The Complete Guide to Jewelry Care: How to Keep Your Treasures Sparkling for a Lifetime
Building a jewelry collection is an investment in pieces you'll want to treasure forever. But without proper care, even the finest jewelry can lose its luster, tarnish, or become damaged over time. The key to maintaining your jewelry's beauty lies in understanding that different materials require different care approaches.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about caring for your jewelry based on its material composition, ensuring your favorite pieces stay as stunning as the day you first wore them. As with all jewelry the more care you take with it the longer it will last regardless of the material. Someone that wears their tennis bracelet to workout in will need rhodium and polishing more often than someone who saves it for special occasions.
14K Gold Jewelry: Built to Last with Proper Care
14K gold is one of the most durable and popular choices for fine jewelry, containing 58.3% pure gold mixed with stronger metals like copper and silver. This composition makes it more resistant to scratches and everyday wear than higher karat golds, but it still requires thoughtful care.
Daily Care for 14K Gold
What makes 14K gold special: The alloy metals in 14K gold can cause slight discoloration over time, especially when exposed to lotions, perfumes, and natural skin oils. However, this can be easily prevented and reversed with proper care.
Do's:
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Put on your 14K gold jewelry after applying makeup, perfume, and lotions
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Clean regularly with warm, soapy water and a soft-bristled toothbrush or Lemel’s World’s Best Jewelry Cleaner.
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Use a jewelry cleaning cloth to restore shine between deeper cleanings
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Store pieces separately to prevent scratching
Don'ts:
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Avoid exposure to chlorine (swimming pools, hot tubs, cleaning products)
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Don't wear it while exercising or during activities that cause excessive sweating (unless you are prepared for more often professional cleaning and harder wear and tear).
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Never use harsh chemicals or abrasive materials for cleaning
Cleaning 14K Gold At Home
For a thorough clean, mix a few drops of mild dish soap with warm water. Soak your jewelry for 10-15 minutes, then gently scrub with a soft toothbrush, paying attention to crevices where dirt accumulates. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft cloth. We would recommend this at home deep cleaning about once a month.
Professionally Cleaning 14K Gold
Take your 14K gold pieces to a jeweler every 6-12 months for professional cleaning, polishing and inspection.
Professional tips:
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White gold pieces will lose their luster over time as the rhodium wears off and begin to give off a yellowish hue. This will require a jeweler to re-rhodium the piece. We recommended re-rhodiuming your white gold jewelry when you start to notice the yellowness or get a new piece to stack with it and there is a stark difference between the older piece and the newer piece (think stacking rings or adding a band to your wedding se).
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Scratches to gold pieces can be polished off but only a few times over the life of the piece depending on the thickness of the gold. For example a gold cartier bracelet can be polished every once and a while but probably no more than 3x over the course of it’s life. When gold is polished thing layers of gold are removed so it can thin it out too much if it is done too often.
Diamond Jewelry: Maintaining Maximum Brilliance
Diamonds may be the hardest natural substance on Earth, but they're not invincible. Oil, dirt, and soap buildup can quickly dull a diamond's sparkle, making proper cleaning essential for maintaining their fire and brilliance.
Understanding Diamond Care
Why diamonds get dirty: Despite their hardness, diamonds are actually oil-attracting (oleophilic), meaning they easily attract skin oils, lotions, and dirt that can create a film over the surface and reduce light reflection.
Cleaning Diamonds Safely At Home
The soaking method: Mix warm water with a few drops of mild dish detergent. Soak diamond jewelry for 20-30 minutes, then use a clean, soft toothbrush to gently scrub around the diamond and under the setting where dirt commonly accumulates.
Professional Tip: Always put a cloth down over your sink drain when cleaning jewelry by the sink to prevent losing anything down the drain.
LeMel’s World’s Best Cleaner: Use the LeMel Jewelry Foaming Cleaner specifically designed for diamonds and gold. Apply the cleanser, brush gently, and rinse with warm water for restaurant-quality results at home.
What to avoid:
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Never use chlorine bleach, which can damage the metal setting
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Avoid ultrasonic cleaners for vintage ane antique diamond pieces
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Don't use harsh brushes that could loosen prongs
Professional Diamond Cleaning & Inspection
We recommend having your diamonds professionally cleaned every 3-6 months to maintain their brilliance and sparkle. During these visits, we will pay special attention to the setting holding your diamonds and check the prongs and bezels for signs of wear or loosening. A loose diamond is a lost diamond, so have settings inspected by a professional jeweler annually. Prongs wear down over time and might need to be re-tipped or at the least tightened to prevent losing stones. We might suggest re-rhodiuming a white gold piece at this time as well.
