Going to put your jewellery on only to find it's lost its shine is always a disappointment. It's easy to mistake the lacklustre appearance of tarnished jewellery as a sign the jewellery isn't good quality - but that's not the case at all!
Tarnishing can happen to all jewellery. Although it's completely natural, it's still a disappointment. So it's important to know why it happens and what you can do to prevent it.
The easiest way to keep jewellery looking its best is to follow some routine jewellery care tips. If you notice tarnishing you can catch it before it gets worse, making it easier to restore before it gets too bad.
Routine jewellery care goes a long way in preventing tarnishing and accidental damage. These fuss-free eco-friendly cleaning techniques will ensure your jewellery maintains its shine, preventing tarnishing or accidental damage.
Preventative Jewellery Care
Knowing how to prevent jewellery from tarnishing and what causes accidental damage can help prevent it from happening in the first place.
The following are a few of the most common ways jewellery becomes dull of damaged. Exposure to water or moisture, bright sunlight and heat, perfume, sunscreen, and other beauty products. Chemicals and cleaning products, as well as essential oils and even natural oils on the skin all have the potential to cause issues.
Jewellery becoming tangled or snagged on clothing can break, snap, or stretch it accidentally. Other common causes of jewellery damage is improper storage, poor cleaning techniques, and age.
How to prevent tarnishing
Wear your jewellery
Tarnishing can easily be prevented by wearing your jewellery as often as possible. This is especially true for sterling silver, which can tarnish very quickly if left unworn for long periods of time!
Avoid fragrances, chemicals, and cosmetics
Household chemicals, cleaning products, perfume, sunscreen, and other similar products all contain ingredients that can cause tarnishing or even permanent damage. That's why we recommended removing jewellery when doing household chores, applying beauty products, or swimming in a pool.
How to prevent accidental damage
Use proper jewellery storage
When you're not wearing your jewellery, it's best to use a jewellery storage box to keep them safe. This will protect it from exposure to anything that may cause tarnishing, and prevent accidental damage by keeping it out of the way. We include an anti-tarnish strip with our jewellery storage for extra protection.
Be wary of snags and tangles
Jewellery should be the last thing you put on when getting dressed, and the first thing you take off when undressing. Clothing is the main cause of accidental jewellery damage, with chains, earrings, and even rings getting snagged on collars and sleeves.
Jewellery Cleaning
Lovers of jewellery will know that it's impossible to wear everything all the time. So eventually some pieces are going to show signs of tarnishing.
Cleaning jewellery to restore its shine is easy so long as you know the best ways to do it. All you need is a gentle cloth, mild soap, and water. Even baking soda will do! Together they will restore your jewellery to its former glory.
This is how to clean your jewellery the eco-friendly way.
How to clean jewellery
Restore shine with a polishing cloth
Using a soft non-abrasive cloth like a lint-free flannel or microfiber cloth to polish jewellery, is an easy way to remove light tarnishing. Gently rub the cloth all over the jewellery to restore its shine.
Use a mild gentle soap to clean
For heavy tarnishing, wash jewellery using a mild eco-friendly soap and warm water. Dip a soft cloth in the soapy water and gently rub the jewellery to clean it. Rinse thoroughly with cold water then dry immediately. Be gentle; don't scrub vigorously or you may cause damage.
Deep clean with baking soda
If your jewellery needs a deep clean, baking soda offers an eco-friendly solution. Dip a damp cloth into baking soda, and use to gently polish your jewellery. To get rid of entrenched dirt, create a paste using baking soda and water. Apply this to the crevices and behind stones. Wash then dry.
