Expensive jewelry is an expensive investment, and if you ever plan on selling it in the future, it’s current condition matters a lot. It’s important, therefore, to make sure that your jewelry remains in tip-top shape. But what does that mean in practice?
If you’re the owner of expensive jewelry, here’s some stuff that you should absolutely never do and why.
Morganite Engagement Ring
Do The Dishes
It should be obvious to most people that doing the dishes while wearing an expensive ring probably isn’t a good idea, given the desire that the two seem to have to be together. But aside from diamonds chipping off your rings and getting lost in the rest of your household sewage, there’s a bunch of other reasons why you might not want to wear expensive jewelry while doing the washing up. For starters, most soaps contain a bunch of harsh chemicals and dyes. These can harm the surface of the metals used in your jewelry and can also cause the stones themselves to dull over time.
Then there’s the problem of things like scouring brushes and rough sponges scratching the surface of rings, destroying the smooth finish.
Bathing And Showering
It turns out that the same chemicals and dyes in washing up liquid that harm jewelry are also present in the soap you use in the shower and the bath. Shampoos, body soaps, and conditioners are all potentially dangerous if they come into contact with rings, earrings, and necklaces. Often, residue from bathroom products can build up on the surface of the ring, causing gold, platinum, and precious stones to lose their luster and shine.
Applying Makeup
Putting on your jewelry should probably be one of the last things you do before heading out. Why? Because powder from foundations and eye shadows doesn’t all end up on your face. Some of it stays in the air near your hands and face and can end up on your jewelry.
Even liquid foundations can be an issue if they get lodged in the intricate metalwork of your rings. Also, avoid wearing your rings while removing makeup with make-up removers, since these also contain harsh chemicals that can damage jewelry.
Gardening
It might sound obvious, but gardening is a bad time to wear expensive jewelry. You’ll be exposed to dirt and grime, and this can easily become lodged in the setting of rings and necklaces. You also want to avoid gardening because of the risk that your rings will be exposed to fertilizers. Again, these contain harsh chemicals that can damage the finish of rings.
Exercising
If you’ve ever worn a copper piece of jewelry while exercising, you’ll have noticed that after a while, you’ve got a green residue on your skin. This is caused by the metal oxidizing with the atmosphere, helped along by the water and salt in your sweat.
A similar thing happens with more expensive jewelry, just over a much longer period of time. Bodily excretions build up over time, meaning that rings need to be cleaned more often.
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