5 ways to protect your precious jewellery from rain damage

Storing jewellery in a box with a sturdy exterior and a soft interior will keep moisture and humidity out and save the articles from possible friction.

The pitter-patter of rain may bring immense joy to the living world, but it certainly is not a good sign for jewellery, say experts.

And with the monsoons in full swing, experts suggest some tips to help protect your ornaments in this damp weather:

* Gold jewellery is prone to catching dust and dirt quickly when kept in a humid environment. For that reason, during the monsoon, one must use warm, soapy water to clean gold ornaments.

* When it comes to jewellery such as pearls, coral or amber, it would be advisable to keep them in separate boxes. Do not mix them with other gemstones as scratches are inevitable.

* Furthermore, gemstones need to be given proper care and attention. Pearls are delicate and direct contact with perfumes and sprays might damage them. If adequate precautions are not taken while storing them, they are likely to develop scratches.

* Moisture can affect the metal alloy used to make ornaments and cause it to lose its original lustre. To prevent this from happening, store your jewellery in a box with a sturdy exterior and a soft interior, which will do half the job for you by keeping the humidity and moisture out. Meanwhile, the soft interior will save the articles from possible friction and help retain their natural sheen.

* Overexposure to air and humidity can damage your delicate silver. It’s advisable to store silver jewellery in separate, airtight bags made of anti-tarnish paper. These bags minimise air exposure and keep the jewellery new for longer periods of time.

* Keep the jewellery away from water as much as possible, since the contaminants in water can result in tarnished and dull looking silver. If your jewellery gets wet, take a soft cloth, dab the water out of it, and blow dry the jewellery before storing it.

(With inputs from jewellery experts Sumeet Dhanraj and Saumya Ghai)

Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter