Protecting jewellery
is a must to make it last longer. Protecting jewellery also helps to keep it
clean and dust free. If you protect your jewellery properly, you may not need
to clean it frequently. Read on to know more about protecting your jewellery.
Jewellery is a big investment. It is therefore important
that you take adequate steps to protect your jewellery. There are broadly three
aspects of protection – theft, damage and loss. You can obtain help from
insurance, jewellery organisers and proper care; though not necessarily in that
order. All jewellery
owned by you must be documented so that you can have proof if lost or stolen.
You should keep the receipts of purchase and video tape or photograph the
items.
Protecting
Jewellery from Damage
For protecting the jewellery from damage, you should
place your pieces in a jewellery armoire. Since this special box has an
appropriate holder for every type of jewellery, it is a great place to keep
your pieces safe as the possibility of damage is reduced manifold. You have
areas to hang your necklaces, ring trees, bangle holders and separate specialised
compartments to hold several other miscellaneous pieces.
Another alternative can be the jewellery organisers. And
if they are the closet ones, you can additionally secure your precious jewellery
too. You can ensure the security of your jewellery by opting to keep them in
bank or other private lockers that assure complete security and coverage.
Causes
for Jewellery Damage
To protect your different types of jewellery, it is
important that you have a clear idea on what commonly causes the damage. The
sweat and oils that are naturally secreted by your body along with the talcum
powders, lotions and cremes, and the acid residues from the make-up that we
apply on our face/body results in accumulation of dirt from the environment and
the other is tarnishes.
The primary point out here is that you must rub the jewellery
with a super soft cloth after each wear. It should be a 100% cotton cloth as
polyester blends may result in minor scratches. This removes the immediate dirt
and cleaning them becomes much easier later. You also need to be aware that all
your jewellery types and pieces must be stored separately. Piling of jewellery
must be avoided at all costs. And remember gemstones
can result in scratches on the metal surfaces.
Individual
Jewellery Protection
Now speaking of individual jewellery protection, let’s
start with the most common of the materials – gold. Protecting a jewellery
piece means keeping it safe as well as helping it to retain its newness for
years to come. You can ensure the longevity of your gold pieces by cleaning
them with care, especially after each or prolonged use. Gold
is a soft metal that can get readily damaged by scuffing and careless
scratches.
The first thing that you need to ensure is that do not
wear gold jewellery if you are planning to get engaged in heavy work. Getting
tapped against surfaces of objects and getting brushed hard can cause abrasion
and thus damage. To protect them effectively, follow instructions carefully and
refrain from rubbing or brushing them vigorously with brushes and other
abrasive papers or cloth.
Silver is the hardiest type of jewellery that is
popularly worn. Sterling silver is preferred for everyday wear and is a very
common costume
jewellery material too. To enjoy your designer silver jewellery and those
antique silver pieces gifted from your grandparents and parents, you need to
ensure that you protect them well. Recommended silver polishes can be used, but
care should be taken that they do not come in contact with the gemstones that
are set in the jewellery.
What
Should be Avoided
Scrubbing any type of jewellery must always be avoided.
Erosions and tarnishes can be effectively prevented if one uses make-up and
perfumes before wearing the jewellery. It is advisable to always wear them on
dry skin.
Special mention should be made for diamond jewellery.
It is important to note that in order to protect your diamond jewellery from
damage, never store it with other diamond jewellery. Diamonds tend to scratch
each other and when the chains get tangled, it is a sure case of possible scratches.