Do you spend a lot of money on jewellery? If you do, then it makes sense to know the proper way to look after it. It's really not that hard if you follow these simple steps. This will help you to maintain your rings, bracelets and necklaces and keep them looking lovely.
For starters, virtually all jewellery will shows affects from wear over time. Sadly, this is unavoidable. But don't despair, it is possible to significantly reduce this damage by reducing the situations in which you decide to wear your jewellery. For instance, you should remove necklaces, rings and bracelets prior to bedtime. This will counteract occasional scuffing. Sweat is known to cause discoloration in many metals. Therefore it's always best to remove accessories when doing sport. Nail polish remover, perfume and hairspray can all contain chemical contaminants that can damage jewellery. That's why it's best to ensure these don't have physical contact with your favourite bracelets and rings.
Now let's have a look at oxidised metal. This blackened metal is becoming significantly fashionable in jewellery use. But it does require special care in order to maintain the darkened impression created by the oxidation. For that reason, keep oxidised jewellery away from chlorine. In fact, all gold and silver jewellery can be damaged by chlorine, so be careful! Furthermore, never clean oxidised metal with silver polish as this will ruin the black effect. The same rule applies to pearls.
Oxidation generates tarnishing and staining in metal. Metals that have not been oxidised require their own special treatment to stop this from occurring. For instance, you can find harmful sulphur compounds in certain kinds of flooring, salad dressing and even cigarette smoke. These compounds can generate tarnishing and so you must try and reduce your jewellery coming into direct contact with them.
You can get rid off tarnish with silver polish. But remember to apply it in small amounts as many of these polishes are abrasive and could do more harm than good. If you just want to spruce up your jewellery simply use a silver polishing cloth. To eliminate dirt, just use soapy water. You can apply this with a toothbrush as it's perfectly suited to the job at hand.
As a final point, let's talk about the really expensive metals. As a rule of thumb, the purer the metal the softer it feels. This means that very expensive jewellery is far easier to scratch then cheaper jewellery. That is because less pure metals are made with a combination of alloys. This makes them harder and more durable. This is worth knowing because many people like to wear different kinds of jewellery next to each other. One of the most common ways of scratching gold rings is to where them next to rings of cheaper quality. So bear this in mind the next time you put on your jewellery.
For starters, virtually all jewellery will shows affects from wear over time. Sadly, this is unavoidable. But don't despair, it is possible to significantly reduce this damage by reducing the situations in which you decide to wear your jewellery. For instance, you should remove necklaces, rings and bracelets prior to bedtime. This will counteract occasional scuffing. Sweat is known to cause discoloration in many metals. Therefore it's always best to remove accessories when doing sport. Nail polish remover, perfume and hairspray can all contain chemical contaminants that can damage jewellery. That's why it's best to ensure these don't have physical contact with your favourite bracelets and rings.
Now let's have a look at oxidised metal. This blackened metal is becoming significantly fashionable in jewellery use. But it does require special care in order to maintain the darkened impression created by the oxidation. For that reason, keep oxidised jewellery away from chlorine. In fact, all gold and silver jewellery can be damaged by chlorine, so be careful! Furthermore, never clean oxidised metal with silver polish as this will ruin the black effect. The same rule applies to pearls.
Oxidation generates tarnishing and staining in metal. Metals that have not been oxidised require their own special treatment to stop this from occurring. For instance, you can find harmful sulphur compounds in certain kinds of flooring, salad dressing and even cigarette smoke. These compounds can generate tarnishing and so you must try and reduce your jewellery coming into direct contact with them.
You can get rid off tarnish with silver polish. But remember to apply it in small amounts as many of these polishes are abrasive and could do more harm than good. If you just want to spruce up your jewellery simply use a silver polishing cloth. To eliminate dirt, just use soapy water. You can apply this with a toothbrush as it's perfectly suited to the job at hand.
As a final point, let's talk about the really expensive metals. As a rule of thumb, the purer the metal the softer it feels. This means that very expensive jewellery is far easier to scratch then cheaper jewellery. That is because less pure metals are made with a combination of alloys. This makes them harder and more durable. This is worth knowing because many people like to wear different kinds of jewellery next to each other. One of the most common ways of scratching gold rings is to where them next to rings of cheaper quality. So bear this in mind the next time you put on your jewellery.
No comments:
Post a Comment