For some people, wearing fake jewelry is out of the question. For others, it’s ideal to have a whole collection of gold or silver jewelry for all occasions without paying the price. In addition, it allows you to treat yourself to a few more original pieces without having to feel guilty if you don’t wear them often. The same could not be said of a silver engagement ring, a gold bracelet or a set adorned with precious stones or timeless diamonds that we would be more keen to “make profitable”! Grandma gives you all her care tips for cleaning costume jewelry.
Indeed, all these forgotten pieces at the bottom of the drawer suffer greatly from dust and the passage of time. In addition, these jewels are more fragile and poorly tolerate perspiration, humidity and acidic pH of certain skins when worn daily. In fact, they will tend to tarnish and blacken very quickly. So, of course, we can replace them inexpensively… However, it is also nice to know all of grandma’s little tips for save your favorite costume jewelry and make it last. No need to rush to a jeweler or the jewelry store where you bought your precious earrings to make these beautiful, original jewelry shine!
Daily costume jewelry care tips
- First of all, don’t store them in your bathroom to prevent them from prolonged exposure to humidity, heat and mold. They hate these three elements! On the contrary, keep them in a dry and cool place (jewelry box, drawer, etc.)
- Also, only put them on once your cream and perfume have dried. So, whether it is a fancy bracelet, a ring or a necklace in direct contact with your skin, they are less attacked.
- Furthermore, whether you are at sea, at the swimming pool or in front of your sink to wash your hands, remember to remove them. The less contact they have with water, the better they are ! This will protect them better from oxidation. And above all, be careful when you are cleaning…
- Finally, think about cover these fashion accessories with transparent varnish as soon as you return from the store on the right side and the wrong side. This will protect their shine and prevent them from leaving green spots on the skin. If you have a lot, use spray varnish instead for convenience. Enough to sublimate and preserve their mother-of-pearl!
A simple gesture to clean costume jewelry
Regularly (or even after each wearing a piece of jewelry), remember to take out a clean soft cloth for polishing all this. Here, a chamois or a microfiber cloth will do the trick. In addition to dusting, this can remove dirt and traces of cream or makeup accumulated during the day as well as sweat. Indeed, this could cause oxidation of fragile earrings, bracelets, necklaces and other fancy rings. What’s more, rubbing well is very effective for remove a large part of the black deposit not very glamorous. This will also add shine to your tarnished jewelry. So, no need to use water to pamper your necklaces or rings!
Clean your blackened costume jewelry more deeply
Need to clean your costume jewelry more intensively? You could of course try using:
- soapy water
- your make-up remover milk
- a little toothpaste on an old toothbrush
- baking soda applied with a damp cloth
- a water bath/vinegar or water/effervescent aspirin for a few minutes before rubbing to clean them
- or even clay stone with a pinch of salt.
However, note that you run the risk of them rusting a little in doing so, especially if they have not been protected. Indeed, they are not as durable as your gold jewelry and your silver jewelry! If you want to deoxidize them and remove the black traces, use fresh lemon juice instead. By putting it on a cloth to rub, its acidity will strip the dirt. Otherwise, some ketchup drops or a thin paste made from white vinegar, salt and flour can remove verdigris stains! Then, remember to rinse, dry and protect your jewelry with varnish to prevent stains from returning and keep them shiny.
Some ideas to restore the beauty of your damaged costume jewelry
- First, use gold or silver leaf to re-gild or silver damaged costume jewelry.
- Otherwise, use a very thin layer of silver or gold varnish. Additionally, you can use colored polishes of your choice to repainting jewelry that you are tired of in colors that you like more. Glitter and bright colors (turquoise, coral, rose gold, etc.) are allowed here to recolor the pearls and rhinestones of a pendant!