Jewelry Care 101: When To Not Get Wet

We’ve all heard the usual advice about jewelry care and cleaning:
things like, "Put it on last and take it off first," or "Don't get it
wet!" but is any of this even true? Or are these things people say to
scare us into under-accessorizing? Well, I wanted answers, and here is
what I've learned so far. The tips and tricks I'm about to share apply
to all types of jewelry.

Jewelry vs. Moisture
Jewelry's biggest adversary is moisture in all its many forms. It will
erode finishes and loosen settings—not the stuff you want to happen to
your accessories. Life will happen, but there are some pretty easy
things you can do to cut down on moisture exposure and keep your jewelry
looking as cute as possible, for as long as possible.

#1 Put jewelry on last and take it off first.
This is easy to say, harder to implement. Maybe you are in the habit of
popping your earrings on first thing in the morning. However, you should
really wait until you are completely done with all the steps in your
beauty regimen before putting on your jewelry - necklaces, too. Face creams, hair spray, perfume, makeup, lotion: none of these are jewelry’s BFF. Actually,
they kind of hate each other. They will erode the finishes on jewelry,
so limiting exposure to them by putting your jewelry on last is a fairly
simple way to keep your jewelry safe.

#2 Don't get it wet!
Avoiding water itself is the easiest and most obvious way to keep
moisture off your jewelry, although again, it’s easier said than done.
This applies to washing your hands, swimming, showering, and more.
Basically, all activities are best performed sans jewelry. Even body
oils eventually will wear through plating, so taking jewelry off when
you know you'll bet getting wet is a great preventative measure. Get a
cute little dish to put by your sinks to help remind you to take off
your rings and bracelets before you do the dishes, wash your hands, or
get ready for bed!

#3 Keep your stones dry
Metal isn’t the only part of your jewelry that can suffer from
moisture and water damage. Water can also ruin set stones. Not because
the stones are necessarily going to discolor, but depending on the style
of the setting and the kind of stone, water can cause things to dislodge
and your stone could fall out or break. Turquoise, for instance, is very
soft, and oftentimes designers use sawdust or shredded paper to cushion
the setting. When you go swimming with your turquoise ring on, you could
dissolve that setting, causing your stone to break or fall out.

Remember that all jewelry will degrade, even platinum. Different metals
do so at different speeds. For example, if you have a platinum necklace,
no one might notice problems for a few generations, but eventually it
will occur. Everyone's body oils react to metals differently. If certain
people sweat in sterling silver, it turns black, while others may not
notice a thing. This isn't the jewelry's fault; it's just chemistry.
That’s all from me for now. With some proper love and care, you can
extend the life of your jewelry and keep wearing it for years to come!
Seriously though, don't get your jewelry wet.

XO