Wearing fine jewelry is like attaching a piece of art to yourself. And like every piece of art, fine jewels require care and maintenance. It’s harder to notice a piece of jewelry getting dirty as it often won’t have obvious stains, but dust, dirt, skin lotion, and even soaps can rob your jewels of their natural sheen.
Fortunately, you can revive your jewelry’s shine and sparkle by regularly cleaning it. Below we’re honoring our duty as jewelry experts to give you some pro tips on how to clean and care for your Oceano Pearls jewelry, whether you’ve opted for sterling silver, gold vermeil, or solid gold pieces.
Pearl Jewelry Care Tips
In some ways, jewelry maintenance is a lot like home maintenance: the more preventative care you take, the easier it will be to clean. You can make your cleaning sessions easier by making sure you take proper care of your jewelry all the time. Here are some best practices to ensure your jewelry stays in top shape:
Cleaning Tips For Pearl Jewelry
Create a mixture of lukewarm water and mild dish soap to dip your soft cloth in. Wipe your pearls down with a soft cloth and let them dry thoroughly before storing or wearing them again. Avoid using steam or ultrasonic cleaners, as they can damage the pearl’s nacre.
cleaning tips
Sterling Silver Jewelry
Silver is well-loved for its cool luster, but it can be prone to tarnishing. That’s why regular maintenance is essential for sterling silver jewelry.
A quality silver polish will always be a wise investment. The best polishes have a dual function: cleaning the tarnish off of your silver jewelry, and leaving a protective coating that will help your jewels keep their sheen. Silver polish is usually available in liquid form, or as wipes. The second type is ideal if you wish to clean silver without making too much of a mess; liquid polish can get a bit out of hand sometimes! Silver wipes are also quicker to use, so they’ll be your best bet if convenience is your top priority.
cleaning tips
Gold Vermeil Jewelry
Our gold vermeil pieces consist of a thick coating of 18 carat gold on sterling silver. Caring for vermeil is not rocket science. However, there are some crucial steps to follow. Never use chemical polish and solutions when cleaning vermeil. This may cause thinning of the coating. You will definitely want to keep abrasive wipes and cloths far from your vermeil jewelry.
Stick to neutral soap and lukewarm water instead, much like when you are cleaning gemstones. Simply fill a bowl with water, add a few drops of dish soap, and let your silver jewelry soak in the mixture for around five minutes. To really get into the crevices, you can gently scrub any dirt away using a clean toothbrush. Once complete, rinse your jewelry with clean water and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth.
cleaning tips
Solid Gold Jewelry
Solid gold requires less maintenance than its vermeil counterparts, regardless of its karat. To clean your solid gold jewelry, use neutral or mild soap (dishwashing liquid will do), just like with vermeil pieces. Leave the jewels to soak in a soap and water solution for about 10 minutes. Rinse them afterwards, and use a soft cloth or soft-bristled toothbrush to get rid of any accumulated gunk. As always, make sure your jewelry is completely dry before storing or wearing it again.
