Jewelry Care: Three Habits Make the Biggest Difference
Your Pickleluxe® jewelry is made to be worn, enjoyed, and loved. A little care along the way can help keep your favorite pieces looking beautiful.
You don't need a long list of rules to care for your jewelry. Start with these three habits, and everything else is simply fine-tuning.
1. Wear It. Enjoy It.
There isn't a perfect jewelry routine—and you don't need one.
Some people take their jewelry off every night. Others wear their favorite necklace nearly all the time. Some people shower in their jewelry, while others prefer to remove it first. Both are perfectly fine.
The goal isn't to change the way you live just to protect your jewelry. It's simply to be aware that things like moisture, perspiration, cosmetics, hair products, sunscreen, chlorine, and other substances can affect jewelry over time.
So wear your silver. Wear your gold vermeil. Wear your Pickleluxe® and enjoy it.
2. Clean It When It Needs It
Jewelry naturally picks up oils, perspiration, lotions and everyday buildup as you wear it. A little cleaning from time to time can help restore its shine and keep it looking fresh.
If you shower while wearing your jewelry, that can be an easy opportunity to give it a gentle refresh with mild Dawn dish soap and water. A soft brush can help reach detailed areas. Just be especially gentle with gold vermeil.
For a more thorough cleaning, you can use the cleaning methods outlined later in this article, including the option of using an ultrasonic jewelry-cleaning machine.
And if you'd rather have someone else do the cleaning, your local jeweler can professionally clean your jewelry, too.
3. Give It a Happy Home
When you're not wearing your Pickleluxe® jewelry, a little thoughtfulness in how you store it can help keep it looking beautiful.
Keeping pieces clean, dry and separate can help minimize scratches, tangling and unnecessary wear. A jewelry box, pouch or individual compartment gives each piece its own little space.
Want to Know More?
The three habits above cover the basics, but there's a little more to know if you're curious about why jewelry changes over time, how to clean it, or how to store it between wearings.
Why Does Sterling Silver Tarnish?
If your sterling silver jewelry isn't quite as bright as it once was—or a favorite piece has developed a darker appearance—you've likely encountered tarnish.
Tarnish is a natural characteristic of sterling silver. It occurs when the metal reacts with substances in its environment.
Moisture, humidity, perspiration, sulfur, chlorine, cosmetics and other chemicals can all contribute to tarnishing. How quickly tarnish develops can be different for everyone, depending on lifestyle, how often a piece is worn and how it is stored.
But here's something worth knowing:
Tarnish isn't something to worry about.
It's simply a natural part of owning sterling silver, and it can usually be addressed with a good cleaning.
Wear Your Silver
Interestingly, regularly wearing sterling silver can actually help keep it looking brighter.
The gentle friction that naturally occurs while you wear your jewelry can help remove some surface tarnish. So there's no reason to keep your silver tucked away because you're worried about it tarnishing.
Wear it. Enjoy it. Clean it when it needs a refresh.
That's part of the fun of owning sterling silver jewelry.
What About Gold Vermeil?
Gold vermeil is sterling silver covered with a thick layer of gold, giving you the beautiful look of gold with a sterling silver foundation.
Because the gold is a surface layer, gold vermeil benefits from a little extra TLC. Frequent exposure to moisture, perspiration, chemicals and friction can gradually contribute to wear of the gold finish.
That doesn't mean you need to save your gold vermeil jewelry for special occasions.
Wear it, enjoy it, and give it a little care along the way.
When cleaning gold vermeil, a gentle approach is especially important. Avoid aggressive scrubbing, rubbing with a soft cloth, or anything abrasive that could contribute to wear of the gold finish.
If You're Someone Who Never Takes Your Jewelry Off...
We get it.
Some pieces become part of your everyday look, and taking them off every night simply isn't part of the routine.
If you wear your jewelry in the shower, that's okay. You can use the opportunity to give it a gentle refresh with mild Dawn dish soap and water to help remove everyday oils, perspiration and buildup. Keeping a soft brush in the shower can be helpful for getting into detailed areas. Just be gentle, particularly with gold vermeil.
And if you prefer to take your jewelry off before showering, that's perfectly fine, too. Lay your jewelry out on the counter, place a drop of mild Dawn dish soap onto a soft brush and gently clean your piece. Give your jewelry a thorough rinse afterward then pat it with a soft, clean cloth and let sit to dry.
There is no one-size-fits-all jewelry routine.
What matters most is finding a routine that works for you and giving your jewelry a little TLC when it needs it.
A Little Cleaning Goes a Long Way
Regular cleaning is one of the easiest ways to keep your jewelry looking fresh and beautiful.
For everyday buildup, a gentle cleaning with mild Dawn dish soap and water can help remove oils, perspiration and residue. A soft brush can be useful for reaching detailed areas, followed by a thorough rinse and gentle drying with a soft, clean cloth.
For a deeper clean, you can use an ultrasonic jewelry-cleaning machine if you have one. Add a small amount of mild Dawn dish soap and operate the machine according to the manufacturer's directions.
After cleaning, rinse your jewelry thoroughly with clean water to remove any remaining soap or residue, then dry it completely with a soft, clean cloth.
If you don't own an ultrasonic cleaner, you don't need one. Gentle hand cleaning is a great option, too.
And if you'd rather leave the cleaning to someone else, your local jeweler can professionally clean your jewelry.
