How To Care For Your Jewellery (properly)

Welcome to your complete guide as to how to properly look after & care for your jewellery.

Like everything jewellery needs servicing too. For instance, if you have an engagement ring or any ring for that matter that has a stone set in it, you should take it once a year to your jewellers to make sure that all the claws are still holding your stone in securely.

It's the same principle with cleaning your jewellery. Every day your jewellery could come into contact with harmful chemicals which will accelerate the tarnishing process but you may not be aware of this, so I hope you find this blog post useful!

What makes 925 sterling silver tarnish?

All 925 Sterling Silver Jewellery will eventually tarnish over time, this is due to it's chemical make up, however the way in which we care for our silver jewellery can delay tarnishing. Sulphur is found in the air & it's found in our bodies too. If your body produces a lot of sulphur you may find that your jewellery tarnishes a lot quicker. The same goes with leaving your jewellery exposed to air when storing it away. There are other chemicals that may harm your silver & plated jewellery such as: eggs, hairspray, perfumes, hand sanitisers, lotions, chlorine, house hold cleaning products & more.

So how do I prevent my silver jewellery from tarnishing?

-Store your jewellery in a dark dry location (your MonAvart box is perfect)

-When your piece of jewellery gets wet, dry immediately.

-REMOVE all jewellery when bathing, showering, swimming, attending spa's & exercising as your sweat will speed up the tarnishing process.

-Avoid hairsprays, perfumes, lotions, cleaning products.

-Don't sleep in your jewellery.

-Separate your jewellery into metal types when storing away.

-Let all jewellery be the last thing you put on when getting ready, and the first thing you take off.

Oh no...my piece of jewellery has tarnished, what do I do?

Don't panic when your 925 sterling silver starts to tarnish. It is completely normal for your silver to go this way over a certain amount of time. Simply use your free polishing cloth to wipe away the tarnish & just like that, your piece of jewellery will look brand new again.

I do offer a cleaning service for jewellery so if you find that you piece of jewellery is heavily tarnished message me on instagram or email me on mymonavart@gmail.com to book your piece in.

Does gold plated jewellery tarnish & fade overtime?

Yes, If we sell any plated products the base metal will be 925 Sterling Silver as we still want to provide you with a precious metal as a base, therefore the same rules apply to what to avoid & how to prevent your jewellery from tarnishing & fading quickly. Your plated jewellery can last a long time depending on how the wearer cares for their piece...to recap...

-Avoid perfumes, lotions, hand sanitisers, oils, chlorine.

-Store away in a dark dry location, away from any other metal types (preferably in your MonAvart box)

-REMOVE ALL jewellery when swimming, bathing, showering, and exercising as sweating will speed up the tarnishing & fading process

-Don't sleep in your jewellery.

If you do all of the above expect your plated jewellery to last a few months, but with great care it can last a good amount of time.

It is natural that over time the plating will begin to fade but that is no issue as we offer a re-plating service. When you'd like to get your piece booked in simply email me on mymonavart@gmail.com or send me a DM via instagram.

How do I look after my solid yellow gold pieces?

Now solid yellow gold is a pretty low maintenance metal. Yellow gold tarnishes in a different way, it looses it's lust and becomes dull. If this happens to your jewellery simply use your free polishing cloth to wipe the tarnish away. If you'd like to book your piece in for a professional clean just contact me.

What about my white gold jewellery?

Let me give you a brief overview of white gold jewellery and the advantages. White gold is a cheaper alternative than platinum, it is the same colour metal & won't break the bank. All white gold jewellery will be rhodium plated as it protects the gold underneath from scratching & scuffing. When thinking of purchasing jewellery in white gold, there will be a cost every few years to get your piece re rhodium plated. However if you often come into contact with a lot of chemicals it may need to be done sooner.

-Remove your jewellery before carrying out any dirty kind of tasks.

-Remove your jewellery when swimming as the chlorine will react with the rhodium plating.

-Remove when bathing & sleeping.

-Store your jewellery away into different metal types. Don't mix your yellow with white gold jewellery and white gold with silver jewellery. Best bet is to keep your jewellery stored away in your MonAvart box.

Lastly, platinum jewellery, how do I look after it?

Platinum doesn't fade, tarnish or turn a different colour over time. Platinum is an extremely durable metal making it ideal to be worn on a daily basis. it's highly resistant to stress and unlike other metals, some people think platinum actually looks better with wear. Surface scratches form a patina is considered highly desirable, however the metal can easily be returned to its original polished state by booking it in for a clean with me.

I hope you have found this article useful and have gained some insight on how to care for your jewellery. If you have any further question please don't hesitate to contact me.