Daily wear can take a toll on your jewelry. Luckily, there are some simple practices to help preserve your jewelry & gemstones at home.
Follow these tips between professional servicing to maintain your jewelry:
Last On, First Off
As a general rule, your jewelry should be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off. This will prevent your clothes from getting hung on your jewelry as you’re taking them off.
Exposure to chemicals can damage or discolor precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum. It may even harm some colored gems. Putting your jewelry on last will keep them away from everyday chemicals like perfumes, hairsprays, cosmetics, & lotions that can build up on jewelry over time.
How to Properly Store Jewelry:
Store jewelry away properly to prevent damage from extreme temperatures and sunlight. Make sure that each piece is separated. If jewelry is randomly placed into a drawer or box, it can be scratched easily or unintentionally.
You’ll also want to remove your jewelry at times when it could be potentially damaged or lost. Examples of this are:
- Playing sports
- At the gym
- Doing household chores
- Applying hair products/cosmetics
- Sleeping (to prevent losing earring backs)
When traveling, protect your jewelry from impact damage by keeping it in a separate, padded case.
How to Maintain Your Watch:
Check your watches regularly for any signs of damage or inaccuracy. It’s recommended that watches be serviced approximately every 3-5 years for most brands and 5-7 years on Rolex to keep them accurate and functional.
Antiques may need to be serviced more often, because they may be more fragile. Depending on the condition of antique watches, the brand, and the availability of parts, it may be a situation where antique watches are not recommended for everyday wear.
In conjunction with those service interval recommendations, it is always a good idea you bring it in once a year to have your timepiece cleaned and checked. Waterproof watches may need to be serviced more often to be sure that the seals are still functioning correctly. This limits dirt/debris/lotions etc. from getting in between watch links causing unwanted wear and tear. Annual checkups can be done while you quickly and it allows us to stay ahead of any future problems or upcoming full-service intervals well ahead of time as well as keeping your timepiece looking great!
Other Tips
- Cleaning jewelry with warm water and a soft cloth is the best practice for removing dirt from your jewelry. Do not use toothpaste or other household cleaning chemicals because they leave a “film” on metals and/or gemstones, or even possibly cause irreparable damage.
- Check all your settings and make sure they are snug and no stones are loose in the setting.
- Check on clasps and joinings to make sure that they are secure and soldered together properly with no openings.
- Beaded necklaces, like pearls, should be stored flat on a cloth surface.
- Keep in mind pearls and opals draw moisture from the air, so storing them in a dry area for long periods of time can sometimes cause more harm than good.
- Polish sterling silver with a soft cotton cloth before storing it away in separate and sealable bags. There are bags made specifically for sterling silver that help prevent/slow down tarnishing.
To preserve the value and beauty of your pieces, we recommend bringing them to Brinker’s Jewelers once every 3-6 months to have them inspected and cleaned FREE OF CHARGE! Contact us to request a cleaning or repair service.
