5 Best Ways To Care For Handcrafted Jewelry

Handcrafted jewelry loses its luster over time and metals also tarnish. Here are some simple ways to keep beaded or metal jewelry looking its best.

It’s important to care for your beads and jewelry to keep them in the best condition for as long as possible.

After wearing jewelry for a while, it starts to lose its shine. Dirt and oils build up over time making your DIY jewelry look dull. This isn’t just limited to metals which tarnish eventually, but even glass beads and natural materials need a little pick-me-up.

There are a few things you should do to protect handcrafted jewelry and keep it looking good. Below is a list…

How To Protect And Care Handcrafted Jewelry

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1. Clean It

Before you clean any piece of jewelry, make sure you know what type of materials it’s made of and which cleaners are safe to use. Test your chosen method on a small area first before using it on the whole thing.

Cleaners that will work on metals like silver may be too harsh for soft gemstones. Here’s a cleaning guide for metals and beads.

Use soft-bristled toothbrushes and microfiber cloths to clean pieces of jewelry.

Make sure to dry jewelry thoroughly before putting it away.

2. Use Polishing Cloths

The air and even oils in your skin tarnish metal components like chain and clasps. If the jewelry is only slightly tarnished, wipe it with a polishing cloth.

I recommend Sunshine polishing cloths. I have used them myself and they have worked quite well for me.

Sunshine polishing cloths are non-staining cloths, impregnated with special chemical cleansing agents. They remove tarnish from various metals e.g. sterling silver and copper and leave a long-lasting luster behind.

These are sold in three different colors:

• Blue – softest of the three
• Yellow – original version
• Pink – made for professionals

First, make sure the jewelry is free from dust and other abrasives. Gently rub the surface you want cleaned.

Of course, if the jewelry is heavily tarnished, then you might want to use an appropriate cleaning solution.

3. Use Anti-Tarnish Strips

Anti-tarnish strips are the safe and economical way to protect metals in jewelry. These react with and neutralize gases in the air that cause tarnish.

Add them into jewelry boxes, pouches or ziploc bags along with your handcrafted jewelry. They last from six months up to one year depending on environmental conditions.

4. Store In Dry Areas & In Air-Tight Containers

Moisture ruins metals and can also weaken silk thread used to string pearls. So, store your jewelry in a dry location a.k.a not the bathroom or next to a sink.

Also, protect them from the air by placing them into air-tight containers — resealable bags and other small containers are ideal.

5. Separate Jewelry From Other Pieces

Chain and cords in jewelry and even long earrings are prone to tangling.

Hang jewelry from hooks or a jewelry tree to stop this from happening. If you don’t have place to hang pieces, thread chain through straws, put them in small containers or ones with individual compartments.

Crystals and stones with rough edges can scratch other pieces of jewelry e.g.
glass pearls which are very susceptible to scratching. It’s important to store these separately, if possible.

If you maintain your handcrafted jewelry, it will last much longer and look great. After all the hours you spent making these pieces, why wouldn’t you want to protect them?