How to Take Care of Your Special Jewelry

I am not a big fan of costume jewelry. Because most of my pieces are a little higher end (nice gifts, mostly), they require a little extra TLC.

If you're going to spend the extra cash on "nice" jewelry, it's super important to take care of it properly.

Same story goes for if you're newly engaged! Suddenly a beautiful ring was plopped in front of you - how the F do you care for it?

I put together this quick, easy, handy little guide on how to take care of your fine jewelry for easy reference.

engagement-ring-care
engagement-ring-care
engagement-ring-care

Get your jewelry cleaned regularly.

Clean jewelry means a little extra shine and sparkle. Many fine jewelry stores will clean your purchased jewelry for free. FOR FREE, YA'LL. 

Many local stores and big chains offer this service. I have a small collection of Tiffany's pieces (...the sterling silver stuff, I'm not made of moola...) and pop in semi-regularly to have them clean my pieces for me.

Or clean it yourself!

Bought online or don't have time? You can totally clean your jewelry yourself! I want to highlight that no piece of jewelry is the same. Different metals have unique responses to different cleaning agents (platinum will hold up much differently than silver).

That being said - I asked you guys over on Instagram plus a friend I have that works at Tiffany's and the general consensus was that hot water, a toothbrush, and Windex pretty much solves all.

Protect it with a special box.

The best way to protect jewelry that matters is to have a safe (and cute) place to store it.

I became obsessed with Voeu du Coeur as soon as I found them while browsing ETSY. I was on the hunt for a little box to keep my ring in while I shower, wash my hands, sleep - we'll get into why I take my rings off every two seconds in a minute here.

I was really looking for something purely functional, but died over how beautiful these little velvet ring boxes are. They're even customizable! I've got my new future initials on mine! Seriously, jewelry boxes are a game changer. I never damage my pieces or lose them!

Remove when washing, slicing, and dicing.

Yes - I take my jewelry off a lot. Earrings, necklaces, rings. I hate having them on when I'm showering, washing my hair, washing my hands, doing dishes, preparing food, etc. Why? Because these activities cause water and chemicals to 1) coat the jewelry and make it look dull, but primarily 2) get lodged under the jewelry causing skin irritation. Rings especially. 

I always always always take my rings off before I do any of these activities. I do; however, make sure I have a safe place to put my jewelry before removing that way it doesn't get lost (like my handy ring box!).

Check the prongs.

Another tip from my Tiffany's insider - regularly check the prongs on your rings! I've heard one too many horror stories of center stones coming loose and getting lost (this actually happened to my mom's engagement ring inside a Blockbuster circa 2005). Bring your ring into a jeweler for a regular "check up"!

engagement-ring-care
engagement-ring-care

Share your jewelry care tips and tricks in the comments below!