Charing for Your Jewelry: Ways to Keep it Beautiful for Years
Jewelry is meant to be worn and enjoyed, but a little care can go a long way in preserving its beauty. Over time, simple habits in how you wear, store, and clean your jewelry will help your treasured pieces age gracefully.
Wearing Your Jewelry
Put it on last
To avoid damaging both your clothing and your jewelry, make a habit of putting your jewelry on after you’ve showered and dressed. Always apply perfumes or colognes before putting on your jewelry, as chemicals and oils can affect metals and stones over time.
Permanent Jewelry
If you have pieces of jewelry that you “live in”—meaning you rarely or never take them off—you will naturally see more wear over time.
I have a couple of pieces that I’ve worn almost continuously since my late teens. Over the years I’ve noticed how thinner metals slowly change shape. For example, two small stacking rings I wear on my thumb have gradually formed into a slightly oval shape. This happens from body heat combined with continual pressure.
Linked chains
Some chains can be worn more continuously than others. Linked chains tend to hold up best. However, even linked chains can break if they catch on something, like a sweater loop while dressing - more common with thin linked chains.
Woven chains
Woven chains, like herringbone, are not ideal for permanent wear. They can kink and bend easily—damage that is often very difficult, if not impossible, to repair.
Storing Your Jewelry
Most jewelry is given to you in a jewelry box or fabric pouch. If space permits, I recommend keeping these. They are designed to protect your jewelry when it is not being worn. You can also store your rarely worn jewelry in fabric or plastic zip pouches. I like plastic zip pouches because they slow down oxidization and in most cases prevent it. I also suggest storing patina’d (intentional oxidation) pieces in plastic zip pouches.
Whenever possible, store pieces separately from one another. Keeping jewelry apart helps prevent metals and stones from scratching each other and preserves surface finishes. Jewelry boxes are ideal for pieces worn regularly.
Cleaning Your Jewelry
Regular cleaning helps jewelry maintain its brilliance and ensures that settings remain secure. They type of jewelry you need to clean will determine how you will clean it.
Cleaning Textured Jewelry
Fill a small dish with warm water and a few drops of mild soap. Using a very soft toothbrush—such as a toddler toothbrush—gently clean the surface of the piece, allowing the soft bristles to reach into textured areas.
Cleaning Jewelry with Satin or Polished Finishes
Fill a small dish with warm water and a few drops of mild soap and allow the jewelry to soak for a few minutes.
Using a microfiber cloth dipped in the same soapy water, gently clean the shanks of rings using small strokes. For chains and links, use a very soft toothbrush or cotton swabs to carefully clean around joints and small spaces.
Cleaning Jewelry with Precious and Semi-Precious Stones
Stone settings naturally collect dirt over time. Cleaning them regularly helps keep stones brilliant and ensures that the settings remain secure.
Using a soft toothbrush with warm, soapy water, gently clean the piece, focusing on the contact points between the stone and its setting. Cleaning under lightly running water can help loosen and wash away trapped dirt.
Cleaning Jewelry with Pearls and Soft Stones
Pearls and softer stones—such as opals and turquoise—scratch easily, so a gentle touch is especially important.
If the stone or pearl is set in metal, use a very soft toothbrush to clean the metal and a cotton swab to clean the contact points around the stone.
If your pearls or soft stones are strung, use a microfiber cloth lightly dampened with warm water to gently clean the surface of each pearl or stone. For small pearls like freshwater pearls or seed pearls use a damp cotton swab is useful.
Cleaning Patina’d Jewelry
Jewelry with intentional patina does not require often cleaning as doing so wears down the dark finish. If your patina’d jewelry requires a mild cleaning, you can soak it in a small dish filled with warm water and a few drops of soap. Using your a fingers, lightly swish the piece in the soapy water for about 30 seconds, rinse the piece in running water and pat dry with a microfiber cloth or paper towel.
What to do if you are unsure?
If you are feeling unsure about cleaning your jewelry, I recommend getting in-touch with the artist, jewelry store or gallery from where you purchased your beloved piece and ask about their jewelry cleaning services - some artists offer this service free of charge.
If you need a piece of jewelry to be refreshed: polishing, re-applying patina, re-textured, prongs tightened, you should always seek the service of a trained jeweler or metalsmith - never attempt to do these tasks yourself.
Jewelry naturally gathers small traces of the life lived while wearing it. With thoughtful care, these pieces can remain beautiful for many years—and continue to carry the stories that make them meaningful.
