Fine Jewellery Care: 7 Mistakes You Need To Stop Making Now!

Plus, jewellery care tips to keep it looking shiny and new.

Do you have a necklace or ring you once dearly loved but can’t wear anymore because it’s tarnished now?

Thankfully, with fine jewellery ppieces bought from Angara, you don’t have to worry much as they are thoughtfully designed to last for generations. Handcrafted using high-quality gemstones and precious metals, these pieces won’t require a lot of maintenance. However, they’re not immune to damage. Some everyday habits that may seem harmless (like wearing your sparklers in the shower) can potentially ruin fine jewellery.

Fret not. We’ve asked our jewellery experts the top 7 mistakes that make them cringe along with a few handy jewellery care tips to help your baubles look their best as they age.

Jewellery Care Experts Spill 7 Ways You Might Be Ruining Your Fine Jewellery

1. Not Keeping Your Jewels Dry

Yes, you would look sexy as hell emerging from the pool in your fine jewellery, but you should take it off before swimming, showering or exercising. Getting your jewellery wet won’t harm it, but can reduce the shine, so we don’t recommend it.

Oceans and pools have salt water and harsh chemicals like chlorine which can corrode the metal of your precious sparklers and dull them over time. And if you’ve put on sunblock, you’re only speeding up the tarnishing process. Even your body washes, shampoos and conditioners can get stuck behind jewellery mountings. Moreover, the chemicals present in them can discolour gems (especially delicate stones like pearls and opals) and are, therefore, infamous for damaging fine jewellery pieces.

But what about sweating it out while wearing your jewels? Well, that isn’t good either. First, there’s a chance your sweat will coat them and cause them to tarnish. Then, there’s also the risk that your fine jewels may get caught and snagged in places which can damage prongs (metal claws that hold your gems in place), causing them to loosen up and eventually fall off. And let’s not forget: even the hardest substance in the world, i.e., diamonds, can get scratched and chipped if smashed while lifting heavy weights!

But that doesn’t mean you stop decking your face and hands with your fav jewels. As long as you’re being careful about taking them off before showering, working out or hitting the pool, you can continue adding opal rings for women, unique tanzanite rings and other trendy sparklers to your rotation.

2. Not Putting Your Jewels On Last

Raise your hands if you put on your fine jewellery pieces before you style your hair or before you apply your creams, perfume and makeup. Here’s a confession: we do it too… sometimes. But girl, let’s get this straight – the chemicals in these products are no friends to your precious finery as they can diminish the brilliance of your stones.

So, what should you do? We’d say, commit to better jewellery care habits in 2024 by putting on your jewellery on last while getting ready. And if that’s too unrealistic (yes, you get one free pass), then use a scarf or towel to protect them until you’re done grooming.

3. Not Storing Your Jewels Correctly

If you’ve been storing all your fine jewellery pieces together, we’ve got news for you sis: you’ve been doing it wrong!

Some gems are stronger than others, which means they can scratch out the ones that are not. For instance, when you store a diamond (the hardest gem out there) with a pearl (a not-so-hard gemstone), you’re setting yourself and your pearl jewels up for a breakdown.

For the ultimate gemstone care, store your most durable gems, like diamonds, sapphires, rubies and moissanites, away from each other in a velvet-lined compartmentalized box. Your aquamarines, morganites, tourmalines, garnets, citrines and amethysts are gems that are slightly more delicate than others, so they can be kept separately in either their original boxes or in a good-quality jewellery storage unit. Opals, pearls and emeralds, aka your delicate gems, can go in soft cloth bags. In fact, pearls and opals are the two gems that do well with moisture, so wrapping them in slightly dampened soft cloths will work too.

Excited to paint the town pearl? Then, you want to grab these best online pearl necklaces now. But if you need something sturdier, shop for pink sapphire rings, earrings and necklaces first.

4. Not Cleaning Your Jewels Regularly

Just like a car needs servicing now and then, so do your jewels. If you want to prevent jewellery damage and make your trinkets sparkle every time you wear them, you definitely can’t skip this one!

DIY jewellery cleaning is easy as long as you keep these jewellery care instructions in mind: You can treat your baubles to an occasional gentle cleansing with a soft cloth and non-abrasive jewellery wash or mild detergent and lukewarm water. A microfiber cloth is great for getting any film or dirt off gemstones. Also, remember to use a soft child’s toothbrush to gently clean your pieces.

Also consider taking your pieces for professional jewellery cleaning because the jeweller can cheque and repair the damages, tighten the prongs and tune up your jewels so they look brand new.

We bet engagement ring care and self-jewellery care doesn’t sound intimidating anymore!

5. Wearing Your Jewels While Doing Household Chores

Old habits die hard—and if wearing your sparklers while doing household chores is your bad habit, then you want to kill it no matter how difficult it is for you.

Things like gardening or washing the dishes without wearing gloves are hard on your jewels, especially your rings (even those platinum ones) and can damage the prongs and stones when your sparklers hit against surfaces. Even cooking can mean exposing your rings and bracelets to grease and oil, which leads to build-up inside the cavities and ultimately damages fine jewellery.

So, if you don’t want to ruin jewellery, simply take it off before starting any household chores!

6. Not Taking Your Jewellery Off Before Sleeping

Sleeping with your jewellery on… seems pretty normal, right?

And TBH, it really won’t damage your pieces right away. However, it’s one of the main reasons why they’ll break down eventually. Allow us to explain: Sleeping with your earrings on can put pressure on them and cause them to lose their shape or fall out if they don’t have a very secure backing. Even necklaces can knot up. Untangling them can be messy, and the amount of tugging and pulling can cause thin necklaces to break. Then, there’s also a chance that your rings and bracelets will snag onto your silk pillowcases, causing the prongs to loosen and increasing the risk of a gem falling out. Sleeping without your jewels sounds like a better option now, doesn’t it?

7. Not Getting Your Jewellery Insured

Getting your jewellery insured is not just a great idea on paper—it makes practical sense too. The fact that your jewellery is protected regardless of your surf and turf adventures is quite reassuring.

Did you know that you can get free lifetime warranty for pieces that you buy from Angara? This will allow you to get your pieces cleaned, re-polished and even re-rhodium plated at no extra cost. And those who want their jewellery to shine like new for years to come and guard their pieces against accidental damage can also choose to go for our Enhanced Warranty Plan. Apart from all the services covered in the free Lifetime Warranty plan, this one will help you repair broken prongs, re-polish scratched gemstones and replace or repair spring rings on chains and earring backings. Neat, huh?

Now, who’s up for shopping for some emerald necklaces for her?