Jewelry are really pretty but keeping it beautiful can be a task. Jewelry can’t take wear-and-tear the way as It can tarnish from water, air exposure and even creams and lotions. Learn how to care for your jewelry so that they remain beautiful for as long as possible.
First thing is prevention :
1 - Spray perfume, hair spray, and rub on lotion before putting on your jewelry.
2 - Don't expose your jewelry to water and any harsh chemicals such as chlorine.
3 - Don't swim or bathe with your jewelry.
4 - Always be gentle with your jewelry. They are delicate and needs to be treated with care.
Next is maintenance :
1 - Wipe down your jewelry daily. If you wipe your jewelry down with a clean microfiber cloth after each use, you won’t have to clean it as often.
2 - Limit the wear of your jewelry, which minimize the jewelry's exposure to the chemicals on your skin and produced by your body.
3 - Don't wear your jewelry around the clock. Limit your wear of jewelry while you sleep.
4 - Clean your jewelry after any workouts and sweating.
Cleaning :
1 - Most jewelry can be cleaned by simply washing with antibacterial soap and warm water. DO NOT USE alcohol or harsh chemicals on jewelry including jewelry with gems. Alcohol and harsh chemicals could eat away the glue that holds some gems in place.
2 - Use baking soda to clean jewelry by mixing it with water to make a pasty substance, and rub it gently on the jewelry with a toothbrush. Make a thick paste with 1/4 cup baking soda and 2 tablespoons water.
Rinse clean and dry.
3 - Soak jewelry in a solution of 1/2 cup vinegar and two tablespoons of baking soda. Then rinse clean and dry.
4 - Use baby shampoo to clean the jewelry. Baby shampoo is a milder shampoo, so it can be a good cleaning agent. Shampoo can be a good approach to cleaning pearls, especially. Mix together one drop each of baby shampoo and water. Use a soft toothbrush or Q-Tip to clean hard-to-reach spots. Mix it until it is about the consistency of a thick soup. If the mixture is too thick, add a few additional drops of water.
Rinse the baby shampoo off quickly in cool water, and dry with a clean, soft hand towel or microfiber cloth.
5- Do not use water on wood, bone or horn materials. These materials can not be autoclaved or sterilized. They need to be oiled to keep in good condition, and from cracking. You can use jajoba oil, coconut oil, or any other natural plant oil.
If any time it looks like you are rubbing off more of the finish than the gunk, then stop. You may be scrubbing too hard. Rub gently so you don’t mess up the finish.
Drying :
Rinse thoroughly after cleaning. After applying cleaning mixture and cleaning everything off, immediately rinse the piece off in cool water. Rinse just enough to get the cleaning solution off of the jewelry.
Dry it with a clean microfiber cloth an then blow dry with blow dryer. Immediately after you rinse off your jewelry, place it on a towel to soak up any excess water. Blot away excess water with the towel. Then, set your blow dryer to a cool setting, and use your blow dryer to quickly dry the jewelry.
Move your blow dryer around the piece to distribute the air. Drying it quickly makes it less likely to rust and develop water spots. Continue drying the jewelry with the blow dryer until it is completely dry.
Try not to hold the blow dryer directly above areas with gemstones for long periods of time especially if you decide to use a warmer setting. You don’t want the heat from blow dryer to melt the glue holding them down.