Caring for your Jewelry

Image via WikipediaJewelry is very fragile so it's very important to learn the right way to care for it. Try to protect any jewelry from scratches, sharp blows, harsh chemicals, extreme temperatures and sunlight.

• Store jewelry separately so it doesn't scratch other jewelry.
• When doing household tasks such as gardening and cleaning, be certain to re move rings.
• Put your jewelry on after washing and applying any makeup/hair spray.
• Take off jewelry before swimming in a swimming pool. The chlorine can cause damage to various gemstones and gold. Gemstones may become loose in their settings (and possibly fall out).
• Before doing high impact sports take off your jewelry as you may scratch the metal or chip the gemstones.
• Avoid storing your jewelry next to a heating vent, window sill or on a car dashboard.
• Store jewelry away from sunlight as the sun may fade the gemstones.
• Always store bead necklaces (such as lapis, pearls, etc) flat as silk stretches over time. 

Store Gemstones away from the Sun

Common gemstones that are damaged in sunlight (there may be more):
Amethyst - becomes paler
Ametrine - may change color
Apatite - pink variety fades
Aquamarine - becomes paler
Aventurine - translucent types often lose color
Beryl - brown or orange types may change to pale pink
Celestite - fades in direct sunlight
Chrysoprase - becomes paler
Citrine - may change color
Fluorite - green and purple types change color
Kunzite - becomes pale or loses color
Rose Quartz - becomes paler
Smokey Quartz - becomes paler

Store Bead Necklaces Flat

If you have bead necklaces such as a beautiful strand of lapis or pearls, store them flat as silk stretches over time. Stretched bead necklaces easily come apart. When knotted necklaces stretch, it also really detracts from their beauty. Most jewelers will restring necklaces or reset gemstones (for a fee).

Polishing your Jewelry

Sterling silver jewelry will polish up by rubbing or buffing it with a soft cotton cloth or a Sunshine Cloth. If you store silver jewelry in plastic bags with an interlocking seal, it will be less prone to tarnish. Thought you must not store your pearl jewelry in plastic bags.

How Gemstones and Jewelry are Scratched

Hardness is based on a gem-trade standard called the Mohs scale. The higher the Mohs scale number, the harder the stone is. The highest Mohs scale rating is 10 (diamonds). Anything with a Mohs scale rating of less than 7 is easily scratched (such as coral, lapis lazuli, opal, pearl, and turquoise). Gold, silver, and platinum are only Mohs 2-1/2 to 4. Always carefully store any fine jewelry.

Check Jewelry Ring Mounts

Be certain that stones mounted in rings are not loose or rattle. The prongs of a ring can and do wear down. If the prongs wear down too much or break, you've lost the stone. Prongs are easily "retipped" by most jewelers to keep the stone secure.