How to keep your jewelry from tarnishing

Jewelry is a subtle yet powerful part of every outfit. It’s what helps your look come together beautifully and it just gives you that extra oomph even when you’re wearing something basic.

Each year we spend a lot of money on jewelry pieces from hair jewelry to statement necklaces and trendy earrings. But one thing that we don’t realize is that we keep tossing out many of these pieces before their expiration date.

Jewelry usually tarnishes over time but, they often fade prematurely because sometimes we don’t know how to take care of them properly. We end up replacing pieces all the time when they could have served us longer if we paid attention to these simple maintenance details:

Separate your pieces

When different metals come into contact with one another, the chances of tarnishing faster increase. You might not have thought twice about stacking all your pieces in one big bag but this is something you shouldn’t do if you want to maintain your jewelry well.

There are some reactions that take place when these materials are piled together however, you can easily avoid this. Don’t combine copper, silver, gold and other jewelry types together. Keep them separated to avoid triggering the tarnishing process.

Reduce contact with moisture

Moisture is one of the main reasons why jewelry ends up tarnishing faster. This can be very tricky to deal with especially if you live in humid areas.

You can’t completely prevent moisture from coming into contact with your jewelry but you can do a lot to prevent excess exposure.

Embrace the habit of taking off your jewelry before washing your hands and ensure they’re dry before storing.

Prevent exposure to harsh elements

Corrosive chemicals like those found in sanitizers, perfumes and hair sprays also shorten the life span of your loved jewelry pieces. We sometimes spritz ourselves with perfumes while we have our jewelry on and that can cause jewelry to lose their glow too soon.

The solution to this is preventing contact with those corrosive substances. If you need to spray some perfume, sanitize your hands or apply anything that might cause tarnishing, do it before putting on your jewelry.

Clean them often

For your jewelry to last longer, you should do some of maintenance often. Some pieces can be simply cleaned with soap and a soft brush but for more delicate pieces, you might need to use pastes and other gentle cleaning products that will get the job done well.

And, in case you already have a few tarnished pieces you would like to keep, you can find many online hacks to help clear the tarnished spots off your jewelry.

Invest in a jewelry organizer

How you store your jewelry also matters a lot. For a better outcome you can invest in a good jewelry organizer that will prevent your pieces from coming into contact with one another while keeping the moisture away too.

A good organizer should be lined with felt or velvet. You can also put in a few anti-tarnishing strips to maintain your jewelry longer.