Are you taking care of your plated jewelry the correct way?
In my years of selling plated earrings, I have learned so much about how to properly care for them. Good quality plated jewelry can really last a long time as long as you take certain measures. As you probably know, plating is a process where a thin layer of metal is placed to coat the surface of another piece of metal. Overtime, that layer of gold (or rhodium) will start fading. The lifespan of your piece will depend on the quality of the plating and on how well they are being kept by you. In this article I will share my experience and recommendations on how to properly care for you earrings in order to stretch the life of your beautiful plated jewelry.
Are you ready?
Pretty much every action we take, every move we make involves a chemical reaction, and that applies to your plated jewelry. All that makeup, moisturizers, oils and perfumes can have an impact on your jewelry. You should always put on your earrings after you have finished with your beautifying process to avoid any chemicals from sitting on the surface of your jewelry. However, if you're someone like me, who adds perfume as the final touch, before leaving the house, you will probably spray it all over your earrings. In that case, make sure you rinse and pat dry your earrings before putting them away.
Plated jewelry should never come into contact with ocean or pool water. Seriously! I’m a beach rat and I can’t help it but to pair my gorgeous earrings with my beautiful swimwear (I have a thing for bikinis). They go really well together. If you are going to have fun on a boat, why not wear your beautiful jewelry? So I just keep in mind that I can’t go in the water when I have them on. It will probably damage your gorgeous earrings. Maybe not at first, but it will eventually happen if you keep repeating it.
I always make sure I clean them up after wearing them. When they have endured bad exposure to chemicals, I soak them up in warm water and mild soap and give it a little scrub with a very soft brush. Rinse and pat dry with a soft cloth. In case of tarnishing, a little polishing cloth will do the job. In case you don’t know, I send a polishing cloth and a velvet\satin bag with every earring purchase, so you can keep them safe and beautiful!
As an advocate of durable goods, I myself always make sure I’m taking care of my own stuff...I can safely say at least 40% of my wardrobe is made up of clothes, shoes, jewelry and accessories that are 10 plus years old. And when we take care of our belongings we don’t have to replace them as often. The earth will certainly thank us for that!
