How to look after your Jewellery before and after your wedding

One question I am asked when brides purchase jewellery is ‘how do I look after my jewellery?’. Once the excitement of purchasing your jewellery has passed, and you are edging closer to your wedding day, you want to ensure your jewellery is kept safe, clean and in perfect condition so it is ready for your big day.  Most of us have jewellery that is meaningful, and important, yet many of us don’t actually store our jewels. So, how should you look after your jewellery?

 1.  Storing your jewellery safely

When you purchase your jewellery, you will usually receive it in a box. If you are ordering jewellery from me, then you will receive a luxury white jewellery box with your order.  It is important that you always keep it in there until you want to use it. I pop in a little ‘anti-tarnish’ strip with all my jewellery and this will help to keep your accessories clean and safe for when you’re ready to wear it.

Keeping it in it’s box will mean it is less likely to succumb to temperature changes, moisture and harsh light.  This will help to reduce tarnishing and allow your jewellery to keep it’s shape.  

 2. Keeping your jewellery safe and clean

All jewellery can tarnish with time.  Especially sterling silver.  To prevent this, there are a few things you can do. Firstly, as mentioned in point 1 above, store it correctly.  Always try and keep precious jewellery separate. Different precious jewellery is best kept apart as some jewellery is made of softer metal than others, and some gemstones are more delicate than others.  Always keep all your jewellery out of direct sunlight and away from dramatic temperature changes. Never store your jewellery in a bathroom, or with perfumes.

 3. Cleaning your jewellery

Different jewellery will need to be cleaned in different ways, so be aware of the types of metal, stones and materials you have.  All jewellery should be cleaned after use to remove chemicals that we all use. These will include perfume, hairspray, moisturiser and makeup. Do not put spray perfume or apply moisturisers on the areas that you will be wearing your jewellery. 

Also, it is important to remove jewellery before showering or swimming.  Freshwater pearls are an organic material so they really don’t like chemicals that you may use in the shower, or the chlorine in a swimming pool. To clean pearls, use a soft damp clean cloth to gently wipe your pearls to remove any dirt.  Gold and silver jewellery is best wiped with a soft clean cloth. 

If your jewellery is particularly dirty, then you can use mild soapy water, with a soft, clean toothbrush. But please make sure you dry your jewellery thoroughly before storing it again. If you feel your jewellery has started to lose its shine, you can use a jewellers cloth to gently polish, but don’t over use them. If you are in any doubt about the type of gem, or metal you have, then pop into a jewellers and they can clean your jewellery professionally.

 4. Enjoy wearing your jewellery!

This is just a guide to help you look after your jewellery and ensure it is beautiful, sparkly and perfect for your wedding day, and beyond. One last piece if advice, is don’t store it somewhere that is too difficult to access. It is important to have it easy to hand, so that you can wear it to your hearts content and enjoy it for many years.  So the most important thing is to enjoy it! x

“It’s delightful when your imaginations come true, isn’t it?” -L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gable