7 Tips for maintaining and cleaning silver jewelry

Over the years, I have been put in front of delicate situations not a few times, when customers returned to the store with broken jewelry, with fallen stones, with scratched watches or with water in them. Very few really knew that you can extend the life of a jewel, just with a little patience and care. And when it came to watches, everything became even more complicated...

Let's now talk a little about what we need to do to enjoy the things we care so much about for as long as possible.

First of all, for silver jewelry, the first recommendation (because I have come across many cases) is....

1….. DO NOT apply layers of nail polish over the stones on jewelry or watches. Apart from the fact that it does not provide any real protection, the nail polish attacks the metal and makes it yellow, penetrates under the stones and changes their color over time, and the acetone that is present in it can dissolve the glue with which the stones are fixed to the watch bezel and it can lead to exactly the effect we don't want, namely, their detachment and, respectively, their loss.

2. Before going to bed, make sure you have removed all your jewelry. Most jewelry breaks during sleep, especially fine bracelets and necklaces. When we sleep, our hands make uncontrolled gestures, the wrist is flexible and the bracelet can give way to unforeseen stretches. Also, the stones of the earrings can get stuck in the hair, in the pillow, etc. Apart from the fact that you will protect them, you will feel even more comfortable without so many accessories in bed.

3. When you prepare for sports activities, remove the chains, bracelets and rings . The reason is the same - they can be damaged by hanging, stretching. Rings can bend if, for example, we hold a tennis racket tightly in our hands or if we grab the machines in the fitness room. Sweat during sports activities is also a factor that can intervene in changing the attributes of a piece of jewelry. For swimming, I recommend leaving ALL jewelry in the locker room, because pool cleaners are corrosive and harmful to any jewelry, especially those with stones. Pomegranate silver loses its shine and tarnishes. For the watches recommended for this activity, you will find a separate post.
4. DO NOT expose the jewelry to the sun . Here we talk about several factors that can damage jewelry. Let's remind once again the sweat. Wearing jewelry at the beach is not recommended, especially since after the beach there is a well-deserved swim in the sea... Sea salt is good for everything else, but not for semi-precious stones or metals. Sand is another harmful element for jewelry. It sneaks into the structure of the jewelry or watch and hardly comes out of there. Be careful with plated jewelry, they can lose their plated metal layer during exposure to the sun and contact with sea (or pool) water.
5. Avoid contact with cleaning products, shampoos, shower gels, fixatives and perfume . Here I have said everything.. so we take our tiaras down when we use the vacuum cleaner!

   

6. Clean the jewelry only with products intended for this purpose. I know that the old people have perpetuated all kinds of traditions and customs of cleaning silver, either with bicarbonate, or with toothpaste or vinegar. I remind you that the silver is no longer the same as it was in grandma's time. At least I prefer to sell only rhodium-plated silver, rhodium being the one that transforms jewelry into shiny objects, which keep their freshness and attributes over time. Rhodium prevents silver from becoming dull and lifeless, from becoming white or black. There are special cloths on the market, I warmly recommend the ones from Connoisseurs, which can be used for a long time for the delicate cleaning of jewelry; there are also special substances (also from the company mentioned above) to restore the lost shine, but I would still recommend that you contact a specialist for this operation, if he is available.

7. Store the jewelry correctly . To avoid scratches and breakages due to tangling of links, I recommend that you store them properly, each one separately, in bags or boxes. For jewelry that has crystals, it is good to avoid their contact with other stones or metals, to avoid scratching or even breaking them.

Hoping that the information will be useful to you, I remind you that if you liked it, share it with your friends. For any other information or questions, please contact me at the address office@lasardo.ro .