How to stop your jewelry from smugging and destroying through time
How to prevent cheap jewelry from changing color or rubbing off on your skin.
How do I prevent cheap metal jewelry from tarnishing? I have a couple of necklaces that I adore, and while they weren't dirt cheap,Costume jewelry delivers sparkle at a cheaper price
than real precious metals and gems but without proper care, fake jewelry can discolor and lose its shine. Besides losing or changing color, costume jewelry is more susceptible to dings and stains. Treat your favorite, fake pieces with as much love and care as the real thing and you can keep them lustrous for years. A combination of regular jewelry maintenance, cleaning and storage will help you preserve your accessory investment.
How do I prevent cheap metal jewelry from tarnishing? I have a couple of necklaces that I adore, and while they weren't dirt cheap,Costume jewelry delivers sparkle at a cheaper price
than real precious metals and gems but without proper care, fake jewelry can discolor and lose its shine. Besides losing or changing color, costume jewelry is more susceptible to dings and stains. Treat your favorite, fake pieces with as much love and care as the real thing and you can keep them lustrous for years. A combination of regular jewelry maintenance, cleaning and storage will help you preserve your accessory investment.
they are not made of the finest of metals. They have changed color somewhat - are brassy in places, and one looks almost like it could be rusting? - and I would like to recoat them. Is this possible?
Someone once told me I could use clear nail polish to prevent this from happening, but that seems like it would just flake off and/or look ridiculous. I'd like to prevent the metal from changing color and from rubbing off on my skin - you know, like green mark that a cheap ring will leave on your finger, gross!
Someone once told me I could use clear nail polish to prevent this from happening, but that seems like it would just flake off and/or look ridiculous. I'd like to prevent the metal from changing color and from rubbing off on my skin - you know, like green mark that a cheap ring will leave on your finger, gross!
#1.
Just clean them by polishing. To prevent it happening in future seal them in a plastic ziplock bag when you store them, exposure to air (and the chemicals within it) is what tarnishes them.
#2.
This happens to pure silver jewelry too. Upon exposure to oxygen it gets almost a golden look to it. Get a soft silver polishing cloth from any jewelry store, it comes off pretty easily. And if that doesn't work, you can try actual silver polish: but it reeks.
This happens to pure silver jewelry too. Upon exposure to oxygen it gets almost a golden look to it. Get a soft silver polishing cloth from any jewelry store, it comes off pretty easily. And if that doesn't work, you can try actual silver polish: but it reeks.
#3.
Put your tarnished jewlelry in a bowl with some warm water, salt and baking soda ; that will clean the spots off without the hassle of hand-polishing. (Just did this the other night with a pair of $3 earrings, and it worked like a charm.)
Maintenance of jewelry.
Line a container with anti-tarnish paper.
Place the jewelry in a container with a lid, like a jewelry box. Do not store multiple jewelry pieces in one container. This can cause tarnish and discoloration. A soft pouch makes a good storage container for jewelry.
Keep the lid closed on your jewelry boxes when not in use. Protect the jewelry from dust and keep them out of direct sunlight. Examine the jewelry before wearing it, checking for broken prongs or missing stones. Repair broken jewelry to avoid further damage.
Place the jewelry in a container with a lid, like a jewelry box. Do not store multiple jewelry pieces in one container. This can cause tarnish and discoloration. A soft pouch makes a good storage container for jewelry.
Keep the lid closed on your jewelry boxes when not in use. Protect the jewelry from dust and keep them out of direct sunlight. Examine the jewelry before wearing it, checking for broken prongs or missing stones. Repair broken jewelry to avoid further damage.
Cleaning jewelry
Fill a bowl with warm water and a pH balanced, liquid soap. Avoid cleansers containing alcohol, acid, vinegar or ammonia. These chemicals trigger rust and can damage your pieces.Soak your jewelry in the bowl for a few minutes. If cleaning vintage, foil-backed rhinestone jewelry, do not soak these. For rhinestones, spray glass cleaner on a dry cloth. Wipe fake jewels like rhinestones with the cloth.
Dry the jewelry with a microfiber cloth. Thick cotton towels can snag on jewelry that has prongs or brackets. Your jewelry should be completely dry before you store it.
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