Caring for Antique Jewelry: A Beginner’s Guide| CHURINGA RUBY JEWELRY

class=”text-uppercase mb-5 text-yellow-sea innerpage-title”>Caring for Antique Jewelry: A Beginner’s Guide

Ah, antique jewelry pieces—charming, enigmatic, and delicate. They have stood the test of time and remained as beautiful as ever. No wonder many are obsessed with collecting them. If you’re eyeing to invest in the same, you might want to make sure that you can give these exceptional jewelry items the care they need. Below is a roundup that’ll help you kickstart your new journey as a collector. Read on.

Do not wear them when doing household chores

Sometimes we might be so accustomed to wearing our favorite jewelry pieces that we forget to

take them off even when doing our normal household chores. Antique rings or even bracelets, for instance, are easy to overlook when we’re too preoccupied with our daily businesses. However, we’re only exposing our favorite jewelry items to their worst enemies when this happens: chemicals.

Detergents, bleaches, and chlorines are especially bad for jewelry pieces. They can damage various metals, including silver and gold. Worse, such household chemicals can even affect the splendid state of your precious diamonds. It’s best to take off your jewelry items when at home to avoid any mishap, 

Do not wear your jewelry while you exercise

Let’s face it. Wearing antique jewelry items might give us a sense of pride and satisfaction, yet wearing the same is not fit for every occasion.

If you’re set to go to the gym, it’s best to come in clean and simple. Take off all your antique jewelry items – from the smallest to the biggest piece. Keeping them with you won’t just affect your movement and comfort while doing your routines; it’ll also expose your precious stones to dirt and sweat, which, in turn, could affect their condition and quality.

Don’t worry, though. You can still rock that gym look with the right gym accessories, such as fitness watches and calorie tracker bangles.

Do not use salt water when cleaning

You may have heard from others how saltwater can effectively clean your jewelry, but we beg

to disagree. In fact, saltwater can be harmful to your jewelry! The reason lies in how salt causes corrosion on metals. Unsurprisingly, this leaves gold and other jewelry items vulnerable when placed in saltwater over time. Worse, even diamonds are not immune to this dilemma. Prolonged exposure to saltwater can dull their normally lustrous surfaces.

Inspect your jewelry thoroughly

Antique jewelry pieces are precious, which is why you need to handle them with care. You also need to inspect them once in a while. Regular inspection allows you to know the proper maintenance it needs.

Check your jewelry for dirt and grime that has been stuck to its nooks and crannies. Use a magnifying glass to have a better look at your accessory. Be sure also to check if your jewelry has loose stones, so you can immediately bring them to a professional.

Choose the right products

Unsure on what cleaning product to get for your jewelry items? The first step is first to identify what type of stone or metal your jewelry has. This will help you know which elements to avoid and which to get. After all, every jewelry piece has a unique composition and needs.

For example, gold jewelry pieces should have cleaning products that contain ammonia diluted in lots of water. Ammonia will keep the gold from darkening. However, you might want to be wary of using it for too long since soaking your jewelry in it for a long time can ruin your precious item. The key here is to seek a professional or do thorough research! 

Use gentle materials when cleaning

Your antique jewelry may be sturdy enough to last more than a lifetime, but that does not mean you can use rough materials when cleaning it. If you see dust and other residues in your jewelry piece, the solution is to dust them off using a soft brush. You can also use a toothbrush! Using these and aided with a magnifying glass, gently dust off the dirt and other residues. Doing this tip will avoid scratches on your precious jewelry.

After dusting the dirt off your accessory, make sure to use a soft cloth when wiping your antique jewelry with the right cleaning products. Make sure that the cloth is not too wet—just enough dampness will do to wipe off the dirt!