Caring for Coin Jewellery
When you’ve spent time and money building up your jewellery collection, the last thing you want to do is get it damaged. That’s why we’ve put together a guide on how to care for coin jewellery so you know how to keep it in the best possible condition.
The importance of cleaning jewellery
Cleaning is at the top of the list of priorities when it comes to looking after your jewellery, especially if you want to keep it and pass your jewellery down to future generations.
Cleaning and general maintenance of your jewellery will ensure it looks as a good as new, every time you wear it. One of the easiest ways to care for your collection is by creating a reminder to clean your jewellery regularly. You don’t need to overdo it, but by cleaning every few months you can have peace of mind that you’re doing all you can to keep your jewellery restored and looking it’s best. It will also help prevent any build-up of grime and dirt if you’re wearing your jewellery every day.
Buying jewellery, especially items like keepsake coin necklaces, are investment pieces that you’ll likely want to last a lifetime. Keeping on top of regular cleaning will help make sure your jewellery collection stands the test of time so that your necklaces, rings, and earrings are as good as new.
Why does jewellery tarnish?
If you’ve ever worn plated jewellery for a long period of time and noticed your skin turning green, that’s because your jewellery has tarnished.
Tarnishing happens when metals react to chemicals, like oxygen and sulphur, and start to oxidise. When this happens, jewellery turns black and green, which transfers to the skin. Using everyday items like deodorants, oils and perfume can all contribute to your jewellery tarnishing over time but there are ways to clean tarnished jewellery and care for your collection if this happens.
How to clean tarnished jewellery
The way you clean your jewellery will largely depend on the type of metal and style of the jewellery piece. Take care whilst cleaning your jewellery and be gentle to make sure you don’t damage it.
The most effective way to clean your jewellery is by using a microfibre polishing cloth. These are made with a special jewellery cleaner and an anti-tarnish agent to give long lasting protection against dust and dirt, to keep your jewellery looking good as new.
You can also clean your jewellery at home with soap and water, although it’s always worth using a jewellery cleaning cloth alongside any additional cleaning to make sure you effectively remove any signs of tarnish.
Cleaning necklaces: When you’re cleaning a necklace chain, start by using something small like a cotton bud or an old toothbrush with some soapy water to get in between the chain links. Apply the same technique to the coin or pendant and make sure the entire necklace dries completely.
To give if a final clean, use a polishing cloth and run the chain through the microfibre fabric, rubbing the links between your fingers as you go to make sure you get all the grime from the chain links.
Cleaning rings: In a similar way to necklaces, cleaning rings with a polishing cloth is the easiest way to get it back to a condition that is as good as new. Whilst you can clean your metal-plated ring with soapy water, it’s often easier to rub a polishing cloth on the inside and outside of the ring, taking care to go over any engraving work to make sure every part of the ring is covered.
It doesn’t take long but once you’ve cleaned your jewellery you can feel confident wearing it again, knowing it’s still in great condition. When you’re not wearing your jewellery collection, it’s worth storing your necklaces on a necklace holder and your rings in a jewellery box to make sure they’re kept in good condition day and night.
Caring for coin jewellery everyday
There’s more to caring for your coin jewellery than you might think, especially if you wear it on a daily basis. To help, we’ve put together a list to show you the different ways jewellery can be affected and the steps you can take to keep your jewellery safe from potential damage:
- Cleaning products – Chemicals and hazardous solutions are very damaging to jewellery so remove your rings or make sure you’re wearing gloves when you’re doing any cleaning and using household cleaning products.
- Washing & bathing – Plated metals tarnish in water over time, so it’s best to remove all jewellery before getting in the bath or taking a shower.
- Swimming – The same applies to swimming, especially as the additional chlorine in the water can cause plated jewellery to tarnish quickly. Removing your jewellery before you get in the pool will ensure it stays clean and dry.
- Salt water – It’s not just swimming in pools that you want to avoid when you’re wearing jewellery, it’s swimming in the sea too. Salt water can cause discolouration and tarnish plated metals, so it’s best to leave your jewellery at home.
- Perfumes & moisturisers – If you use moisturisers and perfumes every day, be mindful of the effect it can have on your jewellery. It’s best to avoid wearing them completely but if you can’t go without your perfumes and moisturisers then put them on a few hours before wearing your jewellery.
- Light and heat – Prolonged exposure to UV light and extreme heat, both hot and cold, can cause damage to your jewellery. It’s best to remove jewellery before spending a large amount of time outside and in places like saunas where there is extreme heat.
Now you know how to care for your jewellery you can make sure it lasts a lifetime, and by following the tips above to keep your jewellery in top condition, you can enjoy wearing your collection for years to come. For more information on our jewellery and the metals we use, take a look at our guides and learn how our coin necklaces and coin rings are made.