Taking Care of Your Jewelry

You take care of your home, car, and hair, so it’s no surprise that you should also put the same effort into maintaining your jewelry! If you love jewelry as much as we do, then it's more than just an accessory to you. Putting on a polished piece can make us feel refreshed and can give us an entire mood change! Over time, jewelry tarnishes and wears out naturally, but if you take the proper steps to care for your pieces, they can last for decades. Here are our tips for keeping your jewelry clean and damage-free.

1. Avoid wearing your jewelry while working out or participating in sports, this includes gardening. While we loved to get dolled up and put on our favorite pieces, however, it’s best to avoid doing this while running, exercising, and digging in the dirt. Not only is it uncomfortable, but sweat and environmental elements can damage your jewelry.  
2. Store your jewelry in a dry place and keep it secured to avoid dust. We recommend fabric-lined jewelry boxes or cases with dividers that help separate pieces so they won’t scratch each other or get tangled with each other.
3. Just like sweat, saltwater and chlorine can also discolor metals and erode their finish. Always to remove your jewelry before you go swimming in a pool or at the beach. It’s also a good idea not to wear jewelry in a hot tub either, as this can also tarnish your pieces.
4. So many of our everyday products can also damage jewelry. As much we love spraying on our heavenly perfumes, lathering up in our lotions and giving the counter a swift clean with Lysol, these can harm jewelry. Things such as perfumes, hair spray, bug spray, lysol and clorox leave a film on your pieces which can cause them to tarnish and lose their shine. Additionally, lotions and cleaning solutions often get into the openings of chains and clasps, and can begin to settle in causing damage over time.
5. While many quality metal pieces are water-resistant, other styles such as beaded or threaded pearl jewelry are not. Try not to get these kinds of pieces wet as it could tarnish their shine.

Even if you follow all of these rules and take great care of your jewelry, it is still natural for them to lose their sheen over time. When it comes to cleaning and polishing jewelry, each kind calls for different methods.

1. For silver pieces, use silver dip cleaners. These are the best options for preserving their shine. Safely clean your pieces with these products, and be sure to dry them properly after you’re finished. Don’t use silver cleansers on other metals as it can cause irreversible damage. 
2. Clean your metal jewelry regularly. As mentioned earlier, sweat, lotions, and other elements can tarnish them, so it’s best to polish them at least once a month with a non-abrasive cloth or toothbrush and a mixture of dish detergent and warm water. This home-made jewelry cleaner solution is easy and effective at properly cleaning metal jewelry.
3. Gemstone jewelry requires a little extra TLC and carefulness. Use a soft brush when cleaning them to avoid scratching the stones. You can use the same mixture of mild soapy water to clean these as you do metal jewelry. 
4. If your jewelry is already damaged, don’t try to clean it yourself, as it could further the damage. Take any severely tarnished or dull jewelry in for a professional cleaning (like us).

At W. P. Shelton Jewelers, we know how much jewelry can mean to you, and always invite you back into our store for complimentary cleanings!