Jewelry Care Guide
Follow our jewelry care guide to keep your jewelry sparkling for years to come.
All of the non-metal parts of your jewelry should be gently wiped with a soft, dry cloth. To clean the metal parts of your jewelry, see the specific section for the metal type below.
Pearls are little treasures that require a little different care than other jewelry. At A Common Thread, we only use cultured, freshwater pearls, which make them a little heartier and less prone to damage than natural or saltwater pearls. You can read more about different pearl types here.
It’s important to note that pearls like to be worn! Pearls shouldn’t be dried out, and wearing them gives them moisture from your skin, making them last longer. So make sure to wear those pearls often.
How to Clean Pearl Jewelry
After each wear, gently wipe them with a dry, soft cotton cloth.
If your pearls need a deeper clean, create a soapy mixture in warm water using gentle soap flakes. Never submerge your pearls into the water. Dampen a soft cotton cloth with the soapy water and gently wipe the pearls. Then wipe with a damp cloth (with no soap) to rinse the pearls. Close the clasp (so it doesn’t scratch your pearls), and lay the strand on dry towel to dry naturally.
Things to Avoid With Pearl Jewelry
Pearls can be damaged by chemicals, so make sure you apply any make-up, lotions, hairspray, perfume or sunscreen and letting it dry completely before putting on your pearls.
Never expose your pearls to washing liquids, dish soap, detergents, or jewelry cleaner.
How to Store Your Pearls
Pearls should be stored flat, with the clasp latched. Keep them in a soft cotton cloth bag to keep them from being scratched. However, pearls need air so don’t store them in a sealed plastic bag. And remember to wear them often to keep up their moisture level! Also, they shouldn’t be hung on a jewelry tree or a hook — store them flat.
Source: The Pearl Source
Gold filled jewelry is a high quality alternative to solid gold that doesn’t come with the hefty price tag like solid gold. Gold filled jewelry is made by mechanically bonding 14kt gold to a core of jeweler’s brass. The result is long-wearing, durable jewelry that can last a lifetime if cared for properly.
So, how do you take care of gold filled jewelry?
Keep your jewelry away from any chemicals — like sunscreen, and making sure to apply any makeup, lotion, or perfume first and letting it dry before putting on your jewelry. You also want to remove your jewelry before swimming, showering or working out. This will ensure your jewelry lasts for a long time!
How do you clean gold filled jewelry?
For daily care, just wipe the jewelry with a soft, dry cloth. Periodically, if your jewelry needs a deeper clean, you can gently clean it in warm water with a mild soap and a soft cloth. Just make sure to rinse and dry thoroughly before storing it.
Will gold filled jewelry tarnish?
Your gold filled jewelry can last a very long time without tarnishing, even with daily wear.
Sterling silver is a high quality alloy with at least 92.5% pure silver. Tarnishing with sterling silver is normal and is just the metal reacting to the oxygen or sulfur in the air. And with a few easy steps, you can restore the shine to your sterling silver.
How to Clean Sterling Silver Jewelry
First, clean your sterling silver with warm soapy water. Gently wipe your jewelry and dry thoroughly.
If your sterling silver needs a little more than soap and water to remove the tarnish, next try a mixture of baking soda and water. Make a paste with the baking soda and water, apply a little with a damp cloth and rub gently. Wipe with a damp cloth and then dry. Avoid using toothpaste as a cleanser.
For heavy tarnish, combine ½ cup of white vinegar and 2 tbsp of baking soda together then soak your sterling silver for 2-3 hours. Rinse and pat dry.
After cleaning, polish with a cloth meant for sterling silver jewelry.
Storing Sterling Silver Jewelry
You want to store sterling silver in an air-tight container. You can use a plastic baggie, or a bag designed for sterling silver jewelry.
How to Prevent Sterling Silver from Tarnishing as Quickly
Wear it often, and make sure you put your jewelry after applying any make-up, lotions, sunscreen, perfume or hairspray and letting it dry. Remove your jewelry before working out, cleaning, or going out into full sunlight.
Gold plated jewelry has a thin layer of gold over a layer of base metal, usually brass. The quality of gold plating varies, and depends on how thick the layer of plating is. Gold plated jewelry will tend to tarnish over time, but you can minimize this by following the guide lines below.
How to Take Care of Gold Plated Jewelry
Keep your jewelry away from any chemicals — like sunscreen, and making sure to apply any makeup, lotion, or perfume first and letting it dry before putting on your jewelry. You also want to remove your jewelry before swimming, showering or working out.
Cleaning Gold Plated Jewelry
For daily care, just wipe the jewelry with a soft, dry cloth. Periodically, if your jewelry needs a deeper clean, you can gently clean it in warm water with a mild soap and a soft cloth. Just make sure to rinse and dry thoroughly before storing it.
Brass jewelry is a favorite of mine because of it’s warm honey glow and rich patina with age. It’s also the most sustainable metal, since it can be recycled an infinite number of times and won’t break down. The recycling process takes less resources than other metals like aluminum or steel.
How to Clean Brass Jewelry
Brass will not rust, but it will tarnish over time. You may like the patina that happens naturally as it ages and want to keep it! But if you prefer a shinier look, you can also use these methods to restore it’s luster.
For daily care, just wipe your raw brass with a soft cloth or polishing cloth. To remove dark spots, combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda with drops of lemon until it forms a paste. Add a little mixture to an old toothbrush and scrub. Let it sit for 15 minutes, rinse and dry thoroughly.
Maintaining Your Brass Jewelry
You want to keep your brass jewelry away from water and any moisture. This means removing it before you shower, go swimming, or work out. You should also put your brass jewelry on last — after you’ve put on any make-up, perfume, lotions, sunscreen or hairspray and it’s completely dried on your skin.
Store your brass jewelry in an airtight bag to keep it away from any moisture.
Sources: Brass Tacks Fittings, Ro Williams Brann
