Tips for keeping your jewellery looking as beautiful as the first day
No matter what it’s made of, jewellery is delicate and should always be handled with the utmost care. By following a few simple precautions and tips, you can help extend the life of your pieces.
Silver tends to tarnish, especially when exposed to air pollutants and humidity.
Our skin contains natural oils, fats, and salty moisture. All of these factors can cause silver to darken. It is completely normal.
When jewellery is not being worn, storage is key to minimising wear and tear. Each piece should be stored separately so that the metal does not scratch or suffer unnecessary knocks.
There are several substances that can affect the appearance of your jewellery, causing stains, loss of shine, or easier damage and tarnishing. Here are some examples:
- Chlorine: in swimming pools, common salt, cleaning products.
- Salt: in the sea, common table salt.
- Certain shampoos and soaps. Remove jewellery when showering or washing dishes.
- Household cleaning products. Never clean while wearing jewellery.
- Chemicals of any kind.
- Perfumes and colognes. Apply perfume or cologne before putting on your jewellery.
- Makeup. Jewellery should always be the last thing you put on.
- Moisturisers and body lotions. Ensure the product has been absorbed before putting on your jewellery.
Avoid strenuous or risky physical activities while wearing jewellery, where there is a risk of knocks, scratches, or sweat. Everyone’s skin pH is different and could cause staining on the piece. You could also hurt yourself!
Cleaning silver
Water and Soap
Occasionally, you can wash your pieces with warm water and a phosphate-free detergent, rinse them carefully, and then dry thoroughly with a soft cotton cloth.
Polishing cloth
To remove tarnish, use special silver polishing cloths impregnated with a silver cleaner, they restore shine and remove dark stains.
Professional Cleaning
You can also choose to take the jewellery to a professional workshop and have it returned as good as new.
The importance of drying silver
It is essential to dry silver completely after cleaning, as moisture is one of the main causes of aging. For pieces with hard-to-reach areas, a hairdryer can be very useful.
Remember, silver pieces must be completely dry before storage.