Many of you have received meaningful jewelry that reminds you how much you are loved. Just as any important person or object in your life, jewelry requires care to keep it healthy, long lasting, and sparkly! In two previous blogs, I have talked about treatments applied to diamonds and colored gemstones that need extra, special care. www.angelacisneros.com/post/diamond-clarity-treatments-are-they-for-me and www.angelacisneros.com/post/how-do-you-want-to-be-treated In this blog, I’d like to go over Jewelry Care 101.
· Take Your Jewelry Off at Night: Yes, I know, you like to wear your jewelry ALL the time, but to keep your jewelry happy with repair costs at a minimum, it’s a good idea to take it off when you go to bed. When you are sleeping, you are not conscious of your jewelry, and so chains get broken and necklaces get lost. Earrings have a way of working themselves off and can also get lost in the blankets. By the time it’s noticed they are missing, we have already washed the sheets and made the bed, maybe even vacuumed. I have had clients who have lost the diamond from their wedding ring in their bed and never found it.
· Take Your Rings Off When You Clean or Garden: (Again with the taking off of jewelry, geeze!) When we use our hands to scrub the sink/shower, wash the dishes, vacuum the floor, take laundry in and out of the machines, dig in the dirt, our hands and our rings get a beating. The gold or platinum that holds gemstones is not indestructible and will wear with time, faster with heavy abuse from cleaning or gardening, causing repair costs to increase as you’ll need to get the setting repaired to keep the integrity of the ring. Also, there is increased risk to knock a ring on a hard surface that can cause your diamond or gemstone to come out of the setting. Oftentimes, it takes awhile to realize it’s missing, and by then, you have no idea where it is at. I had a client come to see me in tears because she lost her diamond while doing laundry.
· Take Your Jewelry Off in a Hot Tub: The chlorine and heat from a hot tub causes sterling silver jewelry, and sometimes gold jewelry, to tarnish very heavily. Tarnish cleaner generally can’t clean it and needs to be taken to a jeweler to buff off the black tarnish.
· Take Your Ring Off for Hand Intensive Sports: Kick boxing, martial arts, and rock climbing are just a few sports that are hand intensive. Again, gold, platinum, gemstones, and diamonds are not indestructible, they can be damaged when hit hard.
· Keep Your Jewelry on in Public: Don’t take the risk of taking off your jewelry in public or in your car when applying lotion. It is too easy to get distracted by a text or our next stop and forget the rings in our lap. I have lost jewelry by doing that exact thing!
· Make Sure Your Rings are Not Too Big: When rings are too big, they come off when we least expect it. I have had multiple clients who lost their ring when they dried their hands in a public restroom. The ring slid right off with the paper towel and they didn’t notice it till hours later.
· Regular Cleanings and Check Ups: Just because you wash your hands, it doesn’t mean your ring gets completely clean. Rings have many small spaces where dirt, meatloaf, and dough get trapped. A qualified jeweler will also be able to tell you if your settings need repair. It’s better to be proactive in check ups so that you have a decreased risk of losing a precious gemstone.
· Home Cleaning: You can clean most of your jewelry at home too! Use a soft toothbrush with a little dish soap (because it cuts through grease) and water to gently scrub your jewelry. Rinse thoroughly! You can also use a bottle of jewelry cleaner you get from your jeweler. The most important thing to remember is that you don’t want to leave it soaking for longer than a minute. Take your Pearl and Opal jewelry to a professional to clean.
· Only One Spot: When you do take off your jewelry, designate only one other spot to store it, and that spot should be in a jewelry box. Never put it on the kitchen or bathroom sink, in your pocket, or on a shelf. That gives too much room for jewelry loss.
I know I might sound a little extra when talking about the safety of your jewelry, but our jewelry is so special and oftentimes is irreplaceable. Even if insurance does cover a replacement, it’s never the same. I have worked with many distraught clients over the years, and it breaks my heart. I want you to feel confident when wearing your jewelry, but it does need care!
I would love to help you with your special purchase or custom design! Angela Cisneros Jewelry Concierge brings back the joy and confidence of jewelry shopping, so that you can celebrate with ease! My by-appointment approach means:
One-on-one appointments (personal attention and no crowds!)
Discretion and privacy (surprises remain surprises!)
Expert help from a Graduate Gemologist with 23 years of experience (yep, that’s me!)
Book your FREE appointment with me today! www.angelacisneros.com/book-appointment