How To Take Care of Your Fashion/Costume Jewelry.

Costume Jewelry is eye catching, pretty and very popular. It can last for years if proper care is given to it. With that said, learning how to preserve your costume jewelry is one of the keys to keeping them beautiful. Let's explore some useful tips for preserving your beloved costume pieces 🤗.

1. KEEP YOUR FASHION JEWELRY DRY AND TARNISH FREE.

Do not do dishes, bathe, do laundry or even go swimming with your costume jewelry. Why? Many cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that will change the color of your fashion jewelry when they come into contact with it. The chlorinated water in a swimming pool can react with the metals in your fashion/costume jewelry causing your bracelet/bangle, necklace and earrings (earring hooks in particular) to change color or begin to rust. 

2. DO NOT USE JEWELRY CLEANER ON FASHION/COSTUME PIECES.

Jewelry cleaners made for authentic silver, gold or platinum jewelry pieces are way too harsh for fashion/costume jewelry. This is because, fashion jewelry is usually plated with (not made out of) these precious metals. The harsh chemical in your jewelry cleaner will therefore further ruin your beloved fashion piece.

3. LET YOUR JEWELRY BE THE LAST THING ON AND THE FIRST THING OFF.

What does this mean? This means that your jewelry should be put on after you've put on all of your clothing, lotions and perfume and removed first when taking off your clothes. Doing this will ensure that your jewelry does not come into contact with your lotion/cream and perfume which can also contribute to tarnishing or a change in color of your costume piece.

As women, we love to put perfumes behind our ears, on our necks or on our hands where our pulse points are. Ensuring that our jewelry (earrings, necklaces, bracelets) goes on after we've perfumed /lotioned up is a very key component in preserving our pieces and keeping them tarnish free. (The rule goes for makeup & hairspray as well.)

Removing your jewelry before you take your clothes off is also important. Imagine your necklace or earring getting caught in your shirt or dress when taking it off and that favored piece of jewelry breaking 😤😭. This can be avoided. Remove all jewelry before taking your clothes off.

THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP OF ALL 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

4. STORE YOUR FASHION/COSTUME JEWELRY CORRECTLY!

Most fashion/costume pieces deteriorate quickly because they are not stored properly.

In the past, I remember storing a pair of earrings (that I'd loved very much) in a jewelry box with cotton. I had taken the hooks of the earrings and stuck it snuggly into the cotton to keep the earring secure but that was not a good thing to do 🙅🏽. In fact that idea sucked! Lol! The air (oxygen) & cotton caused the metal on the earring hooks to oxidize and become tarnished. I then removed the earrings, changed the hooks and stored them in an air tight plastic bag and that action has preserved the earrings for over a year now.

I highly recommend storing costume/fashion jewelry in AIR TIGHT plastic bags when not in use. 

Make sure that all the air is squeezed out to prevent oxidization. You can also try wrapping your fashion piece in "anti-tarnish paper/strips." Never heard of it? We found some good ones here on amazon and they're affordable too!😉

5. CLEAN YOUR FASHION/COSTUME JEWELRY BEFORE STORING THEM!

Keep your fashion/costume jewelry looking fresh and fabulous by cleaning them with basic soap and water and then wiping them clean and patting them completely dry before storing them.

Follow the steps below: 

 Step One - Add a tiny bit of dish detergent to a soft bristled tooth brush.

 Step Two - Run a bit of water over the toothbrush.

Step Three- Gently scrub away any smudges or grime.

Step Four - Rinse/wipe away with a cloth dipped in plain water.

Step Five - Lay the jewelry on a clean piece of tissue or soft cloth and wipe/pat dry.

Step Six -  Store jewelry pieces in an air tight bag. For example, a ziplock bag or the clear plastic that the earrings /jewelry pieces came in. Seal the bag.

I hope these tips have helped you in some way. Now you can feel confident about purchasing your fashion jewelry and having them last for years to come to wear repeatedly with your favorite outfits! Head over to our store!