Jewelry Care for the Uninitiated
Jewelry has the truly annoying ability to attract no end of yuck. Sweat, dust, hand lotion, sunscreen, hairspray, hot tubs, swimming pools (sometimes even the ocean) and that mysterious substance lurking at the bottom of your purse all seem determined to dull its sparkle. Mercifully, keeping your jewelry looking bright and shiny is not as difficult as one might imagine. No expertise or ultrasonic cleaner required.
The Yuck
For most of your sterling silver, warm water, a drop of mild dish soap, and a very soft baby toothbrush are all you need. Give your road-weary pieces of jewelry a gentle scrub, rinse thoroughly, and dry with a soft cloth. The goal here is to clean your silver, not scratch it up. If you can wash your coffee mug without needing written instructions, you can clean your jewelry.
The anti-yuck cleaning kit.
For jewelry that has completely lost the plot, we have a secret weapon. Line a glass bowl with aluminum foil, lay the offending jewelry on top of the foil, sprinkle liberally (or more, depending on what you’re up against) with baking soda, and pour hot water all over the whole mess. There might be some bubbling, and there might be some yuck floating in the water. This is all part of the kitchen magic.
The heavy duty anti-yuck cleaning kit.
Pearls and gemstones should not be placed in this concoction. Neither should oxidized silver as it is supposed to be dark. Sometimes the best cleaning method is simply a soft cloth and a little common sense. And for those of you who want to feel a little more intentional about your silver care, a purchased polishing cloth is perfect. Again, just for the silver part of the piece.
Jewelry that needs a little extra care
Jewelry that is worn regularly often stays brighter than jewelry left to its own devices, forgotten at the bottom of your sock drawer for months at a time. Switch it up so all the pieces on your jewelry dance card get a chance to see the light of day. I know how tempting it is to wear your favorite earrings day in and day out, but it hurts the feelings of all of the other hopefuls in your jewelry box.
That is one unhappy necklace.
The easiest way to keep jewelry looking beautiful is to keep it from getting too dirty in the first place. Put it on after applying lotions, sunscreen, perfume, and hairspray. Remove it before swimming, gardening, or tackling household cleaning projects. Your jewelry will thank you, even if it does so silently. Store your pieces in tiny zip-lock bags to keep them safer than they would be rattling around getting tangled and scratched up in an old shoebox.
This is why your jewelry can't have nice things..
As a designer and creator of jewelry, both sterling silver and gold-filled, my secret weapon is a tumbler. Yup, a rock tumbler filled with stainless steel shot, water, and a few drops of Dawn washing up liquid. Sterling silver and gold-filled jewelry without gemstones or pearls is tumbled overnight. It’s a little like Christmas morning when I open the tumbler and see all of the shiny things.
Yes, my tumbler lives on the bathroom counter...
Like most things in life, jewelry just needs a little extra care and attention every now and then. Treat it kindly, give it the occasional bath, and speak to it mostly in French as it will try harder. Be kind and your shiny things will continue looking fantastic for years to come.
And above all else, keep your jewelry out of the reach of children and wild animals.