Everyday Things to Keep in Mind
You don't need to change your lifestyle to take care of your jewelry. Just being mindful of a few things can help.
Chemicals and Personal-Care Products
Perfume, lotion, hairspray, sunscreen, household cleaners, chlorine and other chemicals can affect jewelry over time.
There's no need to stress over an occasional encounter. Simply minimizing unnecessary exposure when it's practical can help preserve the appearance of your pieces.
If your jewelry does come into contact with chemicals or other substances, giving it a good rinse and drying it afterward can help remove residue.
Active Days
Pickleball, workouts, gardening, travel, beach days—we put our jewelry through plenty alongside us.
Perspiration, sunscreen, dirt and everyday oils can build up on jewelry, especially on pieces you wear frequently.
If your jewelry has had a particularly active day, that's a good time to give it a little attention. A quick clean can help keep it looking fresh.
What If Your Jewelry Has Tarnished?
If your sterling silver has developed a dark, dull or grayish appearance, don't worry—tarnish can be removed. It doesn't mean your jewelry is damaged or ruined.
If your jewelry simply needs a little refreshing or you'd like to restore its shine, a soft jewelry cleaning cloth can be used on both sterling silver and gold vermeil. Gently polishing the surface with a soft cloth can help remove everyday oils and residue and bring back some of the jewelry's natural shine.
For more noticeable tarnish on sterling silver, a jewelry polishing cloth with a tarnish-removing compound can provide additional help. These cloths are designed to assist with removing tarnish and restoring the brightness of silver.
The two-layer polishing cloth combines both options in one cloth: the outer gray layer is a soft buffing layer for gently cleaning and restoring shine on both sterling silver and gold vermeil, while the white inner layer is impregnated with a polishing compound to assist with tarnish removal on sterling silver.
Important: The white inner layer should be used only on sterling silver—not on gold vermeil. Because gold vermeil has a layer of gold over sterling silver, the polishing compound can be too abrasive for the gold finish and may contribute to wearing away the gold layer.
For gold vermeil, stick with the soft gray outer layer and use a gentle touch. If a gold vermeil piece has significant discoloration or you aren't sure how to clean it, we recommend taking it to a local jeweler for professional cleaning. Be sure to let the jeweler know that the piece is gold vermeil, not solid gold, so they can use the appropriate cleaning method.
The good news? Tarnish is a normal characteristic of sterling silver—and with the right care, your favorite Pickleluxe® pieces can be brought back to life and enjoyed for years to come.
Don't Forget the Final Step
After cleaning your jewelry, give it a good rinse to remove any remaining soap or residue. Then dry it thoroughly with a soft, clean cloth.
That's it.
Once it's clean and completely dry, it's ready to wear again—or ready to go back into its box until its next outing.
Give Your Jewelry a Happy Home
When you're not wearing your Pickleluxe® jewelry, a little thoughtfulness in how you store it can help keep it looking beautiful.
Keep Pieces Separate
Sterling silver and gold vermeil can be scratched more easily than harder metals such as stainless steel. Necklaces, bracelets and earrings can rub against one another, which may lead to scratches, tangling or unnecessary wear.
Keeping pieces in their own jewelry boxes or pouches gives each one its own little space—and makes finding your favorite piece much easier.
Keep It Dry
A cool, dry place is ideal for jewelry storage.
Bathrooms may be convenient, but the humidity can make them less than ideal for long-term storage. If you live somewhere particularly humid, a small desiccant packet in your jewelry-storage area can help reduce moisture.
Consider Anti-Tarnish Polymer Strips
Anti-Tarnish Polymer Strips can be a helpful addition when storing sterling silver, particularly when your jewelry is kept in a relatively enclosed space. Anti-Tarnish Polymer Strips are designed to absorb substances in the air that can contribute to tarnishing.
For the best results, place a strip in a closed jewelry box, pouch, bag or other enclosed storage container along with your jewelry. Keeping the jewelry and strip together in a smaller, enclosed space helps limit exposure to the surrounding air and gives the strip a better opportunity to do its job.
Anti-Tarnish Polymer Strips can be used for everyday storage as well as longer-term storage—anytime your jewelry is kept in an enclosed space.
Clean Before Long-Term Storage
If you're putting a piece away for an extended period, giving it a quick clean and making sure it is completely dry first can be helpful.
That way, when you open the box again, your jewelry is ready for its next chapter—not waiting for a cleaning session.
Enjoy Your Jewelry
There isn't a perfect jewelry routine, and you don't need one.
Maybe you take your jewelry off every night. Maybe your favorite necklace rarely leaves your neck. Maybe you shower in it. Maybe you switch pieces depending on where the day takes you.
However you wear your Pickleluxe® jewelry, the goal is simple: enjoy it.
A little regular cleaning, thoughtful storage and attention to everyday wear can help keep your sterling silver and gold vermeil pieces looking beautiful for years to come.
Luxe Is in the Details
At Pickleluxe®, we believe "luxe is in the details"—not only in the details of our jewelry designs, but in the experience we provide our customers.
That's why we want to give you more than beautiful jewelry. We want to give you the information and details that help you understand, care for and enjoy your pieces for years to come.
Because we believe the little things matter.
Wear it. Enjoy it. Give it a little TLC. And then wear it again.
Pickleluxe — where "luxe is in the details".