Handle with care: Effective ways to maintain silver and brass jewellery and make them last longer

Winter festive season is an excellent opportunity to get your accessories out of the wardrobe and give them a new look.

Our jewellery is our greatest treasure, and we all strive to get the most out of them. Whether it is blingy diamond necklaces, statement silver earrings, brass-coated chains, or gold rings, maintaining these jewellery pieces, especially heirlooms, and keeping them sparkling for generations to come is a challenge most of us face. And unsurprisingly, jewellery pieces tend to become dull, develop scratches, or accumulate dirt in the corners with repetitive usage. However, there are a few jewellery cleaning and storage tips that will make your accessories last longer and shine brighter. The winter festive season is an excellent opportunity to get your accessories out of the wardrobe and indulge in “jewellery-care” time.

Talking to HT Lifestyle, Aditya Modak, co-founder at Gargi Fashion Jewelry by PNGS, shared tips and tricks on maintaining and preserving your precious silver and brass accessories.

1. Invest in a jewellery storage box

Most of us tend to keep our jewellery in handy plastic zip lock bags or cloth pouches, which ultimately fasten the oxidization process. To avoid this, keep your jewellery pieces individually in an airtight jewellery box, away from moisture or heat, and in a dry place. This way, you can protect your jewellery of different metals from rubbing against each other and developing scratches, stains, or tangling. Most importantly, always wipe the accessories with a dry tissue or fabric once you have removed them and before storing them.

2. Use a liquid jewellery cleaning product

Heavy chemicals can damage your jewellery after repeated use. Thus, it is ideal for cleaning your silver or brass jewellery with mild liquid cleaners. Liquid cleaners can help rid dust, tarnish, or debris and bring back the shine the jewellery originally had, quickly making the oldest piece look new. Remember to gently rub your accessories with the liquid solution rather than soaking them for long hours. The good part is that liquid cleaners are readily available and convenient to use, especially when you are running short on time and do not have a jewellery store in proximity.

3. Turn to a polishing cloth

Not many of you may know about the existence of a product like a polishing cloth. Most brands sell disposable and reusable polishing cloths that help remove tarnishes, fingerprints, dirt, scratches, oil stains, and dullness layered over different jewellery pieces. Moreover, they are easy to use, inexpensive, and suitable for most metals, including silver, gold, brass, platinum, and copper. You can use these polished cloths to remove dirt and prints from your gemstones and diamonds. The key is to do the process gently in a sweeping motion without pushing too hard.

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