4 tips to take care of your plated jewelry
Best practices to extend the life of your jewelry
To make sure your plated jewelry is always ready to shine, these 4 tips will help you maintaining its beauty and prevent tarnishing and dullness.
What is tarnish and why does it happen?
Plating is the covering of a base material (copper, silver, steel) with a layer of gold/silver/rosegold. This is a fairly thin layer that quickly exposes them to external aggressions and therefore does not prevent them from tarnishing.
Tarnish is a thin layer of corrosion that develops on plated jewelry as their outermost layer undergoes a chemical reaction. Oxygen, airborne pollutants, dust, heat and moisture are the main causes for tarnished jewelry. When jewelry gets tarnished / oxidized the metal often looks dull, gray or it looks like it has a black coating on it.
As the jewelry is not 100% solid gold, extra care should be taken to maximize its lifespan. Anything plated will eventually tarnish with time and wear, but you can still reduce the risk of tarnishing heavily by adopting good habits from the start that will protect your jewelry.
1. Use a Jewelry Box
As soon as you are NOT wearing your jewelry, it is best to store your jewelry in a dry, moisture-free place such as a drawer or box.
For this, we advise you to invest in a jewelry box like the Bellantina Jewelry Organizer, so that each piece of jewelry can be kept separate. This way they are carefully protected and you’re making sure your jewelry will remain beautiful!
2. Keep your jewelry away from chemicals
Remove gold plated jewelry before swimming or exercising
Your sweat, perfume, chlorine, and nail polish are examples of things that create a chemical reaction to plated jewelry. Make sure to always remove your jewelry before swimming or exercising so your jewelry will not become tarnished or blemished.
Put on plated jewelry ONLY after cosmetics have been absorbed
Wait until your lotion or cream is dry or has been absorbed by your skin before you wear your plated jewelry. Personal care products such as lotion or cosmetics can blemish your jewelry if they come in contact with it while wet.
Do not spray on perfume or other sprays while wearing your plated jewelry
Wear your jewelry ONLY after you have sprayed on your favorite perfume so that the chemicals in the spray or perfume do not interact with your jewelry’s metal.
3. Clean your plated jewelry
Clean your plated jewelry after every use
Use a very soft cloth with a little bit of water in order to remove any impurities it has acquired. It will really help prevent the forming of tarnish on your jewelry. Just make sure that the jewelry is really dry before storing it in your jewelry box.
4. Jewelry = Finishing touch!
Always remember: Jewelry should be the last thing you put on and first thing to take off.