As with all precious things, your jewellery needs to be cared for and stored properly to keep it looking its best.
We are often asked by our customers for advice on cleaning and caring for their jewellery so we thought we would write a little piece for our blog on the do’s and don’ts for all your precious pieces. So here we go…
Tarnishing.
It is quite common for us to receive worried messages about clients pieces tarnishing. Tarnishing is most commonly caused over time by oxygen but can also be accelerated by certain cosmetics and perfumes which react with the metals. It is easily resolved with a polishing cloth but what we would always advise is to put your jewellery on after any creams or perfumes have been applied. We like to think of jewellery as’ the finishing touch’. If however, that is not possible then just be careful to avoid direct contact when applying your lotions or potions.
Also, when you take your jewellery off it is always worth giving the piece a little rub with a jewellery cloth before storing it, especially if you don’t plan to wear the item again for a little while. Giving it a quick rub will remove any grease or surface build up and prevent tarnishing in the future, so the next time you take them out of the box they will still look sparkling.
Gold
Gold is a beautiful metal that does not usually tarnish. However, it is not unknown given the right environment and tempertature. It can also discolour from grease, certain cosmetics and dirt. So it does need to be treated with a little extra care in order to keep it looking its best. If you feel your gold items are not looking their usual sparkling selves then it is best to invest in one of our special polishing cloths which are inexpensive and highly effective at bringing back the shine and preventing discoloration or tarnish.
Silver
After time Silver will naturally tarnish due to oxygen in the air which is why its important to store your unworn jewellery individually in pouches or their original boxes. But it is easily returned to its former glory with either a jewellery polishing cloth or just a soft cloth and some warm soapy water (just be sure to dry it properly afterwards). Silver is also more susceptible to lotions and perfumes so avoid direct contact with these things if you can. To remove heavier tarnished pieces you can add a small drop of water to the edge of the cleaning cloth and rub until the tarnish is all removed.
Gold Plated Silver
The gold plate on a piece of jewellery is a layer of gold over solid silver. It is therefore very important to treat your plated jewellery gently and with care. Always store your jewellery in individual pouches or boxes to avoid them tangling and scratching each other. The better you look after it the longer it will look fabulous. The jewellery cleaning cloths also work beautifully on removing fingerprints or tarnished gold plated jewellery and prevents tarnishing too.
Gems and diamonds
Precious stones should be treated as delicately as possible. If possible it is good to handle gems and pearls as little as possible as over time contact with your skin can dull their shine. Precious stones should be cleaned with a non-metalic, soft bristled brush with warm soapy water (we like to use washing up liquid and an old toothbrush) and dry afterwards with a soft lint free cloth.
Top Tip…. To avoid a potentially scary situation always clean your pieces over a bowl rather than over a sink. We would hate for anything special to be lost down the plug hole!
Water
In general, water is not a huge concern when dealing with jewellery but we would still always recommend taking your jewellery off when having a shower, swimming or on the beach. If your jewellery does get wet just be sure to dry it fully with a cloth before putting it back in storage. Sea water, chlorine and sulpher (in hot springs for example) can all effect your jewellery so be sure to leave them somewhere safe when taking a dip.
Storage.
Store your jewellery individually in its fabric lined box or pouch. If possible avoid storing pieces together as they can tangle, rub or scratch each other.
All Zoraida pieces come in a fabric lined box and are supplied with a travel pouch and care card offering advice on how to store your jewellery. We couldn’t reccomened our jewellery cleaning cloths more to help you care for your jewellery are available on our online store here.