How to: Jewellery Care and Storage Tips

Nothing is nicer than when you open up your KookyTwo box and see your gorgeous new shiny piece of jewellery, sitting there waiting for you to wear everyday.

Here at KookyTwo we want to help you keep your jewellery looking gorgeous, it's super simple with just a little love and care.

Because, if jewellery isn't taken care of properly, over time it can lose its shine. Whether its sterling silver that can tarnish, gold that can look less shiny or gemstones that can get a bit dirty. These are all totally natural reactions due to the elements around us, so we wanted to share some tips on how to minimise these impacts.

With these easy tips on how to care for your fashion jewellery, you can keep it looking shiny for years to come...

Store it safely:
When you take off your jewellery it should be kept away from direct sunlight and moisture in the air, in an airtight box or bag.  We also recommend cleaning it as soon as you take it off and before you store it. We find storing it separately also helps to reduce any pesky tangles with your chains, charm necklaces and chain bracelets.

Avoid wearing when exercising:
Remove when heading to the gym or out for that run or bike ride. Sweat is not great for jewellery and can cause damage.

Try not to wear when showering:
Some chemicals in shower gels/soaps can strip the jewellery and make it tarnish really quickly.   Even plain water can do this too, causing gemstones to come loose and metal can lose its shine.

Don't wear your jewellery at the spa or when swimming:
Chlorine is really bad for jewellery, as it can strip the metal and make it tarnish and dull almost straight away.

Don't wear your jewellery in a hot tub:
The chemicals can really damage jewellery.  In fact, one of us KookyLadies did this while on holiday once and it turned black almost straight away.

Protect from other chemicals such as perfume, hair products, lotions and sunscreens
Don't spray your jewellery with perfume or hair spray and remove when applying lotions, again the chemicals in these aren't very nice to jewellery.

Sleep time:
Try and not to sleep with your jewellery on, it could get caught on pillows etc and break without you even knowing. If your KookyTwo jewellery does break, please get in touch with us here.

Clean regularly:
Try and clean your jewellery every now and then, it’s totally worth it.

There are amazing jewellery cleaning products out there such as Town Talk cloths, they aren't expensive and will brighten your jewellery if it is starting to dull. Or you can easily clean your different metals at home using natural methods like we suggest below:

How to clean Sterling Silver jewellery:

• Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda in a bowl of lukewarm water
• Let the silver item soak for two to three hours
• Remove and rinse with clean cold water and let it air dry, then polish with a soft cloth
• TOP TIP: A toothbrush can gently remove dirt in tight spaces.

How to clean Gold-filled jewellery:

• Add a few drops of washing up liquid to lukewarm water
• Let the gold item soak for a few hours
• Remove and rinse with clean cold water and let it air dry, then polish with a soft, lint-free cloth
• TOP TIP: A toothbrush can gently remove dirt in tight spaces.

Tarnishing - The Facts
Tarnishing does not mean it’s not the finest metals, there really is no escaping the chemistry behind it...

Sterling Silver reacts with the moisture in the air, your own skin oil, acidity and elements such as sulphur, which all can cause tarnish and oxidation.
TOP TIP...the more you wear your sterling silver jewellery the less it is likely to tarnish!

Gold-filled reacts with what it touches, your own skin, chemicals etc. which all can cause it to darken over time. 
TOP TIP...to keep it bright and if in doubt, remove before you apply make-up, lotions, sunscreens, skin and hair products!

What’s important is how we minimise or prevent tarnishing, and polish it up!

We really hope these tips help you care for your gorgeous pieces of jewellery, as they should last a lifetime if they are looked after and treated well!

Claire and Clare
The Kooky Ladies
XX

#jewellerycare #tarnish #kookyblog

Image courtesy of Sarah at Alder Style