Practical Care for Pearls and Silver
Jill Coyle
General Jewelry Care
Put your jewelry on after you’ve sprayed your hairspray and perfume. Both sprays can damage your jewelry (especially pearls or other soft gemstones). It can also leave a greasy or crusty film on your jewelry.
Store each piece separately (small Ziploc bags work great!). Don’t let stones or pearls rub against each other or against metal objects (for instance, don’t let your topaz stones rub against your gold rings)—this can scratch or damage the stones.
Triple Strand Pearls with Chinese Clasp
Pearl Jewelry
Pearls, because of their organic makeup, are extremely sensitive. Pearls are best stored in a velvet cloth bag (but a Ziploc bag works well, too!), away from heat, damp or light. They should never rub against gold or silver items.
Pearls are especially sensitive to perfume and hairspray. Both will actually cause the luminescence of your pearls to be permanently damaged (decreasing their value).
Pearls can also be damaged by lotions and natural body oils. Clean your hands before handling your pearls!
Silver Chain with Floating Black Pearls
Silver Jewelry
One of the simplest things you can do to care for your silver jewelry is to wear it. Using it keeps it from tarnishing.
For storage, keep silver jewelry in an airtight and dry place. Don’t keep it in the bathroom, as the humidity (from the shower) will cause the silver to tarnish. A great way to store silver jewelry is to put each item in a small Ziploc bag. It makes it easy to store, easy to find, and keeps it from tarnishing.
Silver/Onyx Earrings
Make your jewelry shine!
Tarnished jewelry can be cleaned with store-bought cleaners. Be careful if you’re cleaning a gold or silver item set with gemstones—many gemstones (and pearls in particular) cannot be dipped into these chemicals.
Diamonds (and most gemstones) can be easily cleaned with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Silver Earrings