How to care for your jewellery at home
If, like us, you take great pride in those special pieces of jewellery you wear daily, then you might be concerned about caring for them properly at the moment, whilst we’re unable to visit a trusted jeweller for maintenance.
Even whilst staying at home, your jewellery can be under a little additional strain at the moment; increased levels of hand-washing, along with increased application of antibacterial hand gels and hand creams, can all affect the appearance of jewellery worn on the hands or wrists, including rings, watches and bracelets, so it’s important to take a little extra care to look after your sparkles and keep them in gleaming condition.
And let’s not forget all those at-home activities that can get a little messy - deep cleaning, baking and home workouts all spring to mind!
Here’s some top tips to help you keep your jewellery clean, safe and sparkling during the lockdown:
only wear it if necessary
Yes, you might adore your glitzy engagement ring, or that luxurious watch, but is it necessary to keep it on around the house? Everyday wear can put your precious pieces at risk of harm, even if you’re just staying indoors, so if you can, take them off for now and keep them safe in a jewellery box, out of sunlight and in a cool, dark place wherever possible. This is especially important for delicate gemstones such as pearls.
take it off for tasks around the house
If you are going to wear your jewellery around the house, then make sure you take it off when you’re doing certain tasks or odd jobs to avoid any damage - this is especially the case for rings, watches and bracelets.
Baking, crafts, gardening and DIY can cause all sorts of grub and grime to latch on to your jewellery, so make sure you take off any special items before starting these kinds of activities. Exercising in the house with limited space means you’re more at risk of bashing your jewellery on a wall, floor or other surface. And if you’re enjoying the opportunity for a deep spring clean, then make sure your jewellery is well out of the way; the chemicals in cleaning products can cause damage to precious metals and gemstones that will be tricky to treat.
And of course, when you’re washing your hands, applying antibacterial gel or slathering on hand cream, try and remove your jewellery first if you can - soaps, gels and creams can all leave a film on gemstones.
don’t try and fix any breakages yourself
If the worst has happened, and you’ve bashed your favourite watch or broken a precious ring, the best thing to do is leave it be. Gather up any pieces and keep it safe in a box until you can take it to the professionals - don’t attempt any repairs yourself.
Clean your jewellery thoroughly and regularly
You probably take your sparklers back to the jeweller’s for a professional clean, but most jewellers recommend keeping on top of cleanliness at home too, for an effective maintenance regime.
The team of trusted jewellers at Laing’s have given Hood readers an easy-to-follow guide for diamond jewellery (and other hard gemstones) to help you clean your gems and jewels at home, helping to keep them safe, sterile and sparkly as much as possible!
Gather your kit: you’ll need a small dish, some regular washing-up liquid, an old soft toothbrush, and a microfibre cleaning cloth.
Fill the dish with hot water and a little dish soap, and place your items in to soak.
Once the water is cool enough to touch, brush each item gently with the toothbrush, this will dismantle any dirt and dust that has built up in the setting over time.
Give each piece of jewellery a good rinse, washing away any soapy residue.
Dry the item with the cloth and polish the band or chain.