What we love about fashion jewelry is that you can totally follow the trends and look absolutely your best without having to break your bank.
That amazing gemstone ring that you see in a luxury store? You can cop that look with fashion jewelry for a fraction of a cost. Thanks to fashion jewelry, every style is within your reach without dropping too much money and feeling that buyer’s guilt.
But the thing is, we all know that your fashion jewelry won’t last for generations. Given that the materials used in fashion jewelry are the alternatives to expensive metals and real gold or diamonds, you can’t expect your jewelry to behave the same way as a 24K accessory.
Should that deter you from buying fashion jewelry? Absolutely not. There are a lot of ways for you to keep your fashion jewelry good as new for a prolonged period. That includes the everyday wear-and-tear as well as tarnishing.
Here are some tried-and-tested tips that we’ve gathered to help you keep your fashion jewelry in its tip-top shape:
- Know How to Store Your Jewelry Properly
One of the biggest culprits of jewelry tarnishing is exposure to the elements. The simplest moisture or cold from your air conditioning unit can affect your fashion jewelry over time.
The best way to store your jewelry is to have a dedicated jewelry box so you can keep them away from direct sunlight, moisture, and dirt. Keep them categorized by type (necklace, bracelet, earrings, etc.) so it won’t be an entangled mess.
If you don’t have a jewelry box, a quick remedy for that is to store them in a Ziploc bag. However, make sure that you squeeze out as much air as you could before sealing it to prevent the jewelry from oxidizing.
In addition to that, you can also purchase anti-tarnish strips. These strips can easily be placed in a container along with your jewelry so it will suck out all the moisture and humidity entrapped in the box.
- Don’t Let It Get Wet
Your fashion jewelry isn’t waterproof —so keep it out of the water!
Constantly getting your jewelry wet is the fastest way for it to tarnish or worse, form rust. You might think that this is just about removing your jewelry before going to swim but really, your everyday routine is just as damaging.
You might think that a small spritz of your perfume or the remnants of your lotion won’t be enough to tarnish your fashion jewelry. But in reality, it will. Especially if you’re doing the same routine every day.
So make sure that you put all of your jewelry last after you’ve done your skincare, make-up, etc. Wait for a couple of minutes for your skin to absorb all the products that you’ve used before wearing your jewelry. This simple step in your daily routine would save your jewelry in the long run.
Related Post You May Interested in Reading: Jewelry Wearing Tips: How to Maintain Your Fashion Jewelry to Keep Them Shining as New
- Wipe Your Fashion Jewelry After Every Use
This is in line with not getting your jewelry wet.
While wearing your jewelry, it gets exposed to the natural oils in your body and other elements outside. No matter what you do or how careful you are, your jewelry will always get something on it. So make sure that after you use it, you make the point of wiping it down and making sure that it’s fully dry and dusted off before storing.
You can simply use a microfiber cloth for this. Avoid using paper towels or any other types of cloth that are prone to lint. By doing so, you’ll avoid micro-scratches on your jewelry and having bits of lint or thread stuck in metal grooves.
- Use a Protective Spray For Sentimental Pieces
Using a jewelry protectant spray for fashion jewelry might be overkill for some but if you really want your pieces to last, this step will do a lot for you.
These sprays can work wonders when it comes to protecting your jewelry from tarnish, rust, and even keeps your fashion jewelry friendly to sensitive skin. You can buy these sprays online or you can ask your local jewelry boutique if they have them.
If you have an incredible amount of fashion jewelry collection, spraying all of them with protective coating can be time-consuming or costly. If that’s the case, just pick the fashion jewelry that you have a sentimental attachment to or the pieces that you normally use more than others.
- Have a Jewelry Routine
Of course, it’s common sense that the more you wear your fashion jewelry, the higher the chances it will wear out over time.
To keep the fashion jewelry pieces in your collection in an equal state, have a jewelry routine for them. This avoids the “overuse” of some of your pieces that will eventually lead to tarnishing and other jewelry problems.
More so, your jewelry also needs a break. Subjecting the same jewelry piece over and over to your daily rigor would evidently shorten its lifespan. So switch some things once in a while for the sake of keeping your fashion jewelry in its tiptop shape.
While it might seem as cumbersome, think of it as your chance to play around with your style! You can base your jewelry of the day with your outfit or your errands that you need to get done at that moment. Or it can be a great moment for you to bring out some of your fashion jewelry pieces that you might have forgotten. Surely, changing your jewelry option every now and then helps keep your overall style very fresh. Plus, it also prolongs your accessories!
At the end of the day, fashion jewelry will always have the tendency to tarnish. It’s up to your use to determine how long your jewelry’s lifespan would be. If you want to fully avoid this, you can look for higher-end of fashion jewelry pieces that are plated with select metals to keep them tarnish-free.
