Care guide
Good pieces ask little. A monthly wash, dry storage, and perfume before jewelry covers nearly everything. Details by material below.
Silver care
- Wipe with a soft dry cloth after wearing — skin oils are the main cause of tarnish.
- A silver polishing cloth restores brightness; dips work but can soften brushed finishes.
- Store silver separately. It is harder than vermeil and will scratch it.
Gold vermeil care
- Put perfume on first, jewelry second. Fragrance alcohol thins plating faster than anything else.
- Keep vermeil dry where you can. Rinse off sweat and sunscreen, pat dry.
- When high-contact spots eventually show silver beneath, any jeweller can re-plate for a fraction of the original price.
Pearl care
- Pearls go on last and come off first — after perfume, before hairspray.
- Wipe with a barely damp cloth, lay flat to dry. Never soak, never ultrasonic.
- Wear them. Pearls kept in a box dry out; pearls worn against skin keep their lustre.
Silk care
- Hand wash cold with a mild soap, roll in a towel to remove water, iron low while slightly damp.
- Store folded, out of direct sun. Sun fades the rose tones first.
- A pulled thread? Leave it. Pulling makes it worse; a needle can usually work it back.
Storage care
- Separate compartments or pouches — pieces stored touching each other scratch each other.
- Clasps closed, chains flat or hung. An open chain in a drawer will find something to knot around.
- Cool, dry, out of bathrooms. Humidity speeds tarnish on everything.
Travel care
- Thread chains through a straw or card and clasp shut — immobilised ends cannot tangle.
- Rings and studs travel threaded through felt or a ring roll, never loose.
- Keep jewelry in your personal item, not checked luggage. See the full guide in packing jewelry for travel.
More in the journal: caring for everyday jewelry.