How To Keep Your Pieces Looking Brand New At Home

There is no better gift than a beautiful piece of jewelry. Jewelry isn’t just an accessory — it can also serve as the focal point of your outfit. Whether it’s a necklace, a ring or earrings, you can find exquisitely made pieces that reflect your style preferences.

When you invest in a piece of jewelry, you need to take good care of it so that it remains in good condition. Whether you buy a gold necklace or a sterling silver ring, you must learn how to keep it looking sparkling brand new.

Luckily, once you know how to look after your jewelry, it's easy to ensure it stays looking good. From preventing tarnish to using specially made jewelry cleaners, there is a whole host of things you can do to look after your precious pieces.

Why Does Jewelry Tarnish?

So, why exactly does jewelry tarnish? There are a few reasons.

One is that it comes into close contact with sweat and moisture, which can result in tarnishing over time. Additionally, if you wear body moisturizer or perfume, the chemicals in these substances can cause your necklaces and bracelets to rust and look dull.

For this reason, it’s important to avoid exposing your gold and silver jewelry to the above substances too much. The more times that you do, the more likely it is that your favorite necklaces and rings will start to tarnish. This will make them look lackluster and worn.

How To Clean Jewelry

If you’ve noticed that your favorite silver ring appears dull, then you might be wondering how to clean silver jewelry. There are many things you can do.

First of all, you can buy a specially made silver cleaning cloth. These are made specifically for silver jewelry and can be rubbed over your silver pieces every so often, to ensure they stay gleaming.

As well as this, you can create your own homemade jewelry cleaner. White vinegar and water is a great formula to give your silver pieces a thorough clean. By mixing an equal amount of white vinegar and water, you can take a soft-bristled toothbrush, dip this into the mixture and gently clean your pieces.

If you have a simple ring or necklace without any gemstones or diamonds on it, you can also boil a cup of hot water and add a tablespoon of salt to it. This concoction is great for cleaning sterling silver pieces.

How To Prevent Future Tarnishing

Although there are many ways to clean jewelry, preventing it from getting tarnished in the first place is important. Firstly, you should try to remove your necklaces, rings, or bracelets when showering or doing any exercise. This will prevent moisture from affecting the precious metal.

If you don’t wear your pieces all the time, then you’ll need to ensure you are storing them properly. A lot of jewelry pieces can tarnish when they are stored too closely to other pieces. As such, you should keep your necklaces and bracelets stored in separate, airtight boxes, as well as try not to expose them to too much air (as this can cause oxidation over time).

Finally, the best way to avoid future tarnishing is to clean your pieces regularly. Prevention is better than treatment — and even if your favourite ring seems to be in good condition, giving it a quick wipe with a cleaning cloth could save you trouble in the future.

Visit Janine de Dorigny

If you’re looking to purchase a new piece of jewelry, contact us at Janine de Dorigny. Located in Toronto's Fashion District, we sell unique pieces and offer custom design services so that you can create a personalized piece.