilient materials, which may tempt one to scrub away when cleaning jewelry composed of diamonds. Do take note that there may be risks in doing this that the stones become dislodged when cleaning diamond jewelry – so when cleaning diamond jewelry it should always be treated carefully!
Submerge your diamond jewellery in water mixed with mild dish detergent for approximately 20 minutes before brushing gently using a toothbrush with soft bristles and then rinsing in cold water; dry the item using a towel afterwards if there are water spots present. Alternatively, rinse in distilled water if there are spots present that need attention.
Cleaning Gemstone Jewelry
When cleaning gemstone jewelry, special care must be taken not to damage its setting.
Care of gemstones depends heavily upon their unique properties; in order to avoid damaging jewelry pieces or losing gemstones altogether. Therefore, to effectively care for any stone you intend to clean it is vitally important that you understand its softness/hardness parameters prior to beginning cleaning activities.
Most gemstones should only be exposed to lukewarm water; jewelry pieces with gemstones should typically be cleaned using mild dish soap instead.
Research your stone to avoid accidentally damaging it. Here is an informative guide about cleaning various gemstone types.
Clean Pearl Jewelry
Pearl jewelry requires special care because its delicate surface can easily scratch. Therefore, take great precaution in not scratching them while cleaning.
Pearls may be made out of water, yet submersion should be avoided to preserve their porous structure and ensure maximum enjoyment for years.
Use a soft, clean cloth and rub over each pearl carefully with mild dish soap/water solution if necessary to eliminate dirt. If necessary, an antibacterial agent could also help.
At least twice annually, it is crucial that fine jewelry be brought to an experienced jeweler for professional cleaning – even if home remedies provide enough cleaning power to suffice. Professional cleaners provide essential professional-level solutions.
Jewelers possess tools designed specifically to polish, shine and steam fine jewelry collections more effectively than anyone could themselves. Involving a jeweler also ensures they check that stone settings remain undamaged during cleaning services; so do your research when selecting your professional cleaner.
How to Maintain Your Jewelry Collection
These simple tips will assist in keeping your fine jewelry in great shape over the years. Maintaining it properly ensures longevity of enjoyment from its purchase.
As part of your jewelry cleansing ritual, be sure to identify pieces you no longer require.
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