Fashion Jewelry: How to Maximize the Lifespan of Gold Fill & Gold Plated Fashion Jewelry
Fashion jewelry, including gold-plated, silver-plated, and base metal pieces, requires extra care due to its more delicate construction. With the right approach, you can significantly extend the life of these affordable pieces.
Understanding Fashion Jewelry Materials
Fashion jewelry typically consists of base metals (brass, copper, nickel) with thin plating or coating. This plating will wear away over time, especially with improper care, but the idea is to make it last as long as possible.
Essential Care Tips for Fashion Jewelry
Do's:
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Let perfumes and lotions dry completely before putting on jewelry
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Wipe down pieces with a soft, dry cloth to remove oils and moisture
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Store your pieces in individual plastic zip lock or jewelry bags to prevent tarnishing
Don’ts
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Exposure to water (especially shower, pool, or ocean water)
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Contact with perfumes, lotions, and cleaning products
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Storage in humid environments
Cleaning Fashion Jewelry at Home:
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Use only mild soap and water, or Lemel’s World’s Best Jewelry Cleaner, avoiding harsh chemicals
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Dry thoroughly immediately after cleaning to prevent water damage
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For tarnished silver-plated pieces, use a silver polishing cloth sparingly
Professional Cleaning
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Sterling Silver - If a silver item has turned all black and will not shine after cleaning it with a cloth, bring it to a professional jeweler to be professionally polished.
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Gold Plated - Rarely items can be re-plated. However, the cost to do so and the quality of the outcome will likely outweigh the value of the item. Can you dip the piece in gold again? It is not that simple….
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Gold Filled - Gold Filled can be put in a sonic cleaner and possibly lightly polished. However, it is not guaranteed that the gold layer will not come off after polished.
Professional Maintenance: When to Seek Help
Even with excellent home care, professional maintenance is essential for preserving jewelry value and safety.
Annual Professional Services
What professional cleaning can do:
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Ultrasonic and steam cleaning for deep restoration
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Prong tightening and setting inspection
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Rhodium plating for white gold pieces
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Appraisal updates for insurance purposes
Signs you need professional help:
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Stones feel loose in their settings
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Clasps aren't closing securely
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Severe tarnishing that home methods can't address
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Bent or damaged pieces requiring repair
How to Best Store Your Jewelry
Proper storage is crucial for all jewelry types and can dramatically extend their lifespan regardless of material.
We love Stackers from the container store because they are stackable and have big enough sections to hold Jewelry Zip Locks.
The Baggie Method: Simple and Effective
Store individual pieces in small plastic bags (a ziploc or a smaller jewelry airtight baggie) to create an airtight environment that slows tarnishing. For necklaces and chain bracelets, leave a small portion hanging out to prevent tangling. We recommend clear bags so you can see what piece is inside. This is a great way to travel with your jewelry as well.
Recommended supplies:
Advanced Storage Tips
For valuable pieces: Consider a jewelry safe or safety deposit box for items you don't wear regularly. A cloth bag is also recommended.
For everyday jewelry: Use a jewelry organizer with separate compartments to prevent pieces from rubbing against each other. We love Stackers from the container store.
Climate control: Store jewelry in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and humidity.
Travel Like a Pro: Protecting Jewelry on the Go
Traveling with jewelry requires extra planning to prevent loss, damage, or theft.
Smart Packing Strategies
Use a dedicated travel case: The LeMel travel case offers specialized compartments for different jewelry types, keeping everything organized and protected during transit.
Pre-trip planning: Photograph your jewelry collection before traveling. This serves as both inventory and insurance documentation.
Packing essentials:
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Roll necklaces in tissue paper or store in individual pouches or zip locks
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Use pill organizers for small earrings and rings
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Bring jewelry cleaning wipes for maintenance during travel
Airport Security and Safety
Always carry-on: Never pack valuable jewelry in checked luggage. Lost luggage reimbursement limits rarely cover jewelry's true value.
Security considerations: Wear your most valuable pieces while traveling, and keep jewelry in your personal item bag that stays with you.
Creating Your Jewelry Care Routine
Developing consistent habits is the key to long-lasting jewelry:
Daily: Remove jewelry before showering, exercising, or applying beauty products.
Weekly: Quick cleaning with appropriate methods for each material type.
Monthly: Thorough inspection for damage or wear, deep cleaning as needed.
Annually: Professional cleaning and inspection for valuable pieces.
Investment Protection: Documentation and Insurance
Photograph everything: Create a digital catalog of your collection with detailed photos and descriptions.
Keep receipts and certificates: Store purchase documentation and authenticity certificates in a secure location.
Consider insurance: Valuable pieces may warrant separate jewelry insurance or additions to your homeowner's policy.
Regular appraisals: Update appraisals every 3-5 years to reflect current market values.
