When I was a teenager, I had a pretty impressive collection of necklaces, earrings, and rings which all had one thing in common: they were incredibly cheap. The kind of jewellery that after just about two wears, the gold coating would start to come off and leave a blueish mark on my skin.
As I grew into adulthood, my jewellery box, too, evolved—it shifted from quantity to quality. My goal became to make sure my jewellery lasted for as long as possible, both stylistically and physically. And a big part of that lies into how you take care of your jewellery.
Speaking of which, a few months back, I had the immense honour of having a custom-made ring designed by Jade Boutilier, jeweller and founder of CAPTIVE. At the end of collaboration, I asked her to share her expert advice on how to take care of your jewellery and as I expected, she had plenty of useful tips. From restoring the shine of your gems to things you should never do while wearing them, here’s your go-to jewellery care guide.
CLEANING
SOLID GOLD AND SILVER JEWELLERY:
- Most quality jewellery comes with a polishing cloth. Use it to rub your jewellery and bring its shine back to life. If you don’t have one, know that they’re widely available, including here.
- If you’re having a hard time reaching all the nooks and crannies of your jewellery, Jade suggests using these three things you probably have on hand: an old toothbrush, dish soap, and warm water.
- Still too dull? According to Jade, it’s time to stop your DIY endeavours and leave it to the professionals, as they have access to tools that us, mere mortals, don’t own at home.
- The one rule to remember: Never, EVER, use chemicals on your jewellery. You risk causing permanent damage and we obviously don’t want that.
GOLD-PLATED JEWELLERY:
- A polishing cloth doesn’t mix well with gold-plated jewellery, says Jade. Why? Because one side is actually more abrasive than the other, similar to very fine sandpaper, and might scrape off the delicate plating. In those cases, it’s better to stick to the good old trio of a tooth brush, dish soap, and warm water.
BRASS JEWELLERY:
- If your jewellery leaves blue marks on your skin, you’re most likely dealing with brass. Here’s a clever tip from Jade: Prevent it from happening by painting the surface touching your skin with clear nail polish.
- And if its lustre is more “meh” than “wow”, it’s time to take *SURPRISE SURPRISE* a tooth brush, dish… You know the drill ;)
STORING
- Avoid storing your jewellery in a humid environment, like your bathroom, and favour dark and dry spots. To make it easier, Jade suggests storing your pieces of jewellery in their original boxes, which will also prevent them from scratching one another.
- Use fabric bags instead of plastic ones, they’ll be much better for keeping humidity at bay. If for some reason you ABSOLUTELY need to store your jewellery in plastic bags, make sure it’s clean and dry beforehand. Again, keep them out of the sunlight as much as possible.
- With that being said, never put pearls in a plastic bag! They will deteriorate and will eventually turn yellow. Thanks, but no thanks.
5 THINGS YOU SHOULD AVOID DOING WHEN WEARING YOUR JEWELLERY
- Handling any sorts of chemicals.
- Lifting heavy objects.
- Doing the dishes.
- Taking a shower.
- Applying your skincare, which I’m totally guilty of. Although your products might not damage your jewellery, all those serums and creams will leave a greasy and dirty film behind, aka the enemy of shiny jewellery.
Am I forgetting anything? Let me know in the comments!
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