You saw, you liked, you bought or perhaps another probable scenario they saw, they thought of you, they bought and they gifted it to you. Either way, you have yourself a beautiful piece of Jewelry one you can imagine wearing proudly for many years to come. Immediately though this strange feeling takes over you as you realize that you’ve had that same excitement before but now as you stare down at your jewelry box those pieces that once excited you have lost their luster, their shine, a few others have empty spaces where there were once shiny gemstones. Suddenly the reality of normal daily life wear and tear dawns on you and you’re afraid that this gorgeous ring or bracelet or even a delicate set of earrings will end up with the same fate.

Don’t worry, that’s where we come in, we have done extensive research and testing and come up with our guide of the best ways to care for your jewelry and maintain so they can be part of your expression for years and years.

• Just Soap Nothing Fancy – Many people will try to sell you over the top products with fancy packaging to clean all the dirt and dust and sweat off from your jewelry but the simple truth of the matter is that just a normal hand soap works equally well if not better (you could even use a mild dishwashing detergent). Just take a little soap, a few drops of water and scrub gently with an old toothbrush and rinse softly. And dry with a soft polishing cloth or a soft napkin.
• Mindful Storage – Out of mind, out of sight. That is a major problem with our generation, we love to use products but storing them in the perfect manner seems too cumbersome. But with storage, a little effort goes a long way. Try and use a jewelry box with different compartments for storing your individual pieces so there are fewer chances of scratches. Try and keep pieces in individual zip lock bags, this works even better for silver jewelry as it tarnishes easier than some of its other metal cousins when it comes into contact with oxygen and Sulphur. If you want further protection throw in a small piece of chalk or silica gel (that’s right, the same one you find inside shoe boxes)
• On last/Off First – Put your jewelry on after you’ve applied your cosmetics, perfumes, lotions, and hairsprays. When removing it, try and wipe each piece with a soft cloth to make sure you don’t leave behind any sweat or oils.
• Avoid Direct Sunlight during storage – Once again it is absolutely fine to roam around in your jewelry under the sun for as long as you like, it’s the sustained sunlight at an angle to on part of the piece which can cause some damage to it, so be wary of it.
• Don’t Sleep in Jewelry – Jewelry may look delicate at times, but at the end of the day it’s made of metals and stones, two things that can make their presence felt and resist to tight places. So in order to best safeguard yourself and your jewelry, it is advised to sleep with them safely tucked away in their jewelry box or case.
• Awareness of Design Intention – Very often the jewelry you buy has intention behind its creation, often it is lost in the distribution channel somewhere. But it’s best to be aware of what the original creator of the design had in mind when they were choosing the materials and designs and colors for a particular style. Some silver pieces are designed while keeping the patina in mind, so that the piece tells a story of its time with you, if you polish it to make it look brand new you may end up taking away from the experience the creator intended for you its final owner.

These are just some of the tips we think would help you make the most out of your glimmering pieces of expression for the longest possible time. Though we would like to end on a lighter note, don’t forget to have fun. Yes, it pays to take care of your things but remember you own them, they don’t own you so it’s ok to put up your feet sometimes and let things be where they are, if it’s been a tiring day, you could always leave them on the dresser overnight and put them in their designated spots the next day.