Jewelry care guide

To ensure you can enjoy your new favorite pieces of jewelry for a long time, it's important to care for them regularly. Here's how to give your jewelry the care it deserves.

Cleaning jewelry

Do you wear your jewelry regularly during various activities and sometimes even leave it on to sleep? It can get a little dirty from time to time due to sweat, cosmetics, and other things. To preserve the beauty of your jewelry for as long as possible, you should clean it, preferably regularly.

How best to clean your gold chain , earrings , or rings depends on the material. However, the following always applies: treat your jewelry as gently as possible, remove it when exercising and sleeping, and avoid contact with cleaning products and cosmetics. This will keep your jewelry sparkling and beautiful for a long time.

Why does jewelry tarnish or become dull? 

The “tarnishing” of the material is basically nothing other than a chemical reaction: the oxidation (aka reaction with oxygen). This causes silver to develop a dark patina and gold to lose its shine. Rhodium plating our silver jewelry, i.e., an additional coating on the material, delays tarnishing. But don't worry: While oxidation can't be completely avoided, it can at least be slowed down with proper care and easily removed with careful cleaning.

By the way, stainless steel jewelry doesn't tarnish, and its color doesn't change even with regular contact with water. This also applies to gold-plated stainless steel jewelry, which doesn't lose its gold plating over time. Here you can find more information about our jewelry materials

General tips and tricks 

Your favorite jewelry is exposed to all sorts of "hazards" in everyday life. Therefore, there are a few things you should keep in mind when caring for and storing it:

• Caution: Corrosive: Jewelry should not be cleaned with chemicals come into contact with gold, as they attack the material and gold plating. Therefore, rings , Bracelets It's best to take off your jewelry when doing housework. Semi-precious stone jewelry should also not be exposed to impacts.
• Hydrophobicity. Gold-plated jewelry generally lasts longer if it's not exposed to too much water. If you can't go without your jewelry while showering or swimming, opt for stainless steel jewelry or a non-gold-plated version.

• Safe and sound . In a closed jewelry box Your favorite necklaces, earrings, and other items will feel right at home, as they are protected from moisture and excessive oxygen. You can find more tips in our guide to Jewelry storage .

Which material should be cared for and how?

Proper cleaning depends on the jewelry material. Jewelry materials are like skin types: each requires specific care tailored to its needs. Here's how to give your jewelry the care it deserves:

• Stainless steel : Since 316L stainless steel neither rusts nor tarnishes, you usually only need to polish it with a soft cloth to restore its shine. If your stainless steel jewelry does get dirty, you can simply clean it with lukewarm water, a little soap or dish soap, and a soft toothbrush.
• 925 Sterling Silver : You can make tarnished silver shine with either a silver polishing cloth or a bath of lukewarm water, salt, and a strip of aluminum foil. For particularly heavily oxidized silver, you can clean it with a silver bath from a drugstore or jeweler.
• 18K Gold : 18K real gold is a very durable and long-lasting material that is particularly suitable for daily wear. This is why real gold has always been a popular material for jewelry making. Gold is also extremely easy to care for because, unlike silver, it does not oxidize and can withstand contact with water without any problems. You should only take off your gold jewelry if you plan to swim in chlorinated water, as chlorine can discolor gold. Polish your gold jewelry occasionally with a soft cloth to restore its shine. For stubborn dirt, you can use lukewarm water with a mild soap. Just be careful not to be too aggressive and always dry your real gold jewelry thoroughly after cleaning.

• Gold plating : When cleaning yellow gold or rose gold-plated jewelry, avoid using aggressive cleaning methods, as the gold plating can peel off sterling silver over time. Lukewarm water, a mild soap, and a soft cloth are usually sufficient for care. Above all, make sure to dry your jewelry thoroughly and gently.

• Semiprecious stones : You should always be careful with semiprecious stones. Although they are a hard material, this also makes them more susceptible to scratches and cracks. For necklaces , bracelets , earrings , etc. with gemstones, you can use lukewarm water, a little mild soap, and a soft toothbrush to clean them. Then dry thoroughly with a soft cloth. The same applies to freshwater pearls, although these can also be air-dried.

Trust is good, control is better! 

Cleaning jewelry is also a good opportunity to check the material and the gemstones and pearls. Semiprecious stones should be checked for larger scratches and cracks. Inspect. For set or glued gemstones and pearls, you should also check whether they are still firmly in place.

You should check the finish of jewelry without stones. Shiny jewelry will become duller over time, and matte jewelry will become shinier. You can restore lost shine by polishing with a soft cloth, and you can use a special matting sponge to give your favorite pieces an edgy matte look. Simply brush over the surface in the desired direction to restore it to its beautiful matte finish.