Care
Gold jewellery is not simply an accessory but also a lifetime investment. Gold is timeless and will never go out of style and whether you possess few pieces or your whole jewellery box is dominated by gold jewellery you need to take equal care of each and every piece of jewellery.
Left on its own, gold jewellery will not tarnish or corrode. However, you need to keep in mind that while every piece of jewellery looks beautiful, through usage, they can end up looking faded and may lose their shine if not cared for well. Taking good care of your jewellery is of great importance in order to enable them to shine beautifully for years.
Throughout our experience we have gathered a few suggestions in order to keep your jewellery in pristine state and enable it to sparkle for years to come. Jewellery, if treated right should last for years, even generations.
Since taking care of your jewellery is not self-explicatory we will present to you some suggestions that you should keep in mind when wearing jewellery on a regular basis, suggestions about cleaning or even storage.
Gold Jewellery: Daily Wearing Suggestions
Here are a few things to keep in mind when wearing gold jewellery on a regular basis:
– Gold is a soft metal; while gold has a shine and a luster all its own, it’s also a soft metal. This makes is susceptible to dings, scratches, and dents. Be mindful of your gold rings, watches, and bracelets while you wear them and remove them during activities.
– Chlorine is gold’s worst enemy: with repeated exposure, chlorine will weaken your gold jewellery’s structure and may eventually lead to its breaking. Make sure to take your jewellery off before using for instance a pool or a spa.
– Cover or remove while cleaning or cooking: household cleaners with acids or abrasives will damage your jewellery’s finish. Be sure to use rubber gloves while cleaning or remove your jewellery altogether. Acidic foods such as lemons or vinegar may also prove corrosive.
– Put it on last, take it off first: makeup, perfume, hairspray, and lotions can damage your gold. Be sure to put these things on before your jewellery to limit the exposure.
– Take jewellery off before bathing: wearing jewellery while you bathe can lead to a buildup of soap which will cause a film on your jewellery.
– Remove jewellery while sleeping: since people tend to use lotions and other similar products while sleeping you should remove your jewellery prior to sleeping in order to reduce the exposure.
– Weakness: every piece of jewellery has a weak spot. Be mindful when wearing or removing your jewellery. Do not be forceful, do not pull it from its stones and be gentle with your movements.
Gold Jewellery: Cleaning Suggestions
While wearing your gold jewellery on a regular basis it might be exposed to skin oils, perspiration, dust, makeup, and more. In order to protect in and to keep its shine, you should attempt to clean it regularly, for instance every few months. If you want to avoid professional products we would suggest a solution of warm water and dish soap with a ratio 10:2 (for every 10 parts of water, 2 parts of soap). More specifically, considering cleaning:
– Soaking is very important: We suggest that you soak your plain gold jewellery pieces for 3 hours and then scrub them gently with a very soft brush. Jewellery that has precious stones must not be soaked and instead carefully wiped with a cloth that is dipped in the cleaning mixture.
– Rinse: Rinse under clean warm water and blot dry with a cloth to remove all traces of suds.
– Shining with a cloth: after cleaning your jewellery you can shine it by gently using a clean, soft or jewellery polising cloth. Do not use paper towels or tissues as these can scratch your jewellery and may also leave residues.
– Cleaning Vs Buffing: sometimes it is simply enough to occasionally polish and carefully wiping your jewellery with a cloth instead of cleaning it.
– Clean with soap as needed: you are free to clean your jewellery at your leisure but keep in mind to avoid excessive cleaning. Try to only clean it when needed; when it’s visibly dirty or gathering a patina.
– Other jeweller-approved cleaners: rubbing alcohol is great for cleaning and sanitizing but avoid using bleach and silver cleaners.
– Look out for damage: during jewellery cleanings, be on the lookout for any damage or loose stones. Cleaning damaged pieces can only make the problem worse.
Gold Jewellery: Storing Suggestions
Properly storing your gold jewellery is equally important to mindfully wearing and carefully cleaning it. Always place your jewellery somewhere safe and protected:
– Try to use a jewellery box: a clean, dry, fabric-lined jewelry box is the best option. Velvet, cotton pouches or jewellery packaging are, usually, also an adequate choice.
– Try to wrap each piece in a soft cloth: Even if you possess a jewellery box, we would suggest wrapping each piece of your jewellery individually. This can protect them from dust and moisture and avoid random accidents and scratches.
– Avoid the sun: some pieces of jewellery, especially the ones with colorful stones, may prove very sensitive to the sun so you need to avoid leaving them exposed for long periods of time.
– Extra care with pearls: pearls need to be taken extra care of since they are very susceptible to the elements and heat. Please research their special needs when it comes to handling and storing.
– Store pieces separately and carefully: this prevents jewellery from tangling or scratching each other. You need to avoid placing jewellery with sharp edges together and be very mindful of pieces with chains which can tangle. Keeping them clasped or hanged up can help avoid tangling and possible breaking.
Professional Cleaning and Inspection
The above suggestions are actions that you can do on your own in order to protect and preserve your gold jewellery. However, sometimes these suggestions may not prove adequate. Also, in some cases there are pieces of jewellery that may need an expert’s aid.
For these reasons, in the long term, we recommend that you visit your local jeweller and have your jewellery professionally cleaned and inspected for loose stones and damages from time to time.
For any kind of repairs please refer to us and not at a local jeweller since we know our jewellery better. We are not responsible for our products once they have signs of interference by others.
IMPORTANT NOTE
The above suggestions are our own tips and thoughts which have occurred from our many years of experience. By no means are these the only ways to take care of your jewellery and by no means they guarantee the “immortality” of your jewellery. They solely have the purpose of aiding you (according to what we best believe) in preserving the quality of our jewellery.
You are solely responsible for any action you take when it comes to taking care of your jewellery. Please research and be informed about the specific needs of your jewellery prior to taking any actions.
For any other inquiry or additional information please do not hesitate to contact us at support@kouzoupis.gr or an authorized retailer of KOUZOUPIS JEWELLERY S.A.
