Care Tips for your Jewelry Pieces!

We are all fond of costume jewelry: trendy and easy on our pockets. Best part of all, they are easy to match and we can change them according to our daily look and styles! Unfortunately, costume jewelry do not last as long as expensive jewelry. It tarnishes, loses its color and shine, and sometimes leaves marks on our skin. Fret not! We do have a few tips for you to help keep our costume jewelry pieces looking their best while they are still on trend.

TIP #1: ZIP LOCK BAGS ARE OUR COSTUME JEWELRY'S BEST FRIENDS.
The main causes of tarnishing is exposure to moisture, oils, salts and acids. This includes moisture from the air, exposure to chemicals such as hairspray, perfume and body creams etc. Therefore, wipe each piece of costume jewelry with a soft clean cloth as soon as you remove them to get rid of any contaminants and to dry the piece. After which, pop your jewellery in little airtight zip lock bags to store them. Be sure to squeeze out the air from the bags prior to fastening, you don't want any moisture trapped inside!
Remember: A little extra effort can go a long way!


TIP #2: PUTTING ON JEWELRY PIECES SHOULD BE THE LAST STEP OF YOUR GETTING-READY ROUTINE
Put on jewelry after applying perfume and hairspray, as these substances can build up on jewelry and cause discoloration. The ingredients in perfumes and hairsprays can build up in the crevices of jewelry, trapping dirt and dust. These are difficult to remove and can create a dull and dark appearance overtime.
Remember: Last on, First off!


TIP #3: ROTATE YOUR JEWELRY PIECES
Costume jewelry isn't meant to be worn daily, so do not forget to give your costume jewelry a little break from time to time. If you wear the same pieces of jewelry on a daily basis, you might see discoloration coming quickly. To prolong the life of your jewelry, change it as often as possible by varying the outfits.
Remember: Rotate your jewelry, together with your outfits!


TIP #4: DON'T LIVE IN YOUR JEWELRY PIECES
As mentioned in tip #2 that we should not wear the same costume jewelry daily, it is also important to remove them when we have no use for them. This means that you should never go to sleep, exercise or shower with your costume jewelry on, as by doing so will only speed up the tarnishing process much faster. Besides having your jewelry tarnishing, it could also color your skin. You may have personal experiences of having green traces left on the skin (particularly by fashion rings). This is due to the chemical reaction between the metal and the acidity of the skin, and sweat naturally tends to amplify it.
Remember: For any activity that does not require the presence of costume jewelry, go without!


TIP #5: COATING YOUR JEWELRY IS A MYTH! (AT LEAST TO US)
We know that there are many rumors as well as "tested and proven tutorials" that coating jewelry with polish or gloss may reduce discoloration. However, as costume jewelry is made from a combination of metals, there might be chemical reactions and overtime these "coatings" actually have a tendency of yellowing. In addition, the coating will eventually come off, causing your costume jewelry gold or silver plating to chip.
Remember: Coat your nails, not your jewelry! ;